State reports

Montana Fly Fishing Reports

Current Montana fly fishing reports for Greater Yellowstone, Missouri River, Southwest Montana, with newest-first river conditions, flows, weather, hatch notes, wadeability, best windows, and fly recommendations. This archive covers 5 waters and 35 dated reports.

May 25, 2026

Water	Best window	Methods	Wadeability	Status	Report
Gallatin RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaGallatin River is fair today with 1,330 cfs at 7:00 am, a rising flow trend, and a best window of late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window.	Late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window	nymphs, dry flies, streamers	limited	fair	Read report
Madison RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaMadison River is good today with 736 cfs at 7:30 am, a rising flow trend, and a best window of late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window.	Late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window	nymphs, dry flies, streamers	good	good	Read report
Missouri RiverMissouri River, MontanaMissouri River is good today with 3,050 cfs at 7:45 am, a falling flow trend, and a best window of late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window.	Late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window	nymphs, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Beaverhead RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBeaverhead River is good today with 509 cfs at 7:15 am, a stable flow trend, and a best window of late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window.	Late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window	nymphs, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Big Hole RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBig Hole River is good today with 1,430 cfs at 7:15 am, a stable flow trend, and a best window of late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window.	Late morning through afternoon, with clouds extending the window	nymphs, dry flies	good	good	Read report

May 21, 2026

Water	Best window	Methods	Wadeability	Status	Report
Gallatin RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaGallatin River is good today with 1,140 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind as the best window.	Morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Madison RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaThe Madison is fishable with steady flows, cold water, BWO potential, productive nymph and streamer options, and a bear-related closure to verify between Campfire Lodge and Beaver Creek.	Morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Missouri RiverMissouri River, MontanaMissouri River is tough today with 3,230 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind as the best window.	Morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind	nymphs, dry flies, streamers	limited	tough	Read report
Beaverhead RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBeaverhead River is good today with 526 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind as the best window.	Morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind	nymphs, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Big Hole RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBig Hole River is good today with 1,900 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind as the best window.	Morning, then adjust around showers, storms, and wind	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	limited	good	Read report

May 20, 2026

Water	Best window	Methods	Wadeability	Status	Report
Gallatin RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaGallatin River is good today with 1,180 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then watch storms and showers as the best window.	Morning, then watch storms and showers	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Madison RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaMadison River is fair today with 676 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then watch storms and showers as the best window.	Morning, then watch storms and showers	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	fair	Read report
Missouri RiverMissouri River, MontanaMissouri River is fair today with 3,230 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then watch storms and showers as the best window.	Morning, then watch storms and showers	nymphs, dry flies, streamers	good	fair	Read report
Beaverhead RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBeaverhead River is good today with 521 cfs at the primary gauge and late afternoon into evening as the best window.	Late afternoon into evening	nymphs, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Big Hole RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBig Hole River is good today with 2,130 cfs at the primary gauge and morning, then watch storms and showers as the best window.	Morning, then watch storms and showers	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	good	Read report

May 19, 2026

Water	Best window	Methods	Wadeability	Status	Report
Gallatin RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaGallatin River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late morning through afternoon	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	limited	good	Read report
Madison RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaMadison River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late morning through afternoon	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Missouri River near CraigMissouri River, MontanaMissouri River near Craig is in a useful fishing window today.	Late morning into evening	nymphs, dry flies, streamers	good	good	Read report
Beaverhead RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBeaverhead River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late morning through afternoon	nymphs, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Big Hole RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBig Hole River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late morning through afternoon	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	limited	good	Read report

May 18, 2026

Water	Best window	Methods	Wadeability	Status	Report
Gallatin RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaGallatin River is fishable but mixed today.	Late morning through evening as clarity allows	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	limited	fair	Read report
Madison RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaMadison River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late afternoon into evening	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Missouri River near CraigMissouri River, MontanaMissouri River near Craig is in a useful fishing window today.	Late afternoon into evening	nymphs, dry flies, streamers	good	good	Read report
Beaverhead RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBeaverhead River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late afternoon into evening	nymphs, dry flies	limited	good	Read report
Big Hole RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBig Hole River is fishable but mixed today.	Late morning through evening as clarity allows	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	limited	fair	Read report

May 17, 2026

Water	Best window	Methods	Wadeability	Status	Report
Gallatin RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaGallatin River is a tough but not necessarily closed option today.	Protected edges and softer seams	nymphs, streamers	limited	tough	Read report
Madison RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaMadison River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late afternoon into evening	nymphs, dry flies	limited	good	Read report
Missouri River near CraigMissouri River, MontanaMissouri River Craig is in a useful fishing window today.	Late afternoon into evening	nymphs, dry flies	limited	good	Read report
Beaverhead RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBeaverhead River is in a useful fishing window today.	Late afternoon into evening	nymphs, dry flies	limited	good	Read report
Big Hole RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaBig Hole River is a tough but not necessarily closed option today.	Protected edges and softer seams	nymphs, streamers	limited	tough	Read report

May 16, 2026

Water	Best window	Methods	Wadeability	Status	Report
Gallatin RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaThe Gallatin is falling but still in a runoff pattern, with colder snow likely and the best odds in cleaner upper water or soft edge seams.	Short cleaner-water windows above Taylor Fork or after flows settle	nymphs, streamers	limited	tough	Read report
Madison RiverGreater Yellowstone, MontanaThe Upper Madison is falling near Kirby Ranch with cold, stormy weather ahead; nymphing near the cleaner upper river remains the main play.	Midday before heavier weather, then protected edges	nymphs, streamers, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Missouri RiverMissouri River, MontanaThe Missouri below Holter is stable near 3,210 cfs with mid-50s water, making it one of the better Montana options during freestone runoff.	Late morning through afternoon, then any calm dry-fly window	nymphs, dry flies	good	good	Read report
Beaverhead RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaThe Beaverhead at Barretts is stable near 556 cfs, but current local narrative detail is limited and wind/cold weather are the main constraints.	Midday when wind allows	nymphs, streamers	good	fair	Read report
Big Hole RiverSouthwest Montana, MontanaThe Big Hole is falling near Melrose but still in runoff mode, with streamer and worm tactics more reliable than technical dry-fly fishing.	Short afternoon windows between weather and flow changes	streamers, nymphs	limited	tough	Read report