Southwest Montana Fly Fishing & Guides

Southwestern Montana Fly Fishing Spots & Guides are listed below.

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Fly-Fishing (Montana – Wyoming)

The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness encompasses a million acres of rugged high country just north and east of Yellowstone Park. The bulk of this wilderness lies in Montana, although its southern tip extends into Wyoming. It has over four hundred trout lakes with a variety of species. There are some fine trophy fisheries. In all of the Rockies, only the Wind River Range surpasses the Beartooth Mountains for sheer numbers of good, high lakes. The Absaroka Mountains, in the western half of the wilderness, feature sharply eroded volcanic peaks and forested valleys. Lakes are few and scattered. Small to large streams abound, and most have small to pan-size trout. Slough Creek, an outstanding cutthroat stream that lies partially in the Absarokas, is discussed with Yellowstone Park waters in chapter 43. Buffalo Creek, 5 miles west of Slough, also begins in the Absarokas and flows south into the park. I haven’t fished Buffalo Creek, but I’ve heard that north of the park, it holds rainbow trout, including a few nice fish. I plan to fish the wilderness portions of the Buffalo when I revisit Slough. Grizzlies roam the forested western and southern regions of the wilderness adjacent to the park but are uncommon in the open plateau country to the east. The majority of lakes are clustered on the Beartooth Plateau and several smaller plateaus in the eastern half of the wilderness. The plateau country is primarily uplifted granite and boasts the highest mountains in Montana; Granite Peak at 12,799 feet is the tallest. Many lakes are above timber in relatively gentle country, and opportunities for cross-country travel are frequent. On exploratory trips it’s possible to visit several lakes a day. I’ve made fifteen trips to these plateau lakes, which might sound like a lot, but half of my trips were made primarily to fish just two lakes. There are entire drainages I haven’t set foot in. A word of warning: The plateau country has hundreds of potholes that produce mosquitoes. In early summer the air can fairly hum. This eTrail contains detailed information on where to fish in the region and how to get there. All the lakes, rivers, and streams are covered and additional information sources like maps and services are provided.

From the guidebook "Fly-Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry"

Livingston, MT – Fly-Fishing

Armstrong’s Spring Creek

A controversial berm preserved this bit of dry-fly heaven, albeit for a price. As you stand on the west bank, the Yellowstone is running high, wide, handsome, and brown—brown with meltwater, streaming from the Yellowstone caldera and the peaks of the Absaroka and Gallatin Mountains which form the river’s valley. But in front of you on this late June day is a small stream, little more than 30 feet wide, that’s flowing clear as a soprano’s highest note. Aquatic grasses sway with the steady currents that trip happily through runs of cobbly rock. Here and there anglers work PMDs for rising fish. That’s where the action is. Fed by a massive spring of cold and constant flows, Armstrong’s Spring Creek fishes well all the time, except when the flooding Yellowstone ploughs across its narrow flood plain and invades the spring creek’s channel. Species: Rainbow, brown. Angling methods: fly-fishing only.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Livingston, MT – Fly-Fishing

Beaverhead River

This river of contrasts yields rainbows in the upper runs and browns below to those who figure it out. Issuing from the base of Clark Canyon Reservoir 20 miles or so south of Dillon, the Beaverhead flows north-by-northeast for more than 50 miles before joining the Big Hole below Twin Bridges to form the Jefferson. The upper stretch from the reservoir down to Barrett’s diversion dam is considered to be prime rainbow water. Below the dam, the river warms and brown trout predominate. The Beaverhead is literally two different rivers. Species: Brown, cutthroat, rainbow. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Dillon, MT – Fly-Fishing

Beaverhead River

The Beaverhead River is among Montana’s premiere big-fish fisheries, supporting a phenomenal population of large trout in its upper reaches. Each year, the Beaverhead rewards skilled anglers with scores of browns and rainbow over 3 pounds and a few weighing over 10 pounds. Beginning 20 miles south of Dillon at the outlet of Clark Canyon Reservoir, the Beaverhead River meanders for about 50 air miles to its junction with the Big Hole River north of Twin Bridges. The upper river, the 15-mile stretch between Barretts Diversion and Clark Canyon Dam, winds through a narrow valley with picturesque rock outcrops. The lower river runs through a large broad valley ringed by a series of small mountain ranges. Key species: Rainbow, brown, cutthroat, grayling, and whitefish.

