Missouri River Fly Fishing Reports
May 23, 2023 Missouri River Fishing Report
Date: 05/23/2023
Current Conditions
Our guide have. more or less, been living on the Missouri River for the better part of April and May. The river has settled down in terms of dirty water inflows and dam release flows have been incremental thus far. So, the river is in great shape right now (everyone else in Montana is apparently aware of his too as the river is BUSY). Nymphing with a couple of small Perdigons has been out "go-to" right for the last couple of weeks, but Caddis did start showing up in good numbers on the lower river towards teh end of last week. We started to get more fish on Caddis Pupa last Friday and that has continued to be the case. You can get plenty of fish on San Juan Worm patterns too (especially above the Dearborn) and sowbug are still working too. Expect to see some good Caddis dry fly fishing in the evenings, moving forward. Cloudy conditions later this week could also make for some BWO and March Brown dry fly opportunities as well - we will find out and let you know (after the fact, of course)
We offer guided fly-fishing trips on this section of the Missouri River from April 24 - June 6 in 2023. E-mail us for availability or book online as well (just click on any of our Book Now buttons on this website)
Flows
USGS CFS Data is not available for this date.
Streamflow
Click to enlarge
Half-Day Guided Trip
Looking for a quick introduction to fly fishing or only have a few hours to get out on the water with one of our fly fishing guides? A half-day float on the lower Madison is likely to be the perfect choice.
- Half-Day Trips Are 3-4 Hours in Duration
- 1-2 Anglers Maximum Per Guide/Boat
- Half-Day Float Trips On The Lower Madison River Only
- Ideal For Families With Small Children (6+ Years Old)
- Fishing Licenses,Lunches and Gratuities Are Not Included
- Tackle and Drinks are Included
- Waders and Boots are available during inclement weather
Montana Fly Fishing Packages
Fins & Feathers of Bozeman’s Montana fly fishing packages offer convenience and value by bundling our guided services together with lodging options in Bozeman. Check out the example pricing - based on double occupancy in the rooms and with one of our Bozeman fly fishing guides. E-mail us or fill out our contact form to make a reservation and confirm availability.
Please note that availability is extremely limited during the summer, we strongly encourage you to make reservations sooner, rather than later. Our deposit policy is the "friendliest in the industry" in that we don't require payment ($1.00) at booking and all reservations can be cancelled - with no penalty up to 10 days prior to your scheduled arrival date.
Fins & Feathers Guide Service has been outfitting fly-anglers across Montana since 2000. We sold our fly shop (Fins & Feathers of Bozeman at 4-Corners) to our friends at Yellow Dog Fly Fishing in late 2022. Our guide service remains the same and continues to be outfitted by Toby Swank, Montana Outfitter #9603.
For Yellowstone River Shuttles Contact:
CrossCurrents Fly Shop: (406) 235-3433
Headhunters Fly Shop: (406) 235-3447
The Missouri River is formed with the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers near Three Forks, Montana. The blue-ribbon stretches of the river are generally considered downstream in the “tail-water” sections, which are formed below several reservoirs. The best trout fishing section of the Missouri River is the stretch of river downstream from Holter Lake that our guides fish in the spring and early summer. Closer to Bozeman is the stretch of the Missouri River around Toston Reservoir which is a great mid-summer Carp destination that also holds a few large trout seasonally.