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Walleyes are being caught from the Silos to Pond 4, Silos to Hole in the Wall, Duck Creek to Pond 1 and around White Earth. Fishing in 20 to 25 feet of water while using bottom bouncers with green, chartreuse or red spinner blades with worms or crankbaits in these same colors are producing walleye. A few Rainbows and perch are being caught by anglers using walleye rigs around Hole in the Wall and White Earth. Shore fishing is producing an occasional rainbow or walleye on jigs with worms around the Silos and White Earth. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena
Walleye bite is best from Snow Creek east 6 to 16 feet lots of nice fish 27″ or better. Also catching a lot smaller fish as well.
Northern bite has also changed a bit do to water levals main bite for them 16 to 20 foot their hanging out near the old weed beds.
Bass bite is also good lot of nice bass being caught by the guys and gals targeting walleyes.
The lake is now at full pool, this does not mean the boat ramp in front of the campground is usable, it’s not, that is strickly a high water ramp and we are not there yet. It’s blocked off but if you try to use it you will back your trailer in about three feet and then dropp off the ramp about two feet into three feet of mud!
Use the ramp in front of the Marina or Boy Scout.
The courtesy dock at the Marina has been fixed and is fully operational.
Hell Creek General Recreation Information ( June 21, 2023)
The Yellowstone is slowly trending in the right direction but still has color. Within the next couple of week, expect the stone to start fishing very well! For now, fish streamers close to the bank and in slow water. Nymphing larger stoneflies, worms, eggs, and any of your other runoff favorites can be productive as well right now. Be safe and stay out of the water if you can, it is moving fast! If you plan to fish the Yellowstone, be sure to check FWP’s Restrictions and Closures page for up-to-date information regarding closures.
Suggested Fly Patterns
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Dry Fly
Parawulf Dennis BWO (16-20), Thorax BWO (18-20), Parachute Adams (14-20), Purple Haze (16-20), Film Critic BWO (16-20), Smoke Jumper (16-20), Extended Body BWO (16-20), Griffith’s Gnat (16-20), UV Sparkle Midge (18-20), Griffiths Gnat (16-20), Buzzball (16-18)
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Streamer
Woolly Bugger (4-12), Mini Dungeon Black/ Natural/ White (6), Complex Twist Bugger (2), Kreelex Minnow (4), Sparkle Minnow (4-8), Double Gonga Black/Rainbow (4), Urchin Bugger (4), Sculpzilla Black/ White/ Natural (4-8), Sculpinator (4-6)
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Nymph
Pat’s Rubber Legs (6-12), Zirdle Bug (6-12), Woolly Bugger Black/ Olive (4-12), Perdigon (14-18), Pheasant Tail (10-18), Jigster Baetis (14-18), Prince Nymph (10-18), BH Hare’s Ear (12-18), Sizzlin’ Hot Spot Squirrel (14-16), Zebra Midge (16-22), San Juan Worm, Matt’s Shagadelic Mop Tan/ Brown/ Green/ Cheeto (10), Hare’s Ear (14-18), Dirty Bird (12-16)
Fresno is 96% full. Surface temps are in the 70s by afternoon. Walleye fishing is good. The spottail shiners are spawning in the tail ends of the bays. Try pitching jigs or crank baits anywhere you see minnow action. Lots of the action is in 2’ to 4’ of water. This will not last long so follow the bait masses on your sonars for proper depth. Nelson is 93% full. Surface temps are in the 70s by afternoon. Look for bait action in the bay areas and the weeder areas of the lake. Most methods are catching fish. The FWP is currently stocking the reservoir with up to a million walleye fry. Good fishing.