From the guidebook "Fishing Montana"

Dillon, MT – Fishing

Big Hole River

"If you were going to make trout streams, the Big Hole is what you would use for the model.�? So says George Grant, a veteran fisherman of the Big Hole for more than fifty years. He may be prejudiced, but thousands of anglers share his opinion. The free-flowing, “blue-ribbon�? Big Hole River flows 150 miles through one of Montana’s most scenic valleys to join with the Beaverhead River. Along the way, the rich, diverse waters foster bountiful aquatic life, including river otters, grayling, salmon flies, and trophy trout. Two controversies cloud an otherwise bright picture of Grant’s ideal trout stream. First, in dry years, irrigation diversions almost completely drain the lower river, resulting in substantial fish mortality. Second, heavy fishing pressure, especially during the salmon fly hatch, may be reducing the population of big rainbow, although populations thus far show no negative signs of fishing pressure. The biggest negative effect of heavy fishing may be reduced quality of fishing experience not reduced quality of fishing. Key species: Rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, arctic grayling, and mountain whitefish.

From the guidebook "Fishing Montana"

Divide, MT – Fishing

Big Hole River

Upper reaches hold brookies and among the last fluvial grayling in the continental United States. Lower waters, great browns. With 150 miles of outstanding free-flowing trout water, and much more in its tributaries, the Big Hole River provides angling diversity not found on any other river in the West. Broad statement? Well, here are the facts. Not only do you encounter rainbows and browns, some of them trophy sized, but also brook trout, a smattering of cutthroat, and one of the few populations of fluvial grayling in the United States. Whitefish are also abundant. Flowing in a broad arc north around the Pioneer Mountains, the river winds its way through a wide, flat valley of gravel runs and gentle pools, before picking up volume and velocity with the added waters of the Wise River. The upper reaches see relatively little fishing pressure, while the center stretch gets hammered pretty hard. Still, there’s nowhere near the pressure on this river that’s found, for instance, on the Yellowstone or Madison or the Snake across the mountains. Species: Brown, rainbow, cutthroat, brook, grayling. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Wisdom, MT – Fly-Fishing

Bitterroot River

A model water agreement brokered by TU ensures the preservation of this magnificent fishery. Generated from snows that cling to the Bitterroot Mountains to the west and the Pintler Peaks of the Sapphire Mountains to the east, the forks of the Bitterroot drain more than 2.5 million acres of wilderness—superb country for elk, mule deer, bear, and cougar. High lakes, as clear and cold as a midnight sky, hold populations of cutthroat and brook trout. And the East and West Forks contain them as well. Lower reaches of these streams are worth fishing, not only for their gaily colored salmonoids, but for the spectacular setting that will steal your heart. Species: Brown, rainbow, cutthroat, brook. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Hamilton, MT – Fly-Fishing

Bitterroot River

Rumor has it that Joe Brooks, the celebrated angler, world-wide traveler, and prolific writer, once penned his ten choices for the best trout streams in the world. The Bitterroot was one of the chosen few. Notwithstanding, the Bitterroot has not attracted the national publicity other Montana streams have. Unfortunately for them, there are a lot more locals in the Bitterroot Valley than there used to be. Key species: Rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, bull trout, mountain whitefish, largemouth bass, squawfish, and northern pike.

