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When is the best time to go fly fishing in Montana?

Montana Angling Company Fly Fishing Calendar

When is the best time to go fly fishing in Montana? Anytime you can. At the Montana Angling Company, we know that each season brings its own adventure for fly fishing anglers. Whether it is the explosive hatches of Summer, the solitude of Spring and Fall, or the cold beauty of Winter, there is a time to fly fish in Montana for everyone. Our Montana fly fishing trip offerings are as diverse as our seasons, which means our guided fly fishing trips are always on the best rivers, lakes, or stream seasonally available in Montana. Sun or snow, rain or shine, you’d better believe the Montana Angling Company is on the water. Our Montana Fly Fishing Calendar takes some of the guesswork out of planning your next Montana fly fishing trip. Want to know what to expect or where to go fly fishing in Winter? Want to know what type of fishing you’ll experience on the Missouri River is May? Want to know when the best dry fly bite is? Read on.

March Fly Fishing in Montana

The real start of the Montana fly fishing season: Fishing licenses have to be renewed, rivers start thawing out, the first dry fly hatches start to pop, and our Montana fly fishing guides go back to work. Expect to fish the Missouri River near Craig, Montana, the Yellowstone and Madison Rivers near Bozeman, Montana, and the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks near Livingston, Montana. Dry fly fishing can be great on calmer spring days and streamer fishing can be great on the other days when the weather turns back to winter.

Favorite Rivers: Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, Missouri River, and Gallatin River

April Fly Fishing in Montana

Spring is all over Montana by April. Fly fisherman can expect to find solitude and great fly fishing across the state. Our Montana guided fly fishing trips are focused on the Missouri River, the Yellowstone River, the Madison River, the Big Horn River, and the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks throughout the month of April. Blue Winged Olive hatches can be thick and dry fly fishing can be outstanding. And the crowds of summer are nowhere to be seen. Check out our Winter and Spring Guided Fly Fishing Specials for more information.

Favorite Rivers: Missouri River, Yellowstone River, and Madison River

May Fly Fishing in Montana

It’s on. May fly fishing in Montana is all about the Missouri River for our Montana fly fishing guides and is something every angler needs to experience. Thick hatches of Caddis, BWOs, and more make for some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. Higher water years mean streamer and nymph fly fishing but great fly fishing all the same. It’s classic big river drift boat fishing for big trout and it doesn’t get much better than this. Book your trip early for the best dates and lodging. May marks the beginning of runoff on our Bozeman, MT area rivers, but there can be great fly fishing on the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks and the Lower Madison River.

Favorite Rivers: Missouri River, Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, and Madison River

June Fly Fishing in Montana

There is a reason many of our Montana fly fishing guides’ calendars are booked a year in advance for June. The fly fishing in Montana is that good. Anglers can expect thick mayfly and caddis hatches all month on the Missouri River and the annual salmonfly hatch on the Madison River, Yellowstone River, and Blackfoot River. Yellowstone National Park and the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks offer great wade fly fishing and by the end of the month, run-off will have mostly subsided state wide. June marks the beginning of summer: weather is good and the fly fishing is great. Not much more you can ask for.

Favorite Rivers: Missouri River, Blackfoot River, Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, and Madison River

July, August, and September Fly Fishing in Montana

Summer fly fishing in Montana is the main attraction in the Big Sky State for traveling anglers from all over the country and world. Our Montana fly fishing guides are hard at work every day on the Yellowstone, Madison, and Missouri Rivers taking advantage of the excellent mid-summer float fishing. Fly fishing in Yellowstone National Park is great and a short hike can mean total solitude. The Paradise Valley Spring creeks also continue to fish well. Summer means big dry flies and hopper season for our Montana fly fishing guides, and while nymphs and streamers are effective, we are dry fly focused all summer long.

Favorite Rivers: All of our Montana Rivers and Yellowstone National Park

October Fly Fishing in Montana

Many of our long time Montana fly fishing clients feel that October is one of the best times to experience fly fishing in Montana. There is solitude on the river, the fall colors make for amazing scenery, and the fly fishing is great. The Missouri River is our main focus in October as the dry fly, streamer, and nymph fly fishing are all excellent. I personally can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than floating the Missouri River in October. Our rivers closer to Bozeman, MT like the Madison and Yellowstone Rivers continue to fish well too. Fall weather sets in and makes for cooler days. What this all adds up to is some of the finest fly fishing of the year.

Favorite Rivers: Missouri River, Yellowstone River, and Madison River

November Fly Fishing in Montana

November in Montana is a paradise for sportsmen. Between elk hunting, upland bird hunting, and fly fishing there is plenty to do. But weather does start to become a factor. It can go from Fall to Winter and back to Fall all in the same day. Or it could just snow and not stop until March. Anything is possible. It is also possible to have great fly fishing opportunities. When the weather is good the Yellowstone, Madison, and Missouri Rivers all fish well. The Paradise Valley Spring Creeks do as well. For the angler staying in Bozeman, MT or the surrounding area this means lots of options. November is also the start of our Winter and Spring Guided Fly Fishing Trip Specials.

Favorite Rivers: Missouri River and Yellowstone River

December, January, and February Fly Fishing in Montana

By December the days of summer sun, trout rising for hoppers, and wet wading are a distant memory and traded for waders, icy boat ramps, and frozen rod guides. Winter in Montana is the real deal. Short days, snow, and wind make for generally tough fishing conditions. Many of the rivers freeze over and ice dams form over many boat ramps statewide. For most of this time we trade our fly rods and sunglasses for bobbins and thread and put in time at the fly tying bench. Occasionally the stars do align, we get a break in the weather, and we go fishing. On these warmer and calmer days during the winter in Montana the nymph fishing can be great. Winter weather in Montana does break now and again, and if your winter ski trip turns into 35+ degrees and sunny consider a day of guided fly fishing instead! Guided fly fishing trips we outfit in the Winter won’t get booked more than a week in advance and are always subject to changing weather conditions. Check out our Winter and Spring Guided Fly Fishing Trip Specials for more information.

Favorite Rivers: Paradise Valley Spring Creeks and Gallatin River

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