Good numbers of rainbows are being caught out from the Gates of the Mountains while using small nymphs and on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling orange crankbaits or cowbells with wedding rings tipped with a crawler. More Kokanee are showing up near the Dam while using various flashers, dodgers or cowbells with double hook spinners tipped with shoepeg corn in 15 to 80 feet of water. A few walleye are being picked up in the Canyon near the Gates of the Mountains, the Clay Banks on the lower end of the reservoir, and around other points and weed beds while vertical jigging with various Rapalas, hair jigs, or Mister Twisters tipped with leeches or crawlers. A few of perch are being found around the boat docks and in the small bays in the Canyon while using small jigs and crawlers. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Missouri River June Forecast
Weather
Rain. A total of 6 days historically. 2.62″ on the average. Hopefully more this year. Looking like an average month with equal chance higher or lower precipitation and the same for temps too.
Sunshine. Yes. Mostly. Average high temp of 76F and low temp of 46F. Still a month where you should be prepared for anything. I have seen snow on the 11th. Only 9″ though. Gone that afternoon. Raingear? Yep. Sunscreen. Certainly.
Flows
Currently in the approximately 8K club. But that may not last. It could bump up a bit? Or not. We will see the flows continue to drop as the inflows in conjunction with the snow pack slipping by us has left us needing the remaining high mountain snow to fulfill the lake needs.
Flow levels for the second half of June and July? We believe about average. But will not know, until the days have passed us by. Then, we will know. You will know, too. This author predicting a perfect storm.
Your Missouri River information source is Headhunters of Craig.
Flows from here on out are dependent on the rain that falls from the sky. We have had a pattern where the warmer than average May air temps have evaporated the waters. Check out the Snow Water Equivalent Map below and see what we are currently situated at.
Hatches
PMD’s are near. Water temps are nearing the correct temp for these summer hatching insects. They will become more of an issue as the month progresses. Historically the PMD pops on/about June 4, 5, or 6. Then 4 or 5 days until it is game on. This is my favorite fly fishing week on the Mighty Mo. Will the water be appropriate for rising fish this year?
Expect PMD action to increase all the way through the 4th of July. Then it may wane. But wait! It does not end until sometime in July. Late July on higher water years. Sooo…we will have to see what transpires.
Dry flies that will work for the front end include that classic parachute pattern you like. They are dumb easy in the beginning. Then they get more difficult every day. Cripples, spinners, and emergers rule this hatch. The Buzzball is a great pattern for both the caddis and PMD. Remember that our theme is generally presentation first. Fly Second. But if you like a ton of kick ass PMD patterns then look no further than your fly source on the Missouri River, Headhunters of Craig.
Caddis flies will come in better numbers as the month move ahead. Enough on the lower to see a few fish finding the top water caddis. IF you like that kind of action you may want to fish below Mid-Canon for the next couple weeks. It can, and will happen.
Downwinged patterns are popular because they work. those high wingers will get some fish early, but then you must fish it in the film man. CDC, short hair-winged patterns, and soft hackles will find you the best catch rates.
Ants. Fish them. Towards the end of the month you will need a selection of cinnamon, black, and bi-colored patterns on your person daily. Terrestrial play a big role throughout the summer months. Stock up today and fish them all season long!
Yellow Sallies will make an appearance in June as well. Have a few nymphs in your box along with a couple downwind Sally patterns. Although we do like the parachute versions for success. Put that fly in the film as well. And remember it is a stonefly. A small and yellow fellow.
The worm hatch will continue for those who like to soak their flies. All of your cool patterns that you tied all winter long are in play. Caddis Pupa and emergers. PMD techy nymphs like the Split Back and Two Bit Hooker. Fish them and enjoy getting the net wet. Iron Sally. A good one. GRHE too. Big PT’s? Sure. Small ones too. Zebra’s and small black PT’s will finish the month with the Trico on our minds. The nymphs are in play before the dry fly shows itself. Smart nymphers know that!
Lodging
CraigTroutCamp and CraigLodging are the two portals that you need for any lodging needs you may need fishing the Missouri River in Montana. 30+ lodging options for you to peruse. Book today with our booking agents at Headhunters Fly Shop and Guide Service in Craig Montana 406-235-3447. Lodging for two starting just over a hundred bucks. Lodging riverside for bit more. Lodging for groups. Lodging for every budget and need.