From the guidebook "Fishing Montana"

Stevensville, MT – Fishing

Gallatin River

The Gallatin drainage offers a diversity of trout fishing opportunities unmatched by Montana’s other major rivers. The angler working the 40-mile canyon of the Gallatin River can choose among mountain stream riffles, boulder-dotted pocket water, surging runs, and deep pools. Below the canyon mouth, the Gallatin braids and spreads out to provide a selection of readily wadeable channels for the angler. The East Gallatin River represents a totally different fishing experience—a serpentine hay-meadow stream, lined with deeply undercut willow banks. Finally, the main Gallatin River, formed by the junction of the East and Upper Gallatin Rivers, hosts a full complement of steady runs, long pools, and gravelly riffles, along with an opportunity for solitude not often experienced on southwestern Montana’s other major rivers. Key species: Rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, and whitefish.

From the guidebook "Fishing Montana"

Gallatin Gateway, MT – Fishing

Gallatin River

Short take: Lots of trout, and great for beginners on upper section. Fish become larger and angling more challenging downriver. Running more than 100 miles from its headwaters—a little creek running out of the northwest quadrant of Yellowstone National Park—the Gallatin joins the Missouri just north of its origin, the union of the Madison and the Jefferson at Trident. In between are open riffles, roaring canyon cataracts, and miles and miles of cobble-bedded runs, turns, and pools, shadowed for most of the river’s length by U.S. Highway 191. The river holds something for anglers of all skill levels, from the greenest novice who’s yet to wet a wader, to the grizzled pro who’s been there and done that and plans to keep doing it forever. Roughly a third the size of the Yellowstone River, and without a major entrance to the national park at its headwaters, the valley of the Gallatin lacks the grandeur of its cousin to the east. Even during the height of summer’s tourist season, you may have sections of the river all to yourself, save an occasional drift boat or raft and kayak on the middle and lower mileage. Species: Rainbow, cutthroat, cuttbow, brown. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Big Sky, MT – Fly-Fishing

Jefferson River

Much of the Jefferson River remains as wild and remote as the day Lewis and Clark first encountered it in 1804. Cottonwood bottoms, thick shrub fields, and expansive hay meadows isolated the river from civilization along much of its length. The abundant wildlife and waterfowl that use the river and its banks, only add to the Jefferson’s appeal. The Jefferson flows for about 70 miles northeast from its origin near Twin Bridges to its confluence with the Madison and Gallatin rivers at the headwaters of the Missouri River outside of Three Forks. A broad, multi-channeled river, the Jefferson has a gentle gradient and deep water. Key species: Rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, and whitefish.

From the guidebook "Fishing Montana"

Silver Star, MT – Fishing

Madison River

The Madison is, in many people’s opinion, Montana’s river of superlatives, with a list including highest trout density, most consistent action, best dry fly fishing, and the most spectacular scenery. Not surprisingly, this southwestern Montana jewel is also the second most heavily used river fishery in the state, growing more popular annually. Key species: Rainbow trout, brown trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, whitefish, and Arctic grayling.

From the guidebook "Fishing Montana"

Ennis, MT – Fishing

Madison River in Montana

Close your eyes. Think of a broad trout river chattering down a wide valley between fields of sage. That’s the Madison. You know several Madison Rivers. There’s the section in Yellowstone National Park, sired by a pair of wonderful trout streams—the Gibbon and the Firehole and the mileage between the park and Hebgen Lake. There are the waters of Hebgen and Quake Lakes, and the 50-mile run down to Ennis. And there’s a warmer stretch of about 30 miles from Ennis to the junction with the Jefferson which forms the Missouri just above Trident. If you count the fact that Hebgen Lake controls flows into the upper reaches of the Madison outside the park, then it is a tailwater fishery. On the other hand, the river behaves not at all like the Beaverhead or Bighorn, resembling more closely a classic freestone stream. Fothergill and Sterling, noted angling authors, describe the Madison below Quake Lake as one long riffle. In the main, they’re correct. You’ll find no chutes and plunge pools, no runs slamming hard into rock cliffs, not even many large boulders that create those deep dark holes in which browns love to hold. This section of the river is very homogenous. Flowing over a stable, cobbly bottom at about five miles per hour, the river bends slightly in its ancient channel but it never meanders. Where gradient is steeper, it just runs a little faster. When the river slows, occasional gravel islands appear, but you wouldn’t call the channel at all braided. Patches of cottonwood and brush occasionally line the river, but you’ll find little structure from submerged logs. The utter consistency of this stretch, easy wading, agreeable browns and rainbows, and more than a dozen points for public access make this wonderful water for a beginning angler. Species: Brown, rainbow. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

