Winter has settled in, but the Missouri River doesn’t care. The bite is steady, the wind is manageable, and the fish are eating smaller than you’d expect. Here’s exactly what’s working right now, according to Yellow Dog Flyfishing:
Flow Data: Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek, MT
A stint of cool weather this week in the Craig area. Warmer than around Bozeman however. The wind looks relatively low as well. Could be well worth fishing the Missouri. Midges will be the main hatch throughout the winter. The hatch usually picks up in February. Smaller has been better with sizes #18- #20. Nymphing has been the most consistent action and will likely be quite good through the winter. A tailwater sowbug or something similar paired with a midge nymph or small perdigon is a tough nymph rig to beat. Find fish mostly in the slow moving deep water. Swinging has been good. Olive or peacock soft hackles have been quite effective. Small buggers and leeches have been tricking trout on the swing and stripped. Streamer fishing should continue to produce. It may slow a bit with the cooler temperatures setting in. I personally like smaller options like Sparkle Minnows or Skiddish Smolts. Baby Gongas and Sparring Partners are also fantastic options.
