Drew Schug, Author at Montana Angling Company

Bozeman, Montana June 2018 Fly Fishing Forecast

June 2018 Montana Fly Fishing Overview

The Summer fly fishing season is almost here and our Bozeman, Montana fly fishing guides are ready for it. June means longer days, great hatches, consistent fishing, flip-flop weather, and is one of our anglers favorite times for a Montana fly fishing trip. June 2018 is shaping up to be a great kick-off to our summer season. Spring was generous to us this year with mild weather and some of the better fly fishing in recent history for March, April, and May. June looks to continue this trend.

‍Our freestone rivers will remain high, off-color, and largely unfishable through the month of June. We’ve got plenty of snow still in the mountains and we’re thinking the Yellowstone River, Boulder River, Gallatin River, and Stillwater river will run high through mid-late July. Why are we so optimistic about June then? Our answer: the fly fishing on the Missouri River, Madison River, and Spring Creeks has and will be that good. The same high flows that make for tough fishing on our freestone river make for phenomenal fishing on our tailwater rivers. High water means lots of food for our trout and they will be on the feed in a big way.

‍The Missouri River has been treating our guides and anglers well since mid-March and the good times will roll on through June. Higher than normal flows has meant limited dryfly opportunities but the nymphing has been as good as it gets. Flows have crossed 15000 CFS and will likely go up through mid-June which means even more food for our Missouri River trout. Dryfly fishing will continue to be tough but the nymphing will only improve as water temps come up. While sowbugs and scuds were king this spring, look for the menu to expand to include worms, crayfish, caddis, and PMD nymph in June. There will be more than one way to get it done. Go deep and fish the traditional lanes, shorten up and fish the banks, or sneak around the lower river if you’ve got it down. It is hard to learn the Missouri River at high water. The fish get big and go on the feed, but you’ve still got to know where they are. Consider hiring a guide if you start feeling lost. Or if you just want a great Missouri River fly fishing experience. Flows will more than likely start to drop by the end of the month. Hard to say wether the dryfly bite will pickup. Need flows below 9000 CFS for it to get good. But we’re just fine with the great nymphing until then.

The long-lived Hebgen Dam construction project is done and the Madison River has and will be in full form in 2018. We had great fishing all spring. Float and wade fishing were both great options. Flows have and will come up. Lots of snow in the surrounding ranges still. Float fishing and wade fishing will remain great but anglers need to exercise caution as flows continue to come up. We expect streamer fishing and nymphing will remain great through the end of June. When the river comes up and clarity becomes less than clear, the big fish go on the feed. Stonefly nymphs, sculpins, worms, crayfish, and large attractor nymphs will all work well. We’ll see the first of the Salmonflies on June 23rd, 2:17pm. Be there. But in actuality it is hard to predict when exactly they will hatch, but we expect to see the big bugs out between June 19th and 25th. How long will they stick around? Anyone’s guess. All we know is our Montana fly fishing guides will be on the water when they show up, ready to take advantage of some of the best dryfly fishing of the year. Flows will be higher than average through the end of the month, water temps cooler, water dirtier, but the Salmonfly hatch will happen and you will want to be there.

‍We’ve had nothing but great fly fishing on our Montana Spring Creeks all spring. Most of our time has been spent on DePuy’s Spring Creek and our anglers have had great hatches and fishing. June will be more of the same. With the Yellowstone River running high, fish numbers in the spring creeks will remain great and it will make for a PMD season to remember. Look for the hatch to start by the end of the first week, peak around June 20 and continue well into July. But rod availability is already limited. Consider booking your spring creek fly fishing trip for June today if you haven’t already.

‍The Yellowstone River and other freestone rivers near Bozeman, Montana will remain unfishable through the month of June. And probably well into July. This means we will miss the salmonfly hatch this year, probably golden stones too. The patient angler that waits until flows drop and the river turns green will be rewarded with what will be a great late-summer season. High flows means lots of cold water through the summer and lots of fish on the feed. We’re predicting an awesome hopper season that will extend into late September. Stay tuned for updates.

‍June is the start of primetime for our anglers and Montana fly fishing guides. Guided fly fishing trips going out daily and great fishing on our Spring Creeks, the Missouri River, and Madison River. June 2018 will be one you don’t want to miss out on.