West Yellowstone, MT – Fly-Fishing

Missoula, MT: Clark Fork River & Rock Creek

When we visit the middle section of western Montana, we make our headquarters in Missoula, close to some of the best trout water in the West. Driving up I-90, drift boat in tow, we pass through miles of high plains with an endless series of humpbacked hills. The Clark Fork River begins near Warm Springs at the confluence of Silver Bow Creek and Warm Springs Creek. We become aware of it just below the Anaconda Settling Pond. This eTrail includes a map and detailed information on the best places to fish in the area.

From the guidebook "Trout Fishing near American Cities"

Missoula, MT – Fly-Fishing

Missouri River

Big river, big tailwater, big trout. The scale of the Missouri River is simply huge. The Missouri is the largest river in the United States. Its upper reaches, so favored by anglers for trout, span more than 100 miles, from the junction of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin at Three Forks to Cascade, high in the Montana’s arid steppe. As the river forms above Trident, it’s subject to heavy sedimentation, fluctuations of spring run-off, and heat from the persistent rays of the western sun. Yet four dams, all but one relatively minor in size, transform the river from a slow, tepid, prairie stream better suited to warm water species into one of the finest trout fisheries in the west. To varying degrees, each of the reservoirs provides cool holding water for rainbows and browns during the hottest days of summer. And in fall and spring, depending on their species and proclivities, large trout run up out of the impoundments to spawn. And each of the lakes slows the flow, allowing sediment to sift to the bottom, before the water is released into the next section of the river. Without these dams, and increasingly cooperative management by Montana Power Company, which now operates them, there would be few, if any, fishable trout in the Missouri below Three Forks. Species: Rainbow, brown. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Helena, MT – Fly-Fishing

Nelson’s Spring Creek

Smaller, shorter, tougher sibling of Armstrong’s, across the Yellowstone River. If you have only one day to fish a spring creek in Paradise Valley, it probably ought not be Nelson’s, unless you want the supreme technical challenge. Only half-a-mile long, this spring creek rises on the east side of the Yellowstone directly across from Armstrong’s. Its course lacks the gradient of the O’Hair mileage of Armstong’s Spring Creek, rather resembling some of the slower flows on the DePuy section. As summer’s sun warms the gravelly, cobbly bottom, aquatic grasses flourish. By August, were it not for cottonwoods along the bank, Nelson’s would resemble an English chalk stream. Undulating in the current, watery cress provides cover for big rainbows—up to 24 inches and more—and a few large browns. Species: Rainbow, brown, cutthroat. Angling methods: fly-fishing only.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Livingston, MT – Fly-Fishing

Rock Creek

Lovely stream, off the beaten path. Twenty miles east of Missoula, Rock Creek Road heads due south from Interstate 90, into one of the loveliest mountain valleys in Montana. The road follows the river for most of its 50 miles as it twists and turns through stands of fir, larch, and pine in the Lolo National Forest. This is one of those delightful rivers where anglers of almost any skill will find success. And thanks to special regulations, the population of trout is thriving. Species: Cutthroat, brook, brown, rainbow. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

From the guidebook "America’s 100 Best Trout Streams"

Missoula, MT – Fly-Fishing

Rock Creek

For many residents of Missoula, the road to paradise begins only 20 miles east of town at Interstate 90, Exit 126—Rock Creek Road. A drive along Rock Creek offers an escape from the sprawling metropolis of 50,000 inhabitants into a wild and beautiful mountain valley. It also provides access to one of the most delightful and challenging fishing experiences in Montana. Throughout its 50-mile length, Rock Creek is a classic fast-water trout stream. The riffles, runs, and occasional pools host five species of trout, all of which have the agreeable disposition of being where they’re supposed to be. Literally any place that offers hiding cover and some relief from the current will harbor trout. Key species: Rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, whitefish, brook trout, and bull trout.

