Missouri River Float Guide Recommendations for Fly Fishing
IF YOU HAVE COME TO MONTANA WITH A BOAT TO FLY FISH THE MISSOURI RIVER AND YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START, THEN YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THE RIGHT PLACE.
Originally named, “Oumessourit” which meant “The People with the Dug Out Canoes” the Missouri River or “The Mo” as nearly everyone locally calls it is a long river originating from the Triple Divide Peak, and forming it’s shape by the joining of the Gallatin, the Madison, and the Jefferson in Three Forks, MT. The section this article will focus on is the famous stretch of fly fishing trout water that begins at the feet of Holter Dam to Cascade, Montana. This section of water has lots of public boat ramps for drift boats and rafts and is easily accessible. The fly fishing is excellent in this stretch but can be tricky which is what makes it so great. If you learn to fish this section of the Missouri well you will most likely be a great trout fisherman just about anywhere else.
Holter Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge: 2 River Miles
Want to hammer down on the highest concentration of big rainbows on the river? Float here. To get to the Holter Dam put in, take the gravel road on the west side of the Wolf Creek Bridge. You can row up until the buoys, and we recommend you do. We would say fish river right after that but this section of the Missouri is loaded throughout all areas. The “put in” is referred to as "Bull Pasture" and is a very common wade fishing spot so be mindful of wade fishermen in this area.
The island on river right just past Bull Pasture is also a very common spot to pull boats over and wade. This section is very flat water, and gets all of the prolific Missouri hatches. It is great nymphing and dry fly water. The only downside to this section of water is that it is generally one of the busiest. This float can take an hour or all day, but we say plan on 2-3 hours unless you are just straight rolling through and not stopping.
If you can float this section in the evening, long after the guides have got off the water it is generally a lot less busy. It is our favorite time to be on this section. This section if also floatable nearly year around, even if the weather is tough this section will most likely not be iced over if you can get you boat to the boat ramps and down the boat ramps.
Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig: 5.5 River Miles
The "Champagne of Dry Fly Fishing"? What does that mean? World renowned? For sure. That’s the phrase used to describe the amazing dry fly opportunities in this section of river. Although the whole river has great dry fly fishing, "the doors" on river left in this section of river take on an almost spring creek experience. Waving river grass, and a sea of sailing mayflies during the hatches turns novice fly anglers who once threw hoppers and stimulators into mayfly soldiers with chiseled abs. An experienced Missouri River fly angler will often be the pickiest fly tier, and for a reason, the slick calm water, bright big sky sun, and choosy rainbows and browns on this section require it. Sometimes.
On the other hand, this section can be out of control easy to fish at other times. The caddis hatch on this section can be so prolific, you will be covered in them. In the evening, the fish sometimes seem to lose any sense of awareness and just eat. The float begins at Wolf Creek Bridge and after a slick and calm section, Prickley Pear Creek dumps in on river left. This can add dirty water during spring run-off, but can offer really great wade fishing the rest of the year. There are quite of few wade fishing access sites on this section of river so be mindful of wade fishermen.
The float ends in Craig, Montana, one of the fishiest towns in the west. If you want to have an apri fly fishing experience spend your evening there. The float can certainly take all day, but can be done in about 3-5 hours in general.
Craig to Stickney Creek: 3.5 River Miles
Want to learn to become an amazing trout angler? One of the greats? Spend your time here and get your Bachelors of Trout. You can leave Great Falls after work and still float this section. You can work on all elements of trout fishing here, and you will need it to be productive. Dry fly fishing, nymphing, streamer fishing, using emergers, and swinging are all textbook on this stretch of river. We truly believe if you master this water you will "take your friends to school" anywhere else. Be prepared to be frustrated at times, and although you are trying to trick the trout, they will win as often as you.
The float starts by floating under Craig Bridge, with a slick on river right, and a rock wall on river left with a nice drop off and current line right in the middle. It’s all good. That section stretches out to a Madison river style ripple in to another slick ending at "Jackson Rock". Jackson rock is a stumper. You know there are fish in this giant toilet bowl of an eddy, but you will have to figure out how to get them out of it. There are then some nice wade fishing opportunities on the islands ahead. A giant slick follows the islands with some nice bank and current lines on river right until the bridge. Once you hit the bridge, you are back on the Madison river until the next island.
After the island, you can continue to stir the rumor mill about who owns, owned, what has happened at- the big house on the right. Stickney Creek take out is river right on the channel that moves right at the next island. Figure about 2-3 hours on this float, of course, you could spend all day depending on your stops, and the hatch.
Stickney Creek: Spite Hill: 1 River Mile
Literally "run" your own shuttle. It’s a very short float, if you float the whole time. However, this is a great float for wade fishing, spot and stalk. River right there is a great rock bank and current line. River left there is an island that spans the whole first section that is great for pulling over to wade fish. After the island, stay in the slick on the right or row river left for a short section of "nymphy" currents followed by some dry fly fishing back eddies you can’t find in the movies. Spite Hill is then just around the corner on river right. If you just float, plan on 15 minutes. If you catch a great hatch, then call home and let them know you won’t be home for dinner.
Spite Hill to Dearborn: 1.5 River Miles
Brown Town - although rainbows and browns are everywhere in the Missouri. Once you get down to this section, the number of browns seems to get bigger. Unsheathe your baddest streamer throwing weapon and throw lasers to within inches of the rock bank that lines this entire section.
When you first put in at Spite, it is a calm and has an almost currentless looking slick. There is a current and the water is very often productive with nymphs or dries. The rock wall lines the entire right side which often is productive for all forms of fishing. The left side, same thing, but no rocks and a more gradual depth coming off the grassy meadow that lines the bank.
