| Montana fishing seasons and hatches vary slightly | | | | Yellowstone rivers. The Madison River is also a |
| from year to year but always follow the same | | | | winner in the early summer. |
| annual pattern. The early fishing is dominated by | | | | Late July-Mid September |
| aquatic insect hatches and the timing of these | | | | The rivers start dropping and developing a lot of |
| hatches varies a few weeks from year to year | | | | definition. Aquatic hatches wind down in the rivers |
| based on water flows and temperatures. | | | | but ramp up on the lakes. Terrestrials like ants |
| April-mid May | | | | and hoppers become important. Fish begin to |
| Pre runoff produces great fishing in Montana with | | | | concentrate into specific areas like seams below |
| little competition. This is a great time of the year | | | | gravel bars, around rocks, in gravel depressions |
| to fish some of the best hatches that the state | | | | and shelves, etc. This is the time of the year |
| has to offer including the blue winged olives that | | | | when rookie guides start belly aching about having |
| hatch prolifically on cloudy days during April and | | | | hard days on the water. Most Montana fishing |
| Mid May, the march brown (large mayfly that | | | | guides love this time of year because you get to |
| moves big fish in late April early May), the skwala | | | | really work the water and pick the pockets of |
| stonefly and the mothers day caddis (early May). | | | | the best buckets. This time of year we like to |
| The Mothers Day caddis is a complete blanket | | | | mix in a lot of float assist fishing where we float |
| hatch and can produce the best fishing of the | | | | fish but also get out and wade a lot of the prime |
| year if you catch it right (end of April, early May). | | | | spots to hit those concentrations of fish. The |
| The Livingston Spring Creeks are on fire this time | | | | lakes also catch fire when the callibaetis begin |
| of year since rainbows by the hordes have | | | | hatching like clockwork late in the morning on |
| moved into the smaller waters for spawning. A | | | | Ennis Lake and Hebgen as well as some private |
| favorite season of our Montana fishing guides, this | | | | reservoirs providing site fishing opportunities to |
| is the only time of the year where you have a | | | | very large trout. Dry fly fishing is often very |
| real shot at 20+ fish days on the ultra technical | | | | good, but we also like to take advantage of the |
| spring creeks. | | | | lack of aquatic hatches and nymph or strip |
| Late May-early June | | | | sculpinpatterns looking for big fish. Some very big |
| Some of the big freestone rivers are blown out | | | | fish succumb to both hoppers as well as sub |
| from snowmelt. This is still a good time to fish if | | | | surface sculpins in the late summer. This is |
| you want to set up a trip to the Missouri river or | | | | another popular time of year because of the nice |
| Big Horn which are dam controlled, have | | | | weather and diverse fishing opportunities. |
| astounding numbers of fish and always run clear. | | | | October |
| On normal water years, this is also the best time | | | | Like to swing for the fences? Don't have a |
| of the year to catch the monster browns in the | | | | picture of a truly monster trout on your desk? |
| Lower Madison river (also dam controlled). Some | | | | October is the time of year to go big or go |
| of the private spring creeks as well as the private | | | | home. The browns start getting aggressive as |
| ranches like the Sitz ranch ponds are on fire | | | | they prepare to spawn in early November. As a |
| during this transition time from spring to summer. | | | | result, large fish that have been either too smart |
| Bozeman fishing opportunities are also good at | | | | or too hidden the rest of the summer suddenly |
| some the spring creeks in the Gallatin river valley. | | | | become less wary and more aggressive. A lot of |
| Mid June-early July | | | | big fish also run out of reservoirs and into rivers |
| Once runoff subsides on a given river there is | | | | like the Madison River and Upper Missouri river |
| often a two to three week window of magical | | | | allowing a few lucky anglers to tangle with 10-15lb. |
| fishing where the fish are dumb and hungry and | | | | browns each fall. The Yellowstone River also |
| we get to throw big and ugly dry flies and | | | | produces massive browns during the fall run. |
| streamers on heavy tippet. This is a very popular | | | | Catch rates aren't necessarily any better than |
| time because the weather is good, the fishing is | | | | other times of the year, in fact they are |
| consistent, and big trout are still easy to fool. | | | | sometimes lower since we often are purposely |
| These dates tend to go faster than others as a | | | | targeting trophies with big flies. The rivers are |
| result. This is a better time for float fishing | | | | nearly empty because lots of us locals are chasing |
| because of the amount of water in the rivers | | | | hoofed critters in the hills and the tourists have |
| although some wading opportunities still exist on | | | | gone home for the summer. This is a beautiful |
| portions of the Madison river, the spring creeks, | | | | time to fish with snow on the peaks and yellow |
| and smaller waters. This is also the time of year | | | | leaves on the aspens and cottonwoods. I love |
| to try chasing the giant salmon fly hatch if you | | | | hitting the Upper Missouri near Townsend this time |
| want to spend a day or two swinging for the | | | | of year trying to catch some of the 22-30 inch |
| fences and be one of the lucky few that get to | | | | browns and rainbows that run up out of Canyon |
| watch a 28" brown eat a size 4 dry fly. | | | | Ferry. |
| Early July-Late July | | | | Winter |
| Early July to Late July is another very popular | | | | During some years good fall fishing extends into |
| time of the year. The weather is ideal and the | | | | November, and other years winter arrives around |
| rivers are in great shape. This time of year is | | | | Halloween. We don't recommend booking trips |
| dominated by the hatch cycles of aquatic insects | | | | between November and March because the |
| including caddis, golden stones, yellow sallies, and | | | | weather can get pretty nasty. We do have great |
| pale morning duns. Dry fly fishing really kicks into | | | | winter fishing on the Gallatin River and the spring |
| gear at this time of year when conditions are | | | | creeks on nice winter days and we actually do |
| right and there are a lot of fishing opportunities on | | | | quite a bit of fishing in the offseason so don't |
| just about all of the fisheries. This is one of the | | | | leave your rod behind if your travelling our way |
| best seasons to target the Boulder and | | | | for a ski or snowmobiling trip. |