Spring Fly Fishing in Bozeman, Montana

Bozeman Fly Fishing in Spring

Warm spells draw Bozeman anglers away from the ski hills and towards the rivers in search of rising trout as Spring arrives. For many anglers, this time of the year brings the best fly fishing in Montana as rising fish can be found almost everywhere on cloudy days.

Midges and blue-winged olives are the primary hatches during early spring, but the Mother's Day Caddis hatch is what everyone is hoping to catch just before the runoff begins in early May.

The Mother's Day Caddis hatch offers some of the best dry fly fishing of the year on the Yellowstone and Madison Rivers. Timing is crucial with this hatch, as the rivers will be blown out if you're too late. Aim for the last week of April or early May as fly fishing near Bozeman will be excellent, even if the caddis hatch is delayed or already finished.

Late April weather is usually beautiful, with daytime temperatures in the 70s and nights near freezing. The last two weeks of April and the first week of May are favorites among our Montana fishing guides as the summer crowds are still several weeks away, the Montana fish are active throughout the day, and the scenery is spectacular.

Once the spring melt gets going, the larger rivers reach flows up to 10 times the summer flows. Although the options can be limited during this time of year, our guides can always find some good conditions within a short drive of Bozeman on the Madison River.

Missouri River fishing trips between mid-April and late June have been a client favorite for over 20 years. Once the rivers around Bozeman truly start to blow out in mid-May, fly fishing in Montana gets tough. The Missouri is a tailwater fishery that fishes exceptionally well during the height of runoff. Fly fishing the Missouri River with our guides is an excellent experience and a solid backup plan if the rivers near Bozeman unexpectedly blow out.

Runoff conditions vary from year to year, but we usually see dropping river flows in early June, and fishable conditions soon follow. As the rivers begin to drop, stonefly nymphs begin their migration to the banks, and the trout follow them.

Nymphing with giant stonefly nymphs and dead-drifted streamers, while the rivers are still high and dirty, can be very productive. The height of the Montana salmonfly hatch begins in mid-June on the upper Madison and Yellowstone Rivers.

During May and June, daytime temperatures are mild, and thundershowers are frequent. Thanks to the melting snow and spring showers, the surrounding landscape is bright green.

River bottoms offer refuge to a variety of wildlife species as they rear their young, and it's common to see everything from baby otters to nests filled with fledgling Ospreys.

Late spring is one of those times of the year when the crowds are light and the weather is comfortable, making fly fishing in Montana perfect.

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