All waters · Montana · Missouri River

Missouri River, MT

River in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The legendary blue-ribbon tailwater section of the Missouri River below Holter Dam near Craig and Wolf Creek, often called the longest trout stream in America. Roughly 35 miles of broad, stable, weed-rich water hold extraordinary numbers of rainbow and brown trout. It is a world-class dry-fly fishery with heavy Trico, PMD, and caddis hatches in summer and reliable midge and Baetis fishing in the shoulder seasons. Downstream reaches add walleye, sauger, and smallmouth bass. Elevation roughly 3,400 ft.

73

Overall bite score

Scored 7 min ago · recomputed every 30 minutes

Water tempModeled100
Pressure trendNOAA50
Flow vs medianUSGS100
SolunarComputedmoon 60% lit63
Recent stockingState data50
Time of dayComputed50
WindNOAA100
Cloud coverNOAA50
PrecipitationNOAA50

Each instrument reads 0 to 100. The score is their weighted blend, tuned for rivers and streams. No black box: every reading names its source.

What swims here

7 tracked species in Missouri River, with the months each fishes best.

Mountain Whitefishabundant · best Jan-Feb, Oct-Dec
Rainbow Troutabundant · best Mar-Jul, Sep-Oct
Brown Troutcommon · best Apr-May, Sep-Nov
Burbotrare · best Jan-Feb, Dec
Saugerrare · best May-Jun, Sep-Oct
Smallmouth Bassrare · best Jun-Aug
Walleyerare · best May-Jun, Sep

Water facts

TypeRiver
CountyLewis and Clark
StateMontana
WaterFreshwater
USGS gauge06066500

Float and wade access at Holter Dam, Craig, Mid-Canon, Spite Hill, and Pelican Point. The USGS gauge on the Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek reports flow plus water temperature. A Montana fishing license is required; the Craig stretch is busy in summer, so reserve guide and lodging early.

See the full forecast for Missouri River in the app: best windows, 7-day outlook, what to bring, and offline regulations. The score and essentials are free.

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