SPRING FISHING
on Montana’s
Missouri River
By Fred Telleen
Individual tolerances for weather conditions
vary, but in general the Missouri River is fishable
for 12 months of the year. I’m one of those crazy
people who still fly-fishes during the frigid days
of January. Maybe that is why I appreciate spring
so much. Winter fishing is good, but prolific
hatches that make the Missouri River a famous
destination don’t really get going until April.
Spring can be an ephemeral thing in
Montana. A few warm days can be broken
by a bliz-zard, followed soon after by a heat
wave reminiscent of a mid-summer day. In
the fish’s world, what really defines spring
are water temperatures and bug hatches. I
consider spring on the Mo to start when water
temps climb between 40 and 60 degrees.