With flows on the Mo hovering around 4,500 CFS right now and probably staying there, the Missouri River has been fishing quite well lately with hatches of caddis and few early season stoneflies. There were some great Blue Winged Olive hatches last week in the rain...and if the forecasted showers come early Sunday and Monday then expect the BWOs to make a encore presentation. The entire river from Wolf Creek down to Cascade as been fishing well. Look for pods of fish in the usual areas--seams, tailouts, and along slower banks.
Fishing with tandem nymph rigs has been the best tickets for numbers on the Missouri. From longer and deeper rigs to short-line/tight line nymphing there is a variety of ways to catch fish right now on the Missouri.
As for more longer term expectations on the Missouri River, flows will rise some but our snowpack in the headwater streams is such that we are not expecting flows to get too high. That can change if we get more cool and wet weather.
Flows are hovering around 5,000 CFS which is a great level for floating and wading. That level is about 1,000 CFS below average for this time of year, but not enough to cause a change in tactics. The only real uncontrollable factors right now are weather and wind.
All the local fly shops are now open, the bars and restaurants are open and staffed, so the shuttle drivers should be well fed and ready to move your rig. We are gearing up to open our Missouri Cliffs Lodge here in a few weeks and welcome our first guests of the season.
Where to Find Trout on the Missouri:
Throughout the day, trout are actively moving from holding to feeding lies on the Missouri River as they adjust to the current hatch. Before a hatch occurs trout will hold in deeper, slower runs. Missouri River trout prefer holding lies in river currents that are medium speed and not too slow. Deeper areas next to faster current are good places to focus with a tandem nymph rig. As a hatch develops trout may move to bankside structure or slide into shallower water. Anglers interested in fishing streamers can also find success on the Missouri River at the moment. As trout become more active in longer, deeper runs, swinging for trout with spey rods is increasingly popular as results can be good.
Trout populations on the Missouri River consist mostly of rainbow trout and now is the time of year they spawn so be cautious of targeting spawning fish on redds. Quickly land any hooked fish and release any fish that look to be in spawning mode.
Favorite Flies for Fly Fishing the Missouri River Right Now:
Para Adams in sizes 18-22
Sparkle duns in sizes 14 to 22
Captive duns in BWO in sizes 14 to 22
Beadhead Pheasant Tail nymphs in flashback and natural in sizes 12 to 20
Firebead SJ wormies in sizes 10-18
Buzzballs in size 20-22
Little Green Machines in natural or olive in size 18-22
Zebra Midge in black, olive, or purple in sizes 18-22
Tungteasers in black, grey, or red in size 18-22
Firebead or hot bead SJ worms in size 10-14
Jujubee midges in black and purple in size 18-22
Scuds and sowbugs in various colors in size 16 to 22
Sculpzillas in black, olive, or purple in sizes 2 to 6
Home Invader in any contrasting color scheme in size 2 or 4
The Month Ahead:
As the weather warms in the coming weeks the fishing on the Missouri River only gets better with stronger hatches of caddis and PMDs.