If you live in Montana, you are looking forward to warm weather.  We're only a few days from the official beginning of summer, but cool, if not outright cold, temperatures have been the norm.  We have not seen 80° and are used to highs in the 50's and low 60's.  This week will be slightly warmer - highs in the 60's and 70's. 



If you fish in Montana, you should be relieved that the cooler temps have paved the path to lower and cleaner water.  Our snowpack is melting slowly for now.  We were expecting flows as high as 18,000 cfs below Holter Dam last week.  Instead, we watched the local tributaries and the Missouri River inflows to Canyon Ferry Lake decline steadily.  The Missouri River below Holter Dam peaked at 17,100 cfs and has settled at 16,300 cfs.  That's still a big flow, but not nearly as high as it could be.  Be glad that the extreme high temperatures in Arizona and New Mexico are staying south of our riversheds.



Fishing reports have generally been good in terms of catching fish.  The allure to the Missouri River is flat water dry fly fishing.  We've heard a few reports of rising fish, but not enough to get excited about.  PMD's and Caddis should be starting.  How long will they wait?  For now, you'll have to settle for simply catching healthy & fat rainbows and browns on nymphs.  The wire worm, scuds, sow bugs, and other junk are yielding bent rods.  Not every day is a great day, but most are satisfying.

Could it be?  A little sunshine?  Wow.



Partly sunny, a moderate chance of showers and highs in the 50's is forecast for most of the week.  Both the weather and river flows are subject to change. 



Prior to the recent deluge, flows out of Holter Dam were at 15,000 cfs.  Flows were reduced to help prevent downstream flooding.  Now that inflows have subsided somewhat, the Bureau of Reclamation could bump the flows upward again.  We've seen a small increase that took the river from 13,600 to 14,000 cfs. 



Regardless of the flows, at this point your fishing will revolve around nymphs.  That's not all bad.  Angling success has been high.  Streamers are hit and miss.  Dry fly fishing is non existent.  Most of the action is from the Dam to the Dearborn Confluence.  While the river dirties below the confluence, we have seen boats venture into the lower river.  The Dearborn River is running at 1900 cfs.  It is declining, but has a long ways to go before it clears.  The canyon will hold some mud for awhile.



Green is the word.  Enjoy your beautiful surrounding and catch a few nice fish.  Don't get lost in the scenery too much.  Your thingamabobber sinks often.