Tailwater · Holter Dam to Cascade
Missouri River Fly Fishing Guide
A fish factory below Holter Dam: consistent flows, thick bug life and big rainbows and browns.
Montana’s fish factory
The Missouri below Holter Dam is so full of insects it fishes like a fish factory. Consistent flows and heavy bug life make for dialed-in dry-fly and nymph fishing.
Because it’s a tailwater, the Missouri stays cold, clear and stable when freestone rivers are high with runoff or warm in late summer. That makes it Tom’s go-to when the rivers around Missoula are out of shape. Floats run from Holter Dam through Wolf Creek and Craig toward Cascade.
Missouri River hatches
- Spring: midges and blue-winged olives, with great nymphing.
- Summer: PMDs, caddis and the famous trico spinner fall on calm mornings.
- Fall: baetis, hoppers and streamers for big browns.
- Winter: midges and nymphs on mild days.
Technical and rewarding
The Missouri’s fish are well fed and selective. Long leaders, small flies and good drifts matter, and Tom’s rowing puts you in position for the perfect cast to a pod of risers.
Plan your Missouri day
Craig is about two and a half hours from Missoula, so Missouri trips are full days. Many anglers stay a night in Craig or Wolf Creek and fish two days.
On the Missouri River
From the boat
“Tom Osen is without question the premier guide in Montana and maybe in all the west. He knows every inch of the water and puts you on fish consistently. But that’s not the beginning of the experience. Tom is insanely funny and works to make every trip a memorable and hilarious experience. There is nobody, literally nobody, I would rather fish with.”
“Have spent many hours on the water with Tom and enjoyed every minute. His knowledge of the west slope Montana rivers rivals anyone on the water. Warning: repeat use of this guide will likely result in your funniest fishing stories to share with family and friends.”
Questions
Fishing the Missouri River: FAQ
How far is the Missouri River from Missoula?
Craig, the heart of the Missouri tailwater, is about two and a half hours from Missoula by car.
Why fish the Missouri instead of the Missoula rivers?
As a tailwater, it stays clear and consistent when freestone rivers are in runoff or too warm. It also holds a remarkable number of trout per mile.
What is the trico hatch?
Tricos are tiny mayflies that hatch and fall as spinners on summer mornings, usually July through September. Pods of trout rise to them on calm water.
Is the Missouri good for beginners?
It can be technical, but there are so many fish that patient beginners do well, especially nymphing with Tom on the oars.
More water
The other rivers we fish
The Bitterroot
Montana’s best dry-fly river and a real shot at a big brown. Skwalas in March, PMDs and drakes in summer, streamers in fall.
Fish this river
The Blackfoot
Cutthroat and rainbows in the canyon country made famous by A River Runs Through It. Big stoneflies and hoppers.
Fish this river
The Clark Fork
The hardest-fighting rainbows in the area, big summer dry-fly days, and pike on the fly when the mood strikes.
Fish this river