Forecast Location
Top Summary
Think small and clean: midges, BWOs, and sowbugs are the deal, with technical nymphing early and more dry-fly potential when the light softens. Long leaders, light tippet, and exact drifts matter more here than changing flies every ten minutes.
Current Conditions
- Flow: Tailwater flows are usually stable enough to keep fish in predictable buckets, shelves, and seams.
- Water Temperature: Cold but steady tailwater temperatures keep fish active even when the weather swings.
- Weather: Cloud cover usually improves olive activity. Bright calm afternoons can make fish visibly selective.
- Overall Rating: 8/10
What's Happening Right Now
Missouri trout feed often, but they inspect everything. In late April the river usually fishes best with small nymphs, emergers, and careful dry-fly presentations wherever midges or olives gather in slick water. Fish hold on broad shelves and moderate seams, and the best dry-fly fish often slide up only when the bugs get concentrated enough to make the surface worthwhile.
What's Hatching
- Midges, size 18-22, morning and low-light periods
- Blue-winged olives, size 18-20, midday through afternoon
- Sowbug and scud food base, size 14-18, all day subsurface
Best Flies To Use
- Tailwater Sowbug, size 14-18, nymph
- Zebra Midge black or red, size 18-20, nymph
- Split Back BWO, size 18-20, nymph
- RS2 gray or olive, size 18-22, emerger
- CDC BWO Dun, size 18-20, dry
- Midge Cluster, size 18-22, dry
How To Fish It
- Start with a long, light indicator setup and enough split shot to keep small bugs in the lower third of the column.
- Fish flats, shallow shelves, and the slow seam next to bucket water rather than pounding only the obvious banks.
- When heads appear, lengthen the leader, get downstream, and make the first drift count. Missouri fish do not forgive sloppy line.
More On This River
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About The Missouri River
The Missouri below Holter Dam is a classic Montana tailwater centered around Craig, with long flats, consistent bug life, and heavy trout numbers. It is one of the state's most dependable technical fisheries because stable flows and fertile water keep fish feeding across a long season.
Rainbow and brown trout dominate the catch. The river is especially well known for midge and baetis fishing, both under an indicator and on the surface when conditions line up.
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