2018 Montana Fly Fishing Outlook

Montana Fly Fishing

2018 Montana Fly Fishing Season

It is March in Bozeman, Montana and fly fishing season is here. Our Montana fly fishing guides have started to put away their skis, dust off their drift boats, and get back to fishing. Winter 2018 was the real deal. Lots of snow and long cold spells made for tough winter fly fishing in the Bozeman area. Many of the larger rivers were choked by ice and boat ramps were inaccessible. The trout got a nice long break from anglers this winter. Some of the usual winter suspects, Depuy’s Spring Creek, the Gallatin, and the Lower Madison, provided a few windows of opportunities for anglers looking to get their mid-winter trout fishing fix, but overall the rivers and streams near Bozeman were quiet and cold from December through February.

What’s to Come

Looking forward into the Spring and Summer, our magic 8 ball is telling us 2018 is going to be a great year for fly fishing in Montana. The snowpack is well above average statewide which means we will have plenty of cold water all summer long. The flipside to this is that we will have a longer than normal runoff season. Expect many rivers to remain unfishable and unsafe to floating longer than usual in 2018. For the Yellowstone River I’m betting the last week of July before it is really in shape. Expect the Gallatin River, Jefferson River, Boulder River, and other local freestones to follow suit. For our guides and travelling anglers this means the majority of trips will be on the Missouri River, Madison River, Spring Creeks, and Private water options June until mid-July.

Once flows settle down, patient anglers will be treated to what could be some of the best August dry fly fishing in recent history. Hoppers will be right at the waters edge with fish ready to chow down. The lengthy Hebgen Dam construction project was completed last fall. The Madison River should have cooler water and good flows throughout August. For the Bozeman, Montana based angler this means lots of options and great fly fishing any direction they go. Not the summer to opt for going somewhere else instead.

The Missouri River is where our Montana fly fishing guides can be found April thru June and back again in the Fall. Anglers can expect higher than normal flows, which will mean great nymphing and streamer fishing until flows drop in June and the dry fly bite turns on. We still have some prime dates available at the end of May. Contact us to get them before they are gone. Terrestrial fishing should be great this year through the heart of the Summer. We’re betting on a great September. October is our favorite time of the year to fly fish the Missouri River. It’ll be here before you know it.

Where to Fly Fish in 2018

Our forecast on where to be and when to be there for 2018? Missouri River in April, May, June, and first half of July. Yellowstone, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers July, August, and September. Missouri River in October. Big Horn River in November. For wade fishing anglers the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks and Yellowstone National Park will provide great fly fishing throughout the season.

If you have already booked your 2018 Montana fly fishing dates with the Montana Angling Company you are in for what is looking to be a special year. For those still needing to, give us a call at 406-579-9553 and we will make it happen. You are not going to want to miss out on 2018.

Missouri River Spring Fly Fishing Trips

Missouri River Fly Fishing

Missouri River Spring Fly Fishing Trip Overview

Fly fishing on the Missouri is the main event for anglers and our fly fishing guides in Montana during the Spring. The tailwater portion of the Missouri near the town of Craig, Montana kicks our season off with the first great dry fly fishing of the year in mid-April with daily hatches of midges and blue winged olives (BWOs). Guide trips go out regularly on this stretch of river starting April 1 and it is a great time of year to find solitude and lots of larger fish on the Missouri River.

What to Expect

Streamer fishing and nymphing is also a solid bet all spring. The April hatches of BWOs continue through early May until water temperatures slowly start rising and flows crank up a bit. The Missouri river will experience an increase of flows, call it the run-off for the river, but continues to run cold and clear thanks to Holter dam. By May the weather will stabilize and our season gets kicked into high gear.

There are days in May that can be cold and rainy, even snowy, but is consistently favorable for great angling opportunities. The warmer daytime temps also mean some great hatches and great fishing. The largest fish of the year are usually caught in May on the ‘Mo. Sometimes they come on dries, sometimes streamers, and of course on nymphs, but know they are on the prowl.

BWOs continue to come off daily through early-mid May and by May 15 you can usually count on caddis dancing all across the water. The Mother’s day caddis hatch on the Missouri River is something every angler needs to experience. At its best it is blankets of bugs drifting down the river and trout gorging themselves on them. This doesn’t mean they are easy to catch, but it can be a dry fly fisherman’s paradise. On higher water years the bugs are around in good numbers and there are fish looking to eat them, but nymphing can be more reliable. When flows peak over 10,000 CFS its not uncommon to have to go deep to consistently catch trout.

While all of this is going on there are also a variety of other hatches to keep things interesting. March Browns, ants, beetles, some early PMDs, Callibaetis, and even a stonefly or two round out the May hatches. All of this makes for a fishing experience you’ve got to experience yourself. Our May trips on the Missouri River book fast and early so be sure to reach out early if you want in on the action.