Early Season on the Missouri River

The upper Missouri River is one of the most prolific wild trout fisheries found anywhere in the world. We’ve been fishing the sections below Holter Dam for over 20 years now and consider it as one of our “Home Waters.” Although we fish this part of the river all year, our favorite time of year to be there is May and June, without question. 

Rainbow Trout, the dominant species in these sections of the river, typically finish spawning by late April and make their way back into the main river from the feeder creeks at this time. These fish are hungry and feed just about all day long as they recover from the stresses of the yearly ritual. Insect life is abundant this time of year as well, so there is plenty to keep them eating throughout the day. Whether it’s the midges, small mayflies, or aquatic crustaceans, there is a never ending stream of protein churning down the river this time of year. There are occasions for dry fly fishing just about every day, but it is the classic drift boat nymph fishing that really keeps a steady bend in the rod.

We focus our attention primarily on the Missouri starting in early May, with guides in Craig, MT. through June 15. Our guests generally stay at motel rooms at Cross Currents fly shop right there in Craig, easy walking distance from the only restaurant in the area. The 2 motel rooms each sleep 2 guests and have all the comforts that you would expect. There are also several vacation rentals on the river in the area that we use for larger groups or for folks that want to do their own meals and just have more space. Toby and the other guides stay at Cross Currents and meet up with clients at the shop every morning before the day starts. We’ve found that flying into Helena, MT. and renting a car is usually the easiest option for most folks.

These trips have long been favorites of many of our clients year after year for good reason. We typically hook and land a lot of fish everyday and they average in the 17-20” range, with some larger fish being caught most days as well.  This is a great time of year to experience some fantastic fishing on a river that is quite honestly, crowded and difficult to fish later in the year. We recommend this trip for anglers of all skill levels and feel confident in encouraging anyone to join us for what will surely be a memorable fly fishing adventure.

Toby Swank, our outfitter and owner, guides exclusively on the Missouri during this timeframe Monday – Friday. Our other core guides are up there as well and are available any day of the week. We recommend planning on fishing at least 2 days with us during this time of year and most bookings are typically for 3 Days / 4 Nights. Once you’ve decided that this sounds good to you, we’ll get you on the books and help with sorting out the lodging. Our standard guide rate of $425 a day applies to these trips and lodging is generally $100 a night per room for the motel and $275 and up a night for the vacation rentals. E-mail us or give the shop a call at 1-877-790-5303 to get started on your booking.