Missouri River, Montana

Holter Dam to Craig

The tailwater starts at Holter Dam, about 35 miles north of Helena, and the first eight miles down to Craig hold the densest trout in the river. The water is broad, slow and weedy, more spring creek than mountain river, with launches at the dam, Wolf Creek Bridge and Craig. Wolf Creek and Craig are the two fly shop towns, and Craig is where most guided floats begin.

Craig to Tower Rock

Below Craig the river tightens into a limestone canyon for about 14 miles, with sharper banks, mid-river boulders and more defined runs. Stickney Creek, Mid Cannon and Mountain Palace are the access sites floaters use to break this reach up, and in hot late summers the faster canyon riffles often fish better than the flats near the dam.

Tower Rock to Cascade

From Tower Rock the Missouri spreads onto the plains and slows through braided channels and islands to the Cascade take-out. Half Breed Rapids, the only real rapid on the tailwater, sits about ten miles above Cascade. Fish numbers drop well below the Craig counts but pressure drops further, and the side channels give walk-and-wade anglers plenty of room.

Rainbow trout

Wild rainbows make up most of the catch and there is no stocking. They feed on midges, scuds and sowbugs all winter, then key on baetis from late March, caddis from May, PMDs from mid June and Tricos from late July into early September, when spinner falls bring pods of fish up at first light. Long leaders and 5X or 6X tippet are standard for the dry fly work.

Brown trout

Browns are the minority but they are present through the whole tailwater, and their share of the catch grows below Craig. October and November, when the fall baetis are on and the browns are staging to spawn, are the streamer and trout spey months. Only one brown may be kept per day on this reach, and most anglers release them all.

Season and regulations

The river is open all year and Holter Dam keeps it fishable through spring runoff. Local shops call anything under about 4,500 cfs comfortable wading water, with the 4,500 to 6,000 cfs band the favorite for floating and dry flies, so this page treats 3,000 to 5,000 cfs as the sweet spot for wading anglers. Dam releases can swing by a couple thousand cfs in a day, and FWP hoot owl closures can shut fishing after 2 pm in hot, low summers.

Montana FWP lists the Missouri from Holter Dam to Black Eagle Dam with a combined trout limit of 3 daily and in possession, only 1 over 18 inches and only 1 of them a brown trout. Watercraft need an AIS inspection. Check the current Central District rules in the Montana FWP regulations before you fish.