Missouri River fly fishing near Craig, Montana is moving into its late summer mode. Hatches are less diverse, with Tricos being the morning mainstay. Rising fish can be being found between 7 - 11 am. There are some Caddis mixed in with the Tricos, but most of the fish are keyed in on Tricos. Anglers fishing small size 18 or 20 Trico Dun patterns early and then transitioning to spinner patterns late morning have the best success.

Weeds are becoming an issue now, so nymphing with long rigs is getting tougher by the week. Zirdles with a small nymph dropper like a Frenchie or Little Green Machine fished about 3' below an idicator has been the go-to nymph setup. You can still get away with longer rigs and sowbug variationis upstream of Wolf Creek Bridge.

Fish activity slows down significantly in the afternoons right now with the summer heat, so get on the water early to beat the heat and the recreational floaters.

If you're interested in guided Missouri River fishing trips, our Bozeman Montana fly fishing guide service can help. We have over 20 years of experience guiding Missouri River anglers in various water conditions throughout the year. 

Our guide staff recommends late April through early June as the best time of the year to fish the Missouri River near Craig, Montana.