missouri river

This Blue Ribbon section of river below Holter Dam may well be the very best fishing in America. Large rainbows in the 15" - 20" range dominate this tailwater. Pampered by the dam upstream, they gorge on plentiful hatches of aquatic insects and grow fat and sassy. You may think you mistakenly hooked a crazed rocket ship when these bad boys take your fly.Enjoy and put em back alive.There are three fly shops in Craig, 2 in Wolf Creek and others in nearby Helena and Great Falls.

this is a big river. nice for any fishing, lots of areas to wade out, take a boat, ride a bike down it ,watch the bald eagles fish. Way cool!

I took my husband on the boat ride at Gates of the Mountains. The guide was great and we saw a lot of birds of prey - eagles, hawks and ospreys. We saw cave paintings and got out to take a walk. Everything was delightful. There was drinking water available for those who forgot theirs. I never get tired of Montana history, especially learning about Lewis and Clark.

Clear, clean water, lots of fish and fun! Put in your raft, kayak, boat, inner tube or anything that floats..... below Holter Dam and take out wherever you wish! Enjoy the sun, friendly people along the way! Wonderful memories!

Enjoyed seeing the headwaters of the Missouri River and the Gate of the Mountain. We were able to spot river otters and enjoyed their antics.

The river in Montana is really great. We enjoyed the river through our journey and also stopped at various places on the way to enjoy the flow and the sound of beautifully flowing quiet river. We also saw the dams and the beautiful river. The river, the mountains and beautifully grown trees are real wonderful for travelers and nature lovers.If you happen to go to Montana enjoy the beautiful drive along the river.

The Missouri River in Montana is really breathtaking. Between the history of Lewis and Clark and the majesty of the Gates of the Mountains, The River has amazing caves and a flurry of wildlife on both sides. I saw a small black bear come down during my short visit. I will definitely be back to camp sometime soon.

This review is for fishing and floating on the blue-ribbon section of the Missouri downstream of Holter dam. This is a world class fishery for large and energetic rainbow and brown trout. The flow is controlled by three dams upstream so the top two miles are always crystal clear. If the Little Prickley Pear Creek and Dearborn river are in runoff (typically late May and early June), you can expect to see less clarity. In low water years the weeds get downright nasty in August. There are LOTS of people on the 8 miles between Holter Dam and Craig during the summer months. If you want to see fewer people, go downstream from Craig. Access is very easy. There are several FWP fishing access sites along the frontage road where you can hop in and wade fish. Insect hatches are phenomenal during the summer. Keep fly patterns small. You'll do best fishing size 16-18 flies. The river can be difficult as the fish see a lot of pressure, have an abundance of food, and the holding places aren't alway obvious. But when you hook up, you're in for a load of fun. Fish average 16-18". There are several guide services at Wolf Creek and Craig. Most fly shops also offer shuttle service if you have your own boat. If you just want a pleasure float, the canyon stretch from Stickney Creek down to Prewitt offers high cliff walls. Several of the fishing access sites offer camping although most are just open spots at the edge of a parking lot. The Mid Canon and Prewitt sites have spots that have trees and feel more like camping. Spaces are VERY limited and first-come first-serve.

We spent the day on the Missouri floating from Dearborn to Prewett Creek. A long day, but really great fishing! Big browns and rainbows. This section did not have any where near the number of boats as you will see in the section from Holter Dam to Craig. If you are going to be in the Helena or Great Falls area, it is worth checking out the fly shops and guides based out of Craig. I thought the scenery was amazing and the fishing was great.

Not just the MIssouri River, but all in MT. However boating the MIssouri and going through the "Gate of the Mountains" is a must do adventure. Tour guide Steve, is a great story teller and the education you will gain is worth the little $ amount you will spend. TAKE THE ENTIRE FAMILY.

If you are planning a fly fishing trip on the Missouri River and want an awesome experience with a local guide, request Russell Dobrzynski, a local fly fishing guide who works for several outfitters in Craig, Montana.Not only is Russell an avid outdoorsman, he's also an expert fly fishing guide.Russell is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the rivers in the area. He will put you where the fish hang out and teach the fly fishing skills you need to hook fish and land them. He's popular, so you will need to request him ahead of time. We found Russell through Head Hunters, but any of the local outfitters can hook you up with him :-).Russell will make your fly fishing experience not only awesome; but truly a memorable vacation.

Float trip with guide. Covered about 6 miles of water. Lots and lots of other drift boats, shore anglers and joy ride rafters. Caught a few average rainbows. Friendly, informative guide but fishing quality only average. Outdoor experience poor.

Didn't love this. Scenery was not that amazing, and the lengthy time spent retelling the story about the sad tragedy of the firefighters was really disheartening. We did get to see an osprey and an eagle so that was cool.

It depends on which part. If the Gates of the Mountains (Holter Lake) it is beautiful. If along the Interstate it's only ok.

You can almost picture yourself there with Lewis and Clark when they were going through the narrow canyon. The Missouri is now damned but that allows for the tour. The walls of the canyon arise from the water edge and you can see lots of wild life.