From the guidebook "Fishing Montana"

Missoula, MT – Fly-Fishing

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Fly-Fishing (Idaho – Montana)

The Bitterroot Mountains stretch along the Idaho-Montana border for roughly 200 miles. Much of my fishing in the Bitterroots has been on Kelly Creek and the St. Joe River—two of Idaho’s best westslope cutthroat rivers, which headwater on the northern end of the range and are described separately in part 9,“Premier Westslope Cutthroat Rivers.�? The biggest block of wild country associated with the Bitterroot Mountains is the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, which, at nearly 11/2 million acres, was once the largest classified wilderness in the lower forty-eight (it has since been surpassed by the Frank Church Wilderness).The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness sprawls into four national forests—the Nez Perce, Bitterroot, Clearwater, and Lolo. Most is in Idaho, but the eastern portion is in Montana adjacent to the Bitterroot River Valley. The Selway River flows through the Idaho portion of the wilderness for more than 40 miles and is followed by trail for this entire length. With so much mileage to explore, the river is really a destination in itself. Elevations along it average only around 2,000 Feet. The river corridor is mostly forested—although there are some open slopes—and the summer climate is dry and warm, with temperatures frequently nudging into the 90s Fahrenheit. By August the river can be warm enough that midday fishing is slow. In hot weather look for trout off the mouths of cold tributary streams. When the evening shade hits the river corridor and starts creeping up the adjoining slopes, the fishing usually picks up. This eTrail contains detailed information on where to fish in the region and how to get there. All the lakes, rivers, and streams are covered and additional information sources like maps and services are provided.

From the guidebook "Fly-Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry"

Hamilton, MT – Fly-Fishing

Spanish Peaks Fly-Fishing (Montana)

The Spanish Peaks are just west of the Gallatin River in the Gallatin National Forest about 20 miles northwest of Yellowstone Park. At one time these peaks were managed as a separate primitive area, but this 78,000-acre unit is now part of the larger Lee Metcalf Wilderness (which also encompasses the Madison Range). I’ve spent more time looking up at these mountains—while fishing the Madison and Gallatin Rivers— than hiking in them. But because they’re close to some of my favorite roadside rivers, I’ve poked around in them a bit. This eTrail contains detailed information on where to fish in the region and how to get there. All the lakes, rivers, and streams are covered and additional information sources like maps and services are provided.

From the guidebook "Fly-Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry"

Bozeman, MT – Fly-Fishing

Yellowstone River, Middle

Everybody’s favorite river, and the fishing is good, too. Rising in a magnificent caldera of paint pots and smoking fumaroles, the river tumbles out of Yellowstone National Park at Gardiner and makes a headlong rush through Yankee Jim Canyon and into Paradise Valley, heading for Livingston about 60 miles below. At Livingston, the river swings east, and near Springdale it slows. The upper river is the province of cutthroats and rainbows. The deceptively deep canyon water holds browns of sizes too large to be imagined. Rainbows take over in the happy riffles of the central valley before giving way to browns below Livingston. Unfettered by major impoundments, the river flows swiftly on this leg of its 168-mile journey to the Missouri just over the North Dakota state line. Run-off swells the river with silty water from mid-May well into June and often July, depending on the snowpack. But normally, thereafter the river runs clear, except when torrential thunderstorms muddy up the Lamar and Gardner. Then the Yellowstone will take a day or two to clear. Species: Cutthroat, brown, rainbow. Angling methods: spin, and fly-fishing.

Southwest Montana Fly Fishing & Guides

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