Guide Trips
Headhunters is the number one rated guide service on the Mighty Missouri River. Our annual return client rate is 78%. Strong. The best in Missouri River guides coupled with our famous Headhunters customer service gives you the best experience on the Mo!
Call today and we will fit you with the right fishing guide for your fly fishing desires. A dry fly guide to show you the difficult, albeit large, brown trout? Got it. A numbers man? Got it. A guide to educate your children, or your wife? Got that covered too. Let Julie, Sara, cater your trip to you! It’s what we love to do and it’s what we do best.
We are open daily at 7am. Earlier sooner than later. Open late too til at least 7pm nightly. Find your gear needs at Headhunters with the best fly selection on the river. We have rods, reels, fly lines, logo wear, accessories and trinkets too. We built our shop around our fly bins and the fly fishing enthusiast!
See you this June in Craig. Any questions or for bookings call 406-235-3447
Lake Mary Ronan- nice perch 12 to 15 feet of water. Try small jigs tipped with worms or maggots. Salmon slow, try early morning jigging Swedish pimples in 30 feet of water.
Flathead River- dry fly action picking up, try, purple haze, Adams Flies, spin Fishing gold little cleo spoons.
Flathead River Sloughs- good pike, action, early morning with large plugs, bass and crappie good with topwater for bass. 
Ashley Lake- still good salmon, action, jigging and trolling.
Flathead Lake-  trolling Delta with Rapala’s in perch or gold colors. Try shallow early mornings. Try also Woods Bay point, mid lake bar, and Shelter Island areas.
Swan Lake- good rainbow, along shoreline, trolling.
Thompson River- good trout action on flies or small spinners.
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- Flathead Lake – Trolling between 80′-120′. Using Rapala Scatter Raps have been producing good fish numbers.
- Flathead River – The river flows are at 9500 cfs with good clarity. Great news for fly fishing. Try using purple prince nymphs and San Juan worms for cutties.
- Blanchard Lake – Some good slot limit pike being caught on dead bait or spinners. The crappie are still biting small grub baits and jigs.
- Church Slough – The pike are starting to bite on spinners and getting more aggressive. Look for largemouth bass in the main channels and use soft plastics for the hits.
- Echo Lake – Bass are heavily pressured. They are still biting Senko’s and craws. Try getting your rig between 6′-12′ deep around structure and docks.
- Lower Thompson – Kokanee bite is picking up. Hearing that small trolling squids and sling blade dodgers are working. Good numbers of perch being caught as well.
- Bitterroot Lake – Salmon bite is still going strong. Grab some pink or orange Zimmer Wannabe jigs or Hali’s tipped with corn and maggots. Both are good options.
- Smith Lake – The weeds are growing tall, keep that in mind. Try using top water baits like frogs or poppers. The tried and true dead bait on a quick strike rig is a good option also.
This Kootenai River Montana fishing report is being brought to you by Orvis Endorsed Linehan Outfitting. This report will be updated weekly to provide current conditions, weather, hatches, patterns, and flows to our local waters and across the state.
Flows from Libby Dam: 4000cfs
Water temperature at Libby Dam: 42 degrees
Hatches: midge, baetis
patterns: zebra midge, parachute Adams, parachute pmd, Rosenbauer’s olive rabbit foot emerger, purple haze, purple chubby, red chubby, olive sparkle dun,bh prince, soft SJ worm, bh pheasant tail, bh rubber legged stonefly, big streamers in white, pink and olive, circus peanut, black conehead buggers
It’s not quite spring up here in Kootenai River country but we have good news. Flows from Libby Dam have been reduced and will be stable at 4000cfs through the end of March for now. That means there’s some great early season fishing available right now.
Expect more clammy cloudy weather through the weekend and into next week. March continues to come in like a lion and we’ve yet to see the lamb. Rain and snow mix will dominate forecast. Fortunately daytime temps will ooch into the forties which is at least a small sign of spring around here.
At the moment the river is clear and in good shape. Don’t expect much in the way of dry fly fishing and insect activity until we get some substantially warmer daytime temperatures. The water is still cold but trout will start to feed a bit in the coming weeks.
This is always a good time of year for nymphing. With low flows you don’t need a heavy rig. You just need to get the flies down in softer runs and pools where trout are most likely to be holding this time of year. Don’t spend a ton of time fishing fast riffles.
Streamer fishing is also productive this time of year especially since bigger fish will be hungry after laying low for a couple months during the dead of winter. Keep in mind they will not necessarily want to move too fast or too far to get a meal. Get your streamers down and fish them slowly and erratically. Nothing like a wounded minnow to get a big rainbow interested in at least a sniff.
In Boston Red Sox news, it’s PLAY BALL! After several weeks of a lockout the players union owners have finally come to an agreement. Spring training will start immediately and while opening day was and remains delayed until April 7, the season will still be 162 games. For now the Sox have managed to keep essentially the same playoff roster they had last season. Infielders Dalbec, Arroyo, Bogaerts, and Devers are key players. In the outfield Jackie Bradley Jr. has returned to Boston and Kike Hernandez and Verdugo will anchor the deep green. Ace Chris Sale will hopefully be healthy and other starters from last year will hopefully pick up where they left off in October. Go Sox!!!
Give a call anytime if you need more Kootenai River details or information on any of our hunting or fishing adventures. And please check out our e-commerce site for all Linehan Outfitting branded swag and Orvis gear. https://linehan-outfitting.myshopify.com/
We look forward to hearing from you. 406-295-4872
Halfway through June already! Crazy how fast this year is going. Forgive our absence with our fishing reports, there really hasn’t been much changed since our last report. The weather has shifted into more of the “classic” June – cool and wet. Runoff is still going strong across the state. Fishing is taking a bit of a back burner for the moment.
Here’s the latest:
YELLOWSTONE RIVER
While the Yellowstone River has seen some fluctuations in flows over the past couple weeks, one thing has remained constant: muddy water. Things are still too high and too muddy. It’s a waiting game at this point.
MADISON RIVER
Salmonfly season is creeping up fast on us here on the Madison River. The Upper Madison is one of the most iconic and well known spots for this hatch, and everyone is chomping at the bit right now for them to show up. We’re still at least 3 weeks from that though. In the meantime, there is over a foot of visibility in most of the Upper, and fishing has been good.
Now is not the time for dry flies, think big and heavy. If you’re into throwing streamers you’re loving life right now. Drop it on the bank and twitch it out. Olive and black, black and purple, darker colors are working great right now. Big nymph rigs with a dead drifted rubberlegs or streamer are doing well now too. Leave the light tippet at home and go big.
The Lower Madison is still fishing pretty well, as it has been all spring. The advice above still plays here, but keep an eye out for caddis and PMDs. A PMD hatchback behind a crayfish pattern fished well in the buckets should do well. The river is getting busier, especially on weekends with recreational floaters, but the cooler weather in the forecast should keep that to a minimum. If you want solitude, take a hike up Bear Trap Canyon.
GALLATIN RIVER
Same as last time. Muddy and high, with clear water above the Taylor’s Fork. The Gallatin still needs a bit of time before it’s really fishing well, even though visibility is slowly starting to improve. There’s better options right now, but keep an eye on it. Once we get about a foot of visibility the fishing will be good.
STILLWATERS
With our rivers in high runoff, a lot of anglers are taking to lakes. This is a ton of fun, and something that often gets overlooked during the peak of the summer. The cooler weather and water temps right now tend to discourage recreational boaters, so you can have more peaceful fishing now.
We’ve heard good things about Dailey Lake, Hyalite Reservoir, Ennis Lake, Hebgen… Just about any lake or pond should be good right now. Look for midges in the afternoon and Callibaetis in the mornings. Not seeing fish rising? Slowly strip a leech or copper john a foot under the surface.
