Montana Rivers
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is approximately 692 miles long. It is considered to be one of the great trout streams of the world and is officially classed as a blue ribbon stream in Montana from Yellowstone park to the confluence with the Boulder river east of Livingston and from Rosebud, MT to the North Dakota border. The most productive stretch of water is through Paradise Valley in Montana, especially near Livingston which produces brown trout, rainbow trout and native cutthroat trout as well as Rocky Mountain whitefish.
The Yellowstone is spectacular big western river. With unmatched scenery and natural beauty. We like to fish this out of our ClackaCraft drift boat, we fish both from the boat and stop to wade the many productive side channels in the river. We fish the Yellowstone river from above Emigrant MT all the way to Big Timber, approx. 100 miles of river. The Yellowstone can produce some big hatches and some spectacular dry fly fishing in the pre runoff months of March and April then again in the fall.
During the summer when the river clears, big dries and big droppers are the norm and it's spectacular site to see a big Yellowstone River Cutthroat come up and eat your stonefly pattern. Different stretches of the river hold different numbers and average sizes of trout. With that being said, there are some huge browns holding in the entire stretch we fish. Some of these fish can be 10 lbs or more.
Madison River
The Madison River is approximately 183 miles long, some know it as the 'World's Longest Riffle'. The Madison River, from Madison Junction in Yellowstone to Three Forks, is a fly fishing mecca for serious anglers. It is classified as a blue ribbon fishery in Montana and is one of the most productive streams in Montana for brown trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish.
Our fishing on the Madison is done primarily out of our ClackaCraft drift boat. We fish both the upper and lower Madison depending on water flows and times of year. Fishing on the Madison can be spectacular, starting in late March all the way through November. Fishing styles vary from aggressive streamer fishing in the fall, to casting small dries and nymphs to selective trout in the spring months.
Summer fishing can bring some great dry fly action casting hoppers beetles and ants at the banks. Some days the action can be non stop. The Madison holds a healthy population of both rainbows and browns in the 14 to 18 inch class. It also can produce the trophy brown of a life time over 20 inches.
Missouri River
The headwaters of the Missouri are in the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Montana, near the small town of Three Forks, rising in the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers. At 2,540 miles in length, it drains about one-sixth of the North American continent. The Missouri in its original natural meandering state was the longest river in North America.
The Missouri River, locally know as the "MO" is a huge slow moving river that has a very diverse fishery. Famous for incredible hatches and spectacular dry fly fishing. the Missouri is often described as a giant spring creek. The MO is best fished from a drift boat to cover many of the best spots. Dry fly enthusiasts will be in heaven on the mighty MO as good hatches can be found almost every day through out the season. The MO, because of it's tailwater nature, can usually be fished right through the spring runoff and fishes well all the way into December.
Our fishing on the MO can take place anywhere from Three Forks to the town of Cascade Montana. The upper MO is more of a free flowing river and subject to water temperature so it will fish well during the cooler seasons. Many of the fish in this stretch will move in and out of the Missouri chain of lakes, so it makes for some great "run and gun" hunting for giant trout. The MO is home to some incredible hard charging Rainbows and Browns. Many of these fish will go well into the 20" class and will test your ability to land big strong fish on light tippets and small flies.
Gallatin River
The Gallatin River is an amazingly scenic river - winding through high alpine meadows, dropping into the rocky Gallatin Canyon, and flowing out into the Gallatin Valley. It is an exceptionally popular fly fishing destination for rainbow trout, brown trout and mountain whitefish. Portions of the river are designated as a Blue Ribbon trout stream while the remainder is designated Red Ribbon by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department.
The Galltin is a classic western river, braids, riffles, runs, pocket water you name it. We fish the stretch below the Gallatin Canyon through the Gallatin valley down to the confluence of the Missouri River. On the Lower stretches of the river we like to float it in our drift boat, Getting out to wade the side channels and big bends in the river. The Gallatin can fish well almost year round except during the peak of the run off and the coldest months in the winter. Some of the most productive fishing will be done with nypmhs, but good dry fly fishing can also be had during the hatches The Gallatin holds a good population of rainbows and browns in the 14 to 18 inch class with many bruisers over 20 inches.
Bighorn River
The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately 461 mi (742 km) long. At the MT border, the river turns northeast, and flows past the north end of the Bighorns, through the Crow Indian Reservation, where the Yellowtail Dam forms the reservoir Bighorn Lake.
Suplee Fly Fishing currently operates under Montana Fly Fishing Expeditions, Robert Boyce, Outfitter number 10362, P.O. Box 11535, Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 581-9577 and Montana Trout Stalkers, MT. Lic. #6434, P.O. Box 1406, Ennis, Montana 59729, (406) 581-5150.
