According to Yellow Dog Flyfishing‘s latest report on February 16, 2026, the Missouri River below Holter Dam is cooling off a touch this week, and you’ll probably have to negotiate with a little wind. But when it’s not howling, the fishing has been downright respectable. Nymphing is leading the charge (steady, reliable, winter workhorse stuff), but swinging flies and stripping streamers are absolutely in play. And if you spot a few noses poking up in the softer water, don’t ignore them — midges are popping on these mild winter afternoons, and a clean drift with a Griffith’s Gnat or a Parachute Adams can still make you look like a hero.
Subsurface has been the bread and butter. A sowbug-and-midge combo or a small perdigon dropped into slow, deeper buckets is about as dependable as it gets this time of year. If you prefer a little motion, soft hackles in olive or peacock have been getting grabs on the swing, and small buggers or leeches aren’t being ignored either. Streamer fans should stick to the smaller stuff — Sparkle Minnows, Skiddish Smolts, Baby Gongas — think snack-sized, not steak dinner. Bottom line: find the slow water, keep your drifts honest, and don’t let a little winter breeze talk you out of a good day.
Feature photo by Yellow Dog Flyfishing