We’re getting closer to high mountain lake season, but that still needs a bit of time. If you’re feeling adventurous and don’t mind getting disappointed should you not hit it just right, ice out can be really, really fun up there..
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Our corner of Yellowstone National Park is still running high and muddy. However, the west side is fishing very well. The Gibbon, Firehole, and Madison are seeing decent hatches of PMDs and Baetis, as well as some caddis. Stoneflies are starting to move around quite a bit, so is it worth fishing a smaller rubberlegs when you don’t see rising fish? We think so.
Please remember that lead is not allowed, nor is felt, and all hooks have to be debarbed. Yellowstone Park also requires a separate fishing permit.
LIVINGSTON AREA AND THE SHOP
Town is getting busier and we are loving interacting with all the visitors from around the world! Our store is fully stocked for your Montana adventures, no matter what they might be. We’ve got the gear and flies you need, and the knowledge to make sure your time in our backyard is well spent.
Tight lines this week!
The fishing is getting real hot.
The cooler weekend slowed the fishing down, however some walleye and rainbow trout are being caught from shore at York Bridge and below Canyon Ferry Dam while using various jigs tipped with crawlers or green Power Bait. Lake Helena is still producing a few walleye while tolling crankbaits or bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses with orange or chartreuse blades. Trolling cowbells with a wedding ring between Black Sandy and the Powerlines is also producing a few rainbows. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Flows are on the way up to 7k CFS. Water temps have come up considerably as the BOR is releasing over the top of the dam. This has made for some really good fishing and will be even better when flows stabilize. The river feels BIG out there right now, so please be careful as this is not a time for learning how to row a boat! The river is very dirty with moss below 3 Mile, but look for this to clean out over the next few days.
Nymphing has been excellent. Lots of WORMS in the system and fish are taking full advantage. Sowbugs like Tailwater sows, Carpet Bugs, Softhackles and Pink and Red bead stuff have been getting it done. Add a bunch of weight and you’ll be in business!
Streamer fishing is just getting good and with the warmer flows and higher water, this will be some of the best of the year! Smaller articulated Galloup stuff, Sparkle Minnows, and all kinds of bright stuff will work.
The Dry Fly stuff is done for a while with the high flows. Maybe July?
K.S.: Good water levels thanks to rain…speedboats best launched from East end where it’s deepest. FWP will be Stocking fish on Thursday@ at 2:00! Kids are welcome to come help! Homesteader Days this weekend so there will be traffic due to a Fun Run at the Pavillion. Homesteader Days 2023: Wilderness Wonder!
K.W.: It is full.
This Yellowstone River fishing report is valid from June 7 through June 20–25. That’s when we expect spring runoff to begin fading.
The Yellowstone River reached maximum runoff around May 25 (early). It now has far less than normal snowpack remaining in the headwaters. It’s at between 13,000 and 16,000cfs right now and will only drop no matter the weather.
We expect the Yellowstone to become fishable much earlier than we did a month ago because of the early, hard runoff. We now expect the Yellowstone to drop into shape between June 20 and June 25. The Salmonfly hatch will occur immediately thereafter and should be fishable.
The main X-factor is whether or not the Yellowstone takes a long time to clear up like it did last year. It got low enough to fish July 7 last year but remained sort of a puke green color until July 25. Dry fly fishing (and numbers) were limited during that window. We’re hoping all the loose silt washed in from last year’s flood got flushed through during this year’s runoff and the river will clear on schedule. If it does, expect some “big bug” dry fly fishing in late June and the first few days of July.
Our next Yellowstone River fishing report will drop when the river begins to drop into shape around June 20.
Learn more about fishing the Yellowstone River (in Montana).
Info about our float trips, a majority of which take place on the Yellowstone.
Info about our Montana walk & wade trips, which in winter and early spring take place on the Yellowstone.
