Missouri River Looking Great for Anglers
Capt. Colin McLean
May 28, 2021
Missouri River - Freshwater Fishing Report
River Score:
4/5 Great
The Missouri River () has seen some heavy traffic lately with all of the other rivers suffering from a serious case of "runoff", but it hasn't slowed the fishing down one bit. We would have rated the river a full 5/5 if it weren't for a recent week of historic rainfall, but the Deerborn is already starting to drop and things should return to normal in just a day or two (in other words, the river should clear up quickly). The fish are still eating a wide variety of different fly patterns. The best news is that the crayfish has started to produce some really big brown trout. The March browns and blue wing olives have also continued to come off in large numbers when the wind isn't too bad. We have also started to see some PMD's and caddis are also starting to move around as well. Missouri is easily the best option in Montana at the moment.
If you're ready to get out there and start fishing, make sure you pickup a fishing license (https://guide-x.io/blog/montana-fishing-license-cost-2021)! Check out our information on getting a fishing license online. Also, check out our other reports on the Missoula Regions to make sure you know when they become fishable again (https://guide-x.io/blog/fishing-reports/region/list/Missoula).
Current Hatches:
March browns, Baetis
Suggested fly patterns
Size 18-20 micro mays, sow bugs, size 18-20 two bit hookers, size 18-20 rainbow warriors, size 16-18 parachute adams', and last but not least the zirdle bug in a size 8-10. Olive crayfish and burnt orange crayfish have been the ticket for us.
River Temperature
Water Flow Speed
River Discharge Levels
Missouri River Fishing Forecast:
Should hit ideal conditions in the next few days as rainfall runoff subsides.
Target Species:
Rainbows, Brown Trout
More Fishing Reports:
