Missouri River (Toston to Canyon Ferry):
The water temps are going to be a big factor. The monitor page has the river temp at over 75 degrees Fahrenheit. That is way to warm for the trout and even too warm for the walleye to be comfortable. There’s a chance at some walleye still hanging out in the deeper slow pools or closer to Toston dam with cooler water. If you want to try, a drop shot with some kind of bug pattern is going to be your best bet. I small jig with a small paddle is also a good alternative. Keep in mind that if you catch a trout, it survivability in these temps is extremely low.
Missouri River (Holter to Great Falls):
The river is still running slow and with that the weeds are as bad as you would expect. The folks I’ve talked with seem frustrated with the bite lately; or rather lack thereof. If you wanted to try I would recommend a hopper pattern. Caddis is still a possible pattern. After that, the usual wet flies are the go to flies. Pheasant tail, hare’s ear, prince nymph, scuds, etc. The one opportunity however that might be worth a shot is pike fishing on the lower stretch closer to Great Falls. Pike on a fly is an absolute riot! I like slightly bigger streamers in the 4” to 6” range. Flies like a black sexy dungeon or triple d are my first choice.
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