Montana spring creeks are home to some of the most coveted wild trout waters found anywhere in the world. These small streams are spring-fed bodies of water characterized by consistent year-round water temperatures and stream flows. These stable environments provide exceptional habitat for many insect types along with the trout that feed on them. Generally speaking, there is dry fly fishing to be found just about any day of the year on the regional spring creeks.
Although there are a few publicly accessible spring creeks in the region, the ones that offer the best opportunities for Montana fly fishing are only accessed through private land. Most landowners restrict access by only allowing a set number of anglers to fish the creeks per day and charge a fee that varies depending on the time of year. If stalking feeding trout in gin clear water sounds goods to you, then a Bozeman guided fly fishing trip to one of the several Montana spring creeks in the area should be near the top of your list when it comes to where to fish with one of our guides this year.
The summer months are considered as the prime season for fly fishing most of the spring creeks out west. Long days and relatively cool water conditions make for hatches that last throughout the day and well into the evenings most days. As a result, the spring creeks get pretty busy once the summer gets here and advanced bookings are usually required.
While the idea of fishing to rising fish during a mid-summer hatch sounds great to most folks, the idea of paying an extra $125 per rod is not for everyone. The summer months, on the Paradise Valley creeks, are well suited for the experienced angler looking to do some technical fishing without a guide. Our Montana fly fishing guides are always happy to head that way with our clients, but we often feel like there are better options during this time of year in terms of a guided fly fishing experience around Bozeman.
The spring creeks of Paradise Valley are the only ones in the state that are open year-round to fishing. They make for a great choice for a Bozeman guided fly fishing trip during the winter and spring as they hold lots of trout during these times of the year, are relatively un-crowded, and offer discounted “rod fees.”
Our Bozeman fly fishing guides' focus and specialty are fishing for wild trout here in Montana. While there are some spring creeks, even in Montana, where the trout grow large as to a result of feeding programs, the creeks we fish are full of truly wild trout. As a result, the size of fish we can see in a day might range from fingerlings to over 24”, with most being 12-16”. Rainbow and Brown Trout are the primary species with the occasional Cutthroat being caught in the Paradise Valley spring creeks.