Spring rains and melting snow swell the river around Bozeman in mid-May. While the Yellowstone and Gallatin are the first to blow out, the Madison remains fishable in the warming weather through late May.
The landscape around Bozeman comes alive in May and there are few places in the west as stunning as the Gallatin Valley in late spring.
The Mother’s Day Caddis hatch takes off on the Yellowstone River, creating a few days of epic dry fly fishing in Paradise Valley for lucky anglers. The timing of this hatch is difficult to predict and the river typically blows out soon after the hatch begins.
Nymphing and streamer fishing is a great way to target the trophy Brown Trout near Ennis on the upper Madison River during the pre-runoff weeks in May.
When all of the rivers near Bozeman do finally blow out in late May, fly fishing the Missouri River near Craig remains solid.
The lower Madison River Mother’s Day Caddis hatch continues into early May, angling pressure lightens as the hatch begins on the Yellowstone. Savvy anglers head to the lower Madison for evening dry fly sessions when the Yellowstone River starts to fish well too.
When conditions are stable, our Bozeman fly fishing trips in May focus on the Yellowstone and Madison Rivers.
Advanced anglers fishing the Yellowstone during the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch are always amazed by the dry fly fishing. We have been outfitting Montana fly fishing trips on the Yellowstone for over 23 years, our guides are dialed into the changing water conditions.
The Madison typically remains fishable through late May for advanced and novice anglers. Floating the river is essential for success in rising water levels.
The Missouri River, near Craig, is a quality backup for visiting anglers when the rivers near Bozeman become unfishable during the early stages of the runoff.
Reserve your Bozeman fly fishing trip with Fins and Feathers online, via e-mail, or by calling us at 1-406-468-5019. Contact our experts for help creating a custom Montana fly fishing trip for your group.