When is the Best Time to Fish Montana?
When is the best time to fish Montana? We hear this question from anglers all the time and it's an important inquiry. As Montana fly fishing guides and avid anglers for the past couple decades we thought a little professional insight might be in order for those of your next Montana fly fishing trip.
First we'll discuss what you as an angler should consider prior to traveling to fish in Montana, then we'll provide some of our recommendations based on the season.
- The first thing to consider is what are your personal fishing priorities? Do you want to target selective trout or just go for some biggies? Are you a dry fly only angler? Maybe you're just looking to have a great day on the river and introduce your newest partner to fly fishing and get them some professional instruction.
- Further consideration - what time of year is best for you and your group to travel? Montana like many western states experiences large amounts of spring run-off. This run-off is when mountain snows melt and flood certain rivers making them un-fishable. Fortunately, other rivers or spring creeks fish very well.
Now that you've had time to consider your priorities and travel dates here's our thoughts on when is the best time to fish Montana. We'll also suggest some, but not all, of the best rivers during those times.
When is the Best Time to Fish Montana - by Season
"When is the best time to fish Montana" we respond, "when can you get here". In all seriousness, most anglers can find excellent fishing between late March through October. With nearly 20 years experience we suggest you contact us so we can provide you with the most up to date information, then give you a recommendation based on our conversation.
Montana has drastic changes in elevation and the weather can be just as dynamic as the geography. We don't recommend planning a fishing specific trip to Montana between mid-November through mid March. While there are good days here and there for the avid angler the weather is far too unpredictable.
- April through May sees weather warm and often results in excellent hatches with the overcast weather.
- The most consistent and enjoyable weather occurs from June through mid September and is popular with avid anglers and family trips alike.
- In October we see winter rearing is chilly head and typically is only suited for hard core anglers in search of fewer, but larger brown trout.
Review the months, see a list of pros/cons and our professional recommendations or contact us for more details...
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When is the Best Time to Fish Montana - by Preference
Our more experienced anglers usually have a fishing preference. Whether you are a streamer junkie, dry fly only, technical sight fishing, or a nymph-o-maniac there are opportunities galore.
Don't be intimidated by all the terms you see bantered about regarding fishing styles. If you haven't had a lot of experience with one of these techniques don't worry. Our guides are excellent instructors and they'll be happy to improve your skill set so that you'll have bigger bag of tricks on your next fishing trip.
One of best things about fishing in Montana is the variety; Spring Creek sight fishing to tough fish one day, and the next you can throw streamers to big Brown trout on the Yellowstone River.
Choose your fishing preference from the list and see the pros/cons and our professional recommendations or contact us for more details...
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