Missouri River Fly Fishing in June

Missouri River Fly Fishing in June

High water peaks sometime in late May or early June, depending on winter snowpack and upriver reservoir storage capacities. River levels drop throughout the month, and the fishing transitions to a dry fly angler’s paradise. The surrounding landscape is bathed in vibrant shades of green as early summer firmly settles across central Montana.

Blanket hatches of pale morning duns (PMDs) bring pods of wild trout to the surface throughout early and mid-June. Nymph fishing also remains steady.

Decreasing water flows make wading more accessible, and the river begins to crowd with anglers by late June.

Missouri River Fly Fishing Hatches in June

PMD hatches are the main attraction as the summer solstice approaches. Anglers fishing the emergent stages of these light-colored mayflies can expect to see some of the largest brown trout of the year steadily rising in skinny water.

Yellows sallies and caddis begin to come out as well, creating opportunities for dry/dropper fishing when hatches are sparse in the morning hours.

Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide Pro Tip:

Start off nymph fishing in the mornings this time of year. Our guides start to rely on crayfish patterns more and more as the water temperatures warm on those hot June days. This is short-leash nymphing season, so keep those strike indicators about 2-3' above the first fly. PMD nymph droppers like a crackback or little green machine work well in combination with the crayfish pattern.

Missouri River Fly Fishing Techniques in June

Long leaders, delicate tippets, and forgiving fly rods help skilled anglers fool the increasingly wary Missouri River Trout. Used PMD thorax and cripple patterns fill most guides’ boat patches by late June.

Early morning streamer fishing in the canyon section below the Dearborn River will bring good numbers of trout to the net while the sun is low.

As water levels drop and fish move into shallow summer feeding areas, nymph rigs get shorter. We generally fish dry/dropper rigs or short leash indicator setups.

Our Missouri River Fly Box For June

Missouri River Fly Fishing Trips in June

Early June usually brings stable, high-water flows that begin to recede as the month progresses. Wading remains difficult through the middle of the month, limiting most angling pressure to float fishing. The entire stretch of this tailwater starts to fish well in late May with the lower reaches improving dramatically by mid-June.

Fins and Feathers guides stick to the waters between Cascade and Craig, Montana during most of May and June. The section between Holter Dam and Craig becomes increasingly crowded, as guides and anglers flock to that section from other parts of the state.

Recreational floaters (aka “tubers”) and wade anglers multiply exponentially once flows drop and stabilize in late June, signaling our guides to look elsewhere for better fly fishing opportunities.

With our 25 years of experience as a Montana fly fishing outfitter, our guests have come to lean on our knowledge of the river to help them avoid the crowds while finding plenty of big fish.

Missouri River fly fishing trips with Fins and Feathers are available from mid-April through mid-June. We turn our full attention to guided trips on the rivers near Bozeman when the salmonfly hatches begin on the Madison and Yellowstone Rivers in late June.

Reservations can be booked online, via e-mail, or by calling us at 1-406-468-5019.

Please note that Craig lodging is limited, and our calendar fills in quickly, so advanced reservations are recommended.

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