missouri-river

Missouri River is a river in Montana.

It ranks #2 among the 17 waters of Montana in the registry, and is of national prominence.

Also called The Mo, The Mighty Mo and Lower Mo.

Fished for trout (inferred from the species listed).

Species: rainbow trout and brown trout.

USGS GNIS record: 756398.

Stretches: Holter Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge, The Canyon, Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig, Land of the Giants, The Lower and Townsend Stretch.

Access points: Bull Pasture, Craig, Dearborn, Mid-Canon, Mountain Palace, Pelican Point, Prewett Creek, Spite Hill, Wolf Creek Bridge, Hardy Bridge and Stickney Creek.

Confluences: Dearborn River.

Features: Holter Dam, Cascade, Tower Rock and Hauser Dam.

Dearborn Run (hole). It is fishable. N40: 'The "Dearborn Run" is ... the huge run after the bridge developed by the currents meeting from Dearborn and the Missouri.' Single source.

It is on the stretch The Canyon.

It is upstream of Marshall Lanes.

It is downstream of Jackson Rock.

Eagle Rock (hole). It is fishable. N40: slick 'before the bridge and Eagle Rock'. Single source.

It is on the stretch The Canyon.

It is upstream of Suicide.

It is downstream of Rhoda Island.

Half Breed (hole). It is fishable. N40: 'the only significant rapid called "Half Breed."' with Sheep Creek entering at the tail-out. Single source. Also called Half Breed rapids.

It is on the stretch The Lower.

Jackson Rock (hole). It is fishable. N40: slick ending at "Jackson Rock" ('a stumper ... a giant toilet bowl of an eddy'). Single source.

It is on the stretch The Canyon.

It is upstream of Stickney Creek.

It is downstream of Craig.

Marshall Lanes (hole). It is fishable. N40: below the Dearborn put-in, 'This section, known as "Marshall Lanes"'. Single source.

It is on the stretch The Canyon.

It is upstream of Rhoda Island.

It is downstream of Dearborn Run.

Prickly Pear Creek (confluence). It is fishable. Enters river left below Wolf Creek Bridge; adds dirty water in runoff, good wading otherwise (N40). Also called Prickley Pear Creek.

It is upstream of Craig.

It is downstream of Wolf Creek Bridge.

Rhoda Island (feature). It is fishable. N40: route 'past Rhoda Island to the Mid-Canon'. Single source.

It is on the stretch The Canyon.

It is upstream of Eagle Rock.

It is downstream of Marshall Lanes.

Suicide (hole). It is fishable. N40: 'a place known as "suicide" because of the put-in that is only usable in high water on river right.' Single source.

It is on the stretch The Canyon.

It is downstream of Eagle Rock.

Float: Prewett Creek to Pelican Point, from Prewett Creek to Pelican Point.

Float: Holter Dam to Cascade, from Holter Dam to Cascade, 35 miles.

Float: Dearborn to Prewett Creek, from Dearborn to Prewett Creek.

Float: Stickney Creek to Spite Hill, from Stickney Creek to Spite Hill.

Float: Dearborn to Mid-Canon, from Dearborn to Mid-Canon.

Float: Craig to Dearborn, from Craig to Dearborn.

Float: Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig, from Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig.

Float: Mid-Canon to Mountain Palace, from Mid-Canon to Mountain Palace.

Float: Spite Hill to Dearborn, from Spite Hill to Dearborn.

Float: Holter Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge, from Holter Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge.

Float: Craig to Stickney Creek, from Craig to Stickney Creek.

Sourced from 4 independent fly sites.

Sources: bigskyfishing.com, Fly Anglers Online, The Grizzly Hackle (retrieved 2026-10-20), headhuntersflyshop.com (retrieved 2026-10-20), north40.com, outsidebozeman.com and theflyshop.com.

Hatches

Blue-Winged Olive (fall)

Stage: adult. Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov hatching
  12. Dec

The predominant hatch in fall per one shop; another reports some BWO and midge dry-fly windows in November.

Sources: The Grizzly Hackle, headhuntersflyshop.com

Mother's Day Caddis

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Depends on low water; another shop calls caddis a main attraction in May.

Sources: The Grizzly Hackle, headhuntersflyshop.com

Midge

Stage: larva, pupa, adult. Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

Months: October to April

  1. Oct hatching
  2. Nov hatching
  3. Dec hatching
  4. Jan hatching
  5. Feb hatching
  6. Mar hatching
  7. Apr hatching
  8. May
  9. Jun
  10. Jul
  11. Aug
  12. Sep

Cluster dries possible January-February and midge dries March-April; fishable all year. Afternoon hatches in March; midge and sow bug nymphs December-February. A templated chart lists January-March and October-December as primary.

Sources: The Fly Fishing Place, The Grizzly Hackle, The Fly Fishing Place, headhuntersflyshop.com, The Fly Fishing Place

Caddis

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching, peak
  7. Jul hatching, peak
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching, peak
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Peak: June-July main players; booming in September

Follow the PMDs in June, lead in July, and have been very strong in recent Septembers. Fall caddis persist through October-November in warm spells; October caddis can matter. Mayflies and caddis come off almost daily from mid or late April to early or mid November.

Sources: The Grizzly Hackle, headhuntersflyshop.com

Pale Morning Dun

Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Reported windows differ: one shop says the first week of June start with June-July as the main period; another says PMDs and caddis dominate June, with daily PMD and Trico hatches in August; a templated chart lists May-August as primary.

Sources: The Fly Fishing Place, The Grizzly Hackle, The Fly Fishing Place, headhuntersflyshop.com, The Fly Fishing Place

Mahogany Dun

Sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Appears in October alongside blue-wings; a templated chart gives September-October.

Sources: The Fly Fishing Place, The Grizzly Hackle, The Fly Fishing Place, The Fly Fishing Place

Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: adult. Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar hatching
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Windows overlap but differ at the edges: one shop gives possible dries in March-April and great fishing in May; another has them appearing in April, the main attraction in May and hatching into early June. Fall hatch is listed separately.

Sources: The Fly Fishing Place, The Grizzly Hackle, The Fly Fishing Place, headhuntersflyshop.com, The Fly Fishing Place

Callibaetis and Pseudocloeon

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Minor but important.

Sources: headhuntersflyshop.com

March Brown

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Great dry-fly fishing possible if water is low.

Sources: headhuntersflyshop.com

Trico

Stage: spinner. Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul hatching, peak
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Peak: July 'small fly paradise'

Importance builds through July and holds in August; another shop reports extremely dense July hatches, daily August hatches and activity into early September. A templated chart lists July-September.

Sources: The Fly Fishing Place, The Grizzly Hackle, The Fly Fishing Place, headhuntersflyshop.com, The Fly Fishing Place

Grasshoppers and ants

Stage: adult. Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching, peak
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Peak: August excellent

Ants and hoppers on July afternoons; big hoppers into early September.

Sources: The Grizzly Hackle, headhuntersflyshop.com

Skwala

Stage: adult. Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar hatching
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Reported windows differ: one shop says dry-fly Skwala fishing is possible in March-April; another reports excellent Skwala fishing in May on the lower Missouri below the Dearborn; a templated chart says April.

Sources: The Grizzly Hackle, headhuntersflyshop.com

Yellow Sally

Single or templated source.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Secondary; size 14-16. Templated chart only.

Sources: The Fly Fishing Place, The Fly Fishing Place, The Fly Fishing Place

Access, closures and rules change; check with the state agency before you go.