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Your Late July Missouri River Fishing Report

Caddis Sunset – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Hot, dry weather continues to be the story of the summer of 17.

We’ve been seeing highs in the 90’s for what seems like months now with no cooling trend in sight. Evenings have been pleasant however with temps dropping into the high 50’s making early morning the time to be on the water if you want to beat the heat.

Traffic has dropped off considerably which means it’s time to entice you with our Dog Days of Summer special to get you back on the MO’. Now through the end of August book a night of lodging and a full day guide trip and get a second night of lodging for free.

The fishing reports have been a mixed bag but it seems the consensus is that things have slowed down out there. Nymphing in particular has gotten tougher. It’s been good in the early morning most days and slower during height of the day as you would expect though even the mornings have been tough the last couple of days. Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge has been the preferred location for nymphing as of late and #18 Tungsten Black Zebra Midges have been the bug of choice but we’ve also had limited success with purple lighting bugs, green machines, Peep Shows, PT’s and S & M’s. Reports from lower down indicate the crayfish could be a good call, depending on the day. Regardless of where you go, expect weeds and pay close attention to keeping your bugs weed free.

Dry fly fishing has been consistently good with plenty of Tricos about and plenty of fish keyed in to them. Presentation is always important here on the Missouri but perhaps never as important as it is right now. A good reach cast and a perfect drift will get you hooked up but the hookup is only half the battle. Indicator spinners, midge clusters, Griffiths gnats and double wing tricos have all been good options.

There are plenty of caddis around though finding fish feeding on them can sometimes be a challenge. Outriggers, Blooms Hi-Vis, Cornfed and CDC Caddis Emergers will fool a lot of fish.

Streamers? Not the best time of year for stripping with the weeds and all but still worth your time in the right spots. Hoppers? Absolutely. You may only get an eat or two on that hopper rig but one hopper eat equals a dozen bobber drops in my book.

Lodging has opened up and we have plenty of availability both for guides and lodging through around the middle of September. It’s hot, it’s a little weedy, it’s a little smoky but it’s still an awesome place to be. The fishing could be challenging but so what? It’s fishing. A day on the Missouri River casting to rising trout and taking in miles of breath taking scenery ? What could be better? It’s time to lower those expectations and rise to the challenge of late summer fly fishing on the Missouri.

It’s also the perfect time to book yourself a day on the nearby Blackfoot to experience something completely different from the MO’. It’s what many consider to be the quintessential Montana fly fishing experience. You’ll catch more and bigger fish on the MO’ but the scenery is something completely different and it doesn’t get much better than throwing big bugs to eager cutties. Book a day on the Blackfoot with WCA today.

Give us a call for up to the minute river conditions and fishing reports and make us your first stop on the way to the river for shuttles, bugs, drift boat rentals and all things Missouri River Fly Fishing and beyond.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-07T16:43:20-07:00July 26th, 2017|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Shotgun Annie’s…. A Sneak Peek

One of the major topics of conversation amongst our guests this season (and actually last season as well) has been The Frenchman and whether it will ever be open again.

The short answer is NO….the Frenchman is a thing of the past but don’t despair because there’s been a lot happening on the other side of those walls since last winter and very soon Shotgun Annie’s Eatery and Tavern will open its doors to an anxious public.

I had the chance to get a sneak peek at their progress over the weekend and all I can say is that this is EXACTLY what Wolf Creek needs!

Pending passage of all inspections they plan to open the doors on September 1st, getting things off to a big start with a Labor Day weekend opening.

If you were a regular at The Frenchman prepare to be amazed. Nothing is recognizable! New floor, new walls, new ceiling, new kitchen, new bathroom, new bar, new porch…..you get the idea.

The plan is to have family friendly dining in the restaurant with more of an “adult atmosphere” outside on the deck. Expect an excellent dining experience and a few Montana microbrews on tap along with a domestic or two and a full bar.

We are Super Excited and can’t wait to make Shotgun Annie’s our new haunt.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-07T16:45:57-07:00July 24th, 2017|Categories: Local Buzz, Uncategorized|Tags: running line, Shotgun Annies Eatery and Tavern, Wolf Creek|5 Comments

The Lookout Fire west of Wolf Creek MT Photo by Rocky Infanger

High water fears have given way to earthquakes and wildfires. It’s been an interesting couple of weeks here with Montana’s largest earthquake in decades taking place a couple of weeks back and now the Lookout Fire burning just a few miles west of Wolf Creek. Thankfully evacuation orders issued on Saturday have been lifted as crews have launched an aggressive approach to contain the 390 acre fire which they hope to have a line around by Thursday.