Once you get down to the houses on the right, after the rocks end, the river widens out in to a huge flat with a medium current. This can be an awesome evening wade spot for dry fly fishing. The Dearborn take out is the gravel section on river right after the big trees and houses on river right before the bridge.
Dearborn to Mid-Canon: 2 River Miles
Are you famous? Me neither. If you are and you are reading this, then we’re flattered. The "Dearborn Run" is. After the Dearborn put in, go to confusion city, too many choices and unless you are Popeye and row a drift boat like an outboard, you will have to choose. Row to the left to hit the rock wall before the Dearborn River enters, or stay river right and fish the perfect little bank that leads you under the bridge to the largest back eddy ever. The back eddy on river right fishes like its own little thing, it has its own current lines and its own bank and you better spin your boat around because plan on rowing the opposite way for a bit if you go in.
You can spend time in this eddy and it’s great for dry fly fishing and nymphing. However, el famouso is right directly across the river. It is the huge run after the bridge developed by the currents meeting from Dearborn and the Missouri. It’s very productive. Mucho suerte.
After that you will have many decisions to make right or left. This section, known as "Marshall Lanes", is great fishing and ends at yet another decision. It ends at an island and if you go right, which is amazing dry fly fishing you risk running in to wade fishermen from recreation road, but we often risk it. If you go straight follow the maze past Rhoda Island to the Mid-Canon, take out on river left. This float will probably take you about 2 hours.
Mid-Canon to Mountain Palace: 6 River Miles
New York thin crust is to New York like this float is to Missouri fly fisher folk. You must know this water to sling coffee back with the legends in the fly shop on Saturday mornings. In fact, you better know every cabin, road, rock, and local. This is a classic that anchors the middle section of the Holter to Cascade trout byway.
At Mid-Canon, there is a very shallow rock riff that deepens quickly in the middle and fishes well along the river right bank. The island that separates the river on the left (the one in front of the cabins on the left) has an awesome tail out and if you want to ensure a fish on your nymphing rig fish about 50 yards off the end of the island for a bit. That toilet bowls into a big slick before the bridge and Eagle Rock. My opinion, unless you see a lot of fish rising skip river left after Eagle Rock Lodge until the river begins to split from the islands. For whatever reason, that little section never produces a lot of fish and the slick on river right is better especially if fish are eating dries.
The next section is often misunderstood. The obvious rock bank on river right fishes well, but don’t forget to consider river left as well, although it looks very calm, actually has a steady current and is very fishy. The houses on the left are part of the area known as “Cooper Drive”.
Pass the next bridge and the “Blue House” on the right. Directly across from the “Blue House” on river right there is an island and a huge back water area. The scum line in front, above, and behind this island is loaded with fish and often a lot of rising fish. Once you get out of that backwater oasis, river right has a unmarked boat launch and fishing access area locally known as "suicide" because of the put-in that is only usable in high water on river right. The next rock bank on river right fishes well, but again, don’t forget to consider river left. This is not a freestone, there are fish everywhere. The rest of the float down to Mountain Palace is textbook. The takeout is on the river right, so take the right side channel at the island when you see the fly fishing lodge that is sitting in the canyon for the easiest way to get your boat to the ramp.
Mountain Palace to Prewitt Creek: 2 River Miles
All the disciplines of fly fishing are needed to capitalize on this float. It is great for a short float and can be done in an hour and you will have great water to fish streamers, nymph, swing or fish dries. There is some tricky but excellent water right before the big cliff on river right. Take your time here and watch for the current lines as they are there. There is a great streamer wall river left with multiple rock tail outs for throwing dries or back eddy streamer chasers. After the bridge the river gets confused, and you have serious drop offs to the left for swinging or nymphing and the right is a large flat. The flat on river right is often excellent shallow water dry fly fishing during PMD and caddis hatches. This float is short and should take about an hour if you fish fast, and it is also another float that you can easily shuttle yourself with a mountain bike.
Prewitt Creek to Pelican Point: 4 River Miles
Leave the crowds up river. Welcome to "The Lower." This is a Great Falls locals favorite. It’s a little confusing because if you are from Great Falls this is not “The Lower” but it’s the “The Lower” of “The Upper” if that makes sense. Less than a 30 minute drive from Great Falls, you can be on some very trouty water. Prewitt Creek put in starts in the very end of the canyon section. The first mile of water is up against some huge cliffs and the tail end of Tower Rock park. This stretch is an extremely good dry fly section and gets lots of major hatches.
At the bridge is the only significant rapid called "Half Breed." The tail out to Half Breed rapids is where Sheep Creek enters and forms one of the best runs on the river. The river then takes a couple turns of long shallow ripples with some good streamer water on the edges. The rest of the float open up into a more open meadow atmosphere, but fishes very well. Pelican Point is the take out river left at the obvious point after the islands. This float usually takes us about 3 hours.
Pelican Point to Cascade, MT: 9.1 River Miles
If you want to get some real Central Montana trout fishing and experience fishing on the western front of the Great Plains this is your section. Choose a non-windy day as this area is more exposed and there are no boat ramps between Pelican Point and Cascade. However, this section is getting increasingly popular as there are lot of fish in this section and a lot less anglers. Another advantage to this section is there are great opportunities to pull over and fish back eddies for carp and pike. This section of river is known as great hopper fishing in the summertime, and if you know when, and can stay out late enough this is the section of the famous brown drake hatch.
We are going to say a little less about this section, as it is less documented for a reason. However, we recommend you experience it if you have all day. Another bonus to this section is you end up in the town of Cascade for a burger and brew at The Driftwood where most likely you will find locals, anglers, and guides hanging out late.
Missouri River Shuttle Services:
The Trout Shop – Craig, MT - 800-337-8528
Trout Montana – Cascade, MT - (406) 468-9330
Headhunters Fly Shop – Craig, MT - (406) 235-3447