Insect Species to Know When Fly Fishing in Montana
Trout fishing in Montana is among the best anglers will encounter anywhere in the world because of the cold, clean water that feeds our rivers and streams. Insects thrive in the freestone, tailwater, and spring creek wild trout fisheries because of the steady flow of well-oxygenated water. Year-round insect activity promotes angling opportunities at any time, but the best times of year to fly fish Montana closely mirrors peak insect hatches between March and September.
Montana fishing guides and experienced anglers know that understanding the relationship between trout and insect activity is essential to Montana fly fishing success. Whether it's the Mother's Day Caddis hatch, salmonfly hatch, hopper fishing, or the challenges of match the hatch mayfly emergences - timing your Montana fly fishing trip around periods with active insects helps to ensure a productive angling experience.
Top Montana Fly Fishing Insect Species: An Anglers Guide
Salmonfly
The largest stonefly in Montana, salmonfly hatches are legendary for trophy trout taking big dries on Montana rivers in early summer..
Golden Stone
These large stoneflies are active throughout the summer months and trout feed on both their nymphs and adults on Montana rivers...
Skwala
The Montana dry fly fishing season kicks off with the skwala hatch in March as these large insects emerge en masse on the Bitterroot River...
Yellow Sally
Prolific hatches of these small stoneflies are encountered mid-day on the legendary Montana fly fishing rivers near Bozeman, like...
Nemura
Active during the early spring, primarily on freestone rivers in Montana, these nymphs and adults are both important food sources...
Mother's Day Caddis
These caddis erupt on Montana rivers near Bozeman between late April and mid-May, bringing some of the best MT fly fishing...
White Miller
White Millers are a light-colored caddisfly that are a key species for anglers fishing the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park...
Spotted Sedge
The spotted sedge in one of the most common caddis that an angler will encounter in on the legendary Montana fly fishing rivers...
Blue-Winged Olive
Blue-winged olive mayfly are among the most prolific spring and fall hatching insects found on the blue-ribbon trout waters near...
March Brown
The first, large mayfly of the season to hatch on the Montana fly fishing rivers near Bozeman is the mottled wing March Brown...
Pale Morning Dun
Summertime dry fly fishing in Montana is characterized by slow-sipping rainbow and brown trout during blanket PMD hatches on...
Green Drake
Green drake mayfly hatch on the fly fishing rivers near Bozeman, MT. as the runoff season comes to an end in late June and...
Trico
Fly fishing a Trico spinner fall on a Montana summer morning is a highlight for dry fly anglers fishing the East Gallatin or Missouri...
Callibaetis
Gulper fishing on Montana lakes is driven by the emergence of Callibaetis mayflies and their spinner fall during July and August...
Brown Drake
Brown drake mayflies emerge on the lower Madison River near Bozeman during mid-June, bringing exceptional dry fly fishing...
Hecuba
The last large mayfly of the year to hatch on the Montana fly fishing rivers, Hecuba bring large trout to the surface along riffles....
Flav
Flav hatch in prolific numbers on the upper Madison River shortly after green drakes and salmonflies are the main focus of...
Midges
Midges are the primary hatching insect found on Montana rivers during the wintertime and bring rising trout to the surface on...
Blackfly
The pupae of these true flies rocket through the water column on the lower Madison River in late summer, making for excellent dry...
Cranefly
When it comes to dry fly fishing with cranefly patterns in Montana, morning sessions of the Beaverhead River are the pinnacle...
Ants
Ants are an important food source for the wild trout of Montana's rivers during the late summer when hatches are sparse and...
Hoppers
Hopper season is a favorite for anglers fly fishing Montana's Yellowstone and upper Madison rivers during the summer months...
Spruce Moth
The Gallatin River, near Bozeman, fishes extremely well during the summer when spruce moths begin to move near the water...
Beetles
Wary trout on the Depuy's spring creek or the upper Madison River are frequently fooled into taking a beetle in the late summer...