It wasn’t but a few weeks ago we were still getting calls about high water. That’s all changed and the wade anglers are loving it. 4100 cfs from here on out is what they’re saying. We were hoping for a little more water but we’ll take it. Things could be much worse.

From FWP –

Waterbody Restrictions, Closures & Reopenings – Region 3

Tue Jul 18 09:37:17 MDT 2017

(BOZEMAN, Mont.)—High water temperatures and low stream flows have prompted Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to implement “hoot owl” restrictions on several rivers in Southwest Montana starting Wednesday.

The following sections of rivers will be closed to fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight until conditions improve effective Wednesday:

Big Hole River from Saginaw Bridge on Skinner Meadows Road to the Mouth of the North Fork Big Hole River;
Big Hole River from Notch Bottom Fishing Access Site to the confluence with the Beaverhead River;
Lower Beaverhead River from Anderson Lane to confluence with Big Hole River;
Lower Madison River from Ennis Dam to the mouth;
Lower Gallatin River from the confluence with the Madison River at Three Forks to Sheds Bridge (Hwy 84) near Four Corners;
East Gallatin River from Spring Hill Road Bridge (Hwy 411) to the confluence with the Gallatin River;
The entire Jefferson River

These restrictions come two weeks later in the year than the first restrictions seen in 2015 and 2016.

Regional Fisheries Manager Travis Horton said, “We’ve been fairly fortunate so far this year with flows in general, but temperatures are high and could stay that way for a while.”

Additional restrictions are possible on other stretches of these or other southwest Montana rivers in the coming weeks.

For up-to-date information on restrictions related to drought, visit http://fwp.mt.gov/news/restrictions/.

Dry Fly fishing continues to be off the charts and with the decrease we’ve seen in traffic as of late if you aren’t here fishing the MO’ right now you’re missing out on some of the best fishing we’ve seen in recent memory and you can have it virtually all to yourself (at least by July standards).

PMD’s are all but over leaving Tricos as the current focus though it might be hard to tell whether it’s trico columns or smoke you are seeing because there’s no shortage of either right now. Caddis are present throughout the day and more so in the evenings. It’s hopper time as well. I haven’t heard of any great hopper reports just yet but I’ve seen plenty of hoppers around and while this is not the best hopper river in the west there’s no reason you shouldn’t dedicate some time to throwing the big bugs. Like anything if you put your time in you will eventually be rewarded. My biggest fish on the Missouri to date was a completely random eat on a pink More or Less hopper last summer.

We like the Moorish and More or Less Hoppers in pink, purple, yellow or tan and also the Carnage and Panty Dropper Hoppers. Plenty of these and many more in the giant drawer of FOAM at Wolf Creek Angler!

Best bets for tricos include Indicator Spinners, Double Wing Tricos, Quigley’s Trico Hackle Stackers and Griffiths gnats and buzzballs. Our go-to Caddis rig is the Outrigger Caddis paired with a Grey CDC Caddis emerger. There are all sorts of other options but it’s been my experience that this rig rarely disappoints.

Hot nymphs this week include tungsten bead black zebra midges, Peep Shows, Brown 2 Bits, PT LGM’s, gold weight flies, tung darts, tan UV Czechs, Nitro Caddis, Doc’s Summer Bug, Rusty Magic Flies and Psycho Mays.

Lodging and guide availability are opening up, slowly but surely. Don’t let the hot weather and the smoke get you down. We’re continuing to do early starts to get you off of the water before the real heat sets in and the fishing goes south.

We’d love to have you as our guest but whether you’re staying with us or not stop by on your way to the river for bugs, shuttles, sun protection and anything else you need including what some consider to be “the best coffee in the canyon”. We are your Missouri River fly fishing destination.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-07T16:49:02-07:00July 18th, 2017|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Lookout Fire, Missouri River, Montana, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|1 Comment

The Cooper Clan

For many a visit to the Missouri River is a one-time Fly Fishing Bucket List trip. Some immediately fall under her spell and end up returning year after year. We routinely host guests who’ve been fishing here for much of their lives. It’s always interesting to hear their stories and to hear their perspective on how things have changed over the years.

Occasionally we like to feature some of our guests here on the pages of our blog. In the case of the Coopers, I’ve been wanting to feature their story here for as many years as I’ve know them and just had never gotten down to putting pen to paper. The annual Cooper visit to Wolf Creek Angler for two weeks each June always marks the onset of primetime at WCA. This year was no different and I actually made it a point to get together with David Cooper and let him know what I had in mind. Not only did he like the idea but being a newspaperman by trade, he offered to do the work and write the piece himself. I couldn’t turn down that kind of offer.

