The crew at Wildhook Adventures hooks into something massive on the Bighorn River near Fort Smith — one of Montana's top tailwater trout fisheries.

Illegal fish stocking is one of Montana's biggest fishery threats. Here's why dumping bait fish or "pet" fish can ruin a waterbody forever.

Southwest Montana rivers splitting—Madison and Gallatin stable and clear, but Big Hole and western drainages rising fast from snowmelt.

Madison and Missouri hold steady while Big Hole surges 17%. Southwest storm changes conditions through weekend—here's your fishing strategy.

Western Montana rivers climbing fast with incoming storm. Madison stable at 329 cfs. Wind gusts to 72 mph today—here's where to fish.

Southwest Montana rivers are holding steady and fishing well, but Western Montana is already surging—up 13–14% this week on the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot as snowmelt kicks in. With a major Thursday–Friday weather system on the way, here’s a clear, river-by-river breakdown of flows, trends, and the best windows to fish before conditions change.

Low, steady flows out of Libby Dam (4,000 cfs) and mild weather have the Kootenai River fishing very doable heading into early March. With water temps around 40°F, expect limited dry-fly action—but consistent nymphing and slow, deep streamer presentations can still turn up quality fish, especially in softer 5+ foot holding water.

Rock Creek ice briefly improved with last week’s colder weather, but recent warmth and wind have quickly degraded conditions. With no real cold ahead, the ice season is wrapping up—use extreme caution even on foot, as shifting ice and soft shorelines are increasing risk.

Grizzly Hackle’s boots-on-the-ground Bitterroot River report for Feb. 25, 2026: clear, stable flows; trout holding deep; nymphing still king with heavy stones, worms, and flashy perdigons. Expect afternoon midges on warmer days, selective dry-fly opportunities in flat water, and streamer eats on natural colors. Plus: spring-hatch countdown and a floaters-beware heads-up for downed trees.

Fish for burbot in the Kootenai River and enter a free raffle to win some great prizes!