It’s been a great pleasure getting to know this family over the years and we look forward to more adventures with the Cooper Clan for many years to come.

The following is a guest blog by David Cooper.

The Coopers and Fly-Fishing in Montana, 1984-2017

We first fished the Missouri River in 1984 with Montana River Outfitters’ Neale Streeks and Craig Madsen. With only a few years’ exceptions, we have been back every year since.

June 2017 was our latest visit, with Wolf Creek Angler, which bought MRO’s Wolf Creek fly shops, cabins, rooms and operations from Madsen several years ago. Jason Orzechowski, the owner, has made improvements each year.

We were a family party of 10 our second week, with grandsons Kendall and Gray Cooper, Kendall’s fiancé, Kristi Elkins, nephews Andrew and Mike Whinery, Mike’s wife, Meghan, and Bridget and Stan Durham, Kendall and Gray’s mother and stepfather.

It was a great week of fun, laughter, sightseeing for newcomers to Montana, and some good fly-fishing. Kendall was top rod with a hefty 23-inch brown trout, but everyone caught some trophy fish, held back only by high upstream winds on several days.

Between 12 and 15 years ago, Joanne and I brought each one of our five grandsons to Montana so they could learn to fly-fish for trout. They included my other grandsons, Steven and Daniel Cooper, and James Perry, Joanne’s grandson. We delighted in camping at River Junction on the nearby Blackfoot River in expeditions outfitted by Craig Madsen’s MRO.

MRO also introduced us to the wild beauty and rugged limestone canyons of the Smith River, and we made seven or eight guided trips on the Smith over the years with family and friends, catching and releasing trout and enjoying gourmet meals and wine at our riverside campsites. We have fond memories of our Smith trips and the guides we got to know well over the years, including Neale Streeks, Brian Neilsen, Brian Scott, Joe Aanes, Mike Reitz, Dan Kelly and others.

As we’ve grown older—I turned 84 in 2017—we have stuck with the Missouri and our base in Room 12 at Wolf Creek Angler. And we have delighted in fishing with new guides, especially Justin Lawrence and Jerrell Beougher. Jason has always made sure that everything is just right for our visits.

The Missouri from the Holter Dam to Cascade is a special place for us. Whenever we fish it, we always think of the 1805 Lewis & Clark Expedition and what its stalwart voyagers must have thought and marveled at as they made their way upstream from what is now Great Falls and into its magnificent canyons, etched and tossed toward the sky millions of years ago.

The trout in the Missouri are large, strong and numerous. We have great memories of those landed and released and those that somehow got away, even right at the net. But the landscape itself, the river, the wildlife and Montana’s Big Sky are also what have kept us coming back year after year. Health permitting, we hope to do so again.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-09-21T19:00:14-06:00July 13th, 2017|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Summertime on the MO’

All is quiet this morning in a relative sense after a four day Fourth of July weekend which peaked yesterday with more folks on the river (or at least in the Wolf Creek Bridge parking lot) than I think I’ve ever seen.

Standing Room Only with overflow lining the Beartooth Road. A ton of revelers, not so many anglers but in spite of all the traffic I saw no shortage of fish up yesterday. I’m sure they are enjoying this morning’s relative peace and quiet.

It’s going to be an early morning and late evening game for the next while as the heat wave continues. Mid to high 90’s, maybe even hitting 100 a time or two over the next 10 days with no real cool down in sight. Evenings have been pleasant enough with temps cooling into the low 60’s but with water temps hanging in the 63 degree range we’ve definitely hit summer conditions. Wet wading is definitely an option which is nice but with lower flows (currently 6460 cfs and headed to 5300 by this weekend) and warmer water you can also expect to be dealing with weeds. Check your bugs often, make sure that rig is clean!

Tricos are firing up and we should see fishable numbers soon. In the meantime plenty of caddis and ample PMD’s. Some have been doing the dry/dropper routine, a summertime favorite on the MO’, but as of yet I haven’t had much luck with it and haven’t heard any great reports but it should definitely be a component of your summer bag of tricks.

Nymphing has been good and is almost always going to be your best bet for numbers. Status quo on what to use. We like a gold or purple weight fly or a Tung Dart paired with a Psycho May, Little Green Machine, Split Case PMD, S & M or something of the sort. Don’t forget about zebra midges, especially in the dam to Wolf Creek stretch. Target the medium depth, faster water (4-6 feet deep) running 6′ or 7′ overall with a B split. Also try shortleashing the fast shallows if the deeper rig isn’t producing.

We’ll be in zombie mode for the time being with pre-dawn and post-dusk boat launches and pickups every day. In between we’re doing what we can to stay on top of things in the shop, trying to coax our guided clients into super early starts to avoid the heat and even getting out for a little fun fishing here and there if you can believe that.

We hope you make us your first stop on the way to the MO’ for shuttles, bugs, sun protection, ice and anything else you might need for your day on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-08T15:24:17-07:00July 5th, 2017|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Goodbye June – Holiday Weekend Forecast

As we bid a fond farewell to a great June it’s time to look ahead.

It’s Fourth of July Weekend and you know what that means….it’s going to be a busy weekend on the MO’ due in no small part to our second annual Make America Fly Again sale happening Monday July 3rd and Tuesday July 4th. 25% off ALL regularly priced flies and CLOSEOUT DEALS on some of our slower movers you don’t want to miss.

Additionally we’ll likely be hanging out celebrating our Independence on Tuesday while enjoying an adult beverage or two and maybe even throwing some burgers and dogs on the grill. Nothing official this year….just gonna let it happen, whatever “it” may be.

PMD’s are on the wane. Trico sightings happening daily and caddis proving they are still on the Missouri River Dry Fly Menu. With sunshine and highs near 90 in the forecast the biggest hatch this weekend will likely be of the splash and giggle variety and that’s ok, the river will be yours again come Wednesday.

We’re all booked up with our summer regulars….one more time around. It’s my favorite time of the lodging season re-connecting with old friends and making a few new ones too. Afternoon and evening fishing reports a plenty right now on the porches at WCA during cocktail hour.

Enjoy the height of the season on the MO with us this weekend at WCA.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-08T15:26:17-07:00June 30th, 2017|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Wolf Creek MT’s fly fishing destination

The blur of the prime season continues as June rapidly fades.

It always goes by fast but this year it seems to be flying by at an accelerated clip.

It seems so far away when you’re drowning pink bugs and wire worms on chilly spring days anticipating hot summer days fishing PMD’s, Caddis and Tricos but early spring is just a memory now and we’re fully immersed in PRIME TIME on the Missouri.

It’s been an awesome couple of weeks of PMD fishing with likely a few more to come and the Caddis action has been nothing short of awesome more days than not.

It may be that my perspective is changing as the Missouri becomes more and more familiar to me every passing day but five years into this I’d say it’s the best dry fly season I’ve experienced since arriving here. As many of you know I’m FAR from DFO and I’m not afraid to admit it but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying dry fly fishing this spring both with clients and on my own time. Coming from the land of Gray Drakes and Hexagenia limbata the tiny flies (comparatively speaking) and technical demands of the Missouri River have been a challenge to say the least and not one I’m always super eager to embrace. I’m perfectly content to fish the dark side with nymphs and streamers ANYTIME, but as I become more and more in tune with the Missouri and her intricacies I find myself becoming more enamored with the challenges of dry fly fishing on this river every season.

But enough about me. If dry fly fishing is your thing then you’ve been enjoying an awesome early summer on the MO and there’s plenty of time left to get your game on. That being said I have no doubt that the rest of the season will fly by and it won’t be long before I’ll be at this keyboard reflecting on a great summer and eagerly anticipating Autumn and the second season!

We’ll get there soon enough. For now stock up on Rusty Spinners and Outrigger Caddis and get out there. The water is dropping daily (currently 6900 cfs) and should soon level off in that 6K range many of you have been waiting for. We’ve had a few cancellations due to the higher flows but those who have braved it have been rewarded with great dry fly fishing which should only get better as access increases.

The nymphing has been just fine as well with mayfly nymphs like Little Green Machines and Split Case PMD’s and Caddis Pupae like Weight flies, Tung Darts and the like getting eaten regularly. I’ve all but retired the sow bugs for the time being but you never want to take sows completely off the table so keep them close.

Fast water, medium depth has been the key with many of the tanks and swirly spots holding big numbers and producing well. We’re starting to see a little more vegetation out there so check your bugs often and make sure you’re fishing a clean rig. Trout like a clean rig! Short leash the shallows or try the dry dropper rig. The options are limitless. Hoppers? Just around the corner. It’s PRIME TIME on the Missouri.

Streamers are still getting eaten so throw them while you can. It won’t be long before the weeds and floating debris make the streamer game an exercise in futility.

Start your trip to the MO off right with a visit to Wolf Creek Angler for up to the minute updates on what’s happening out there. We’ve got no secrets, just up front and honest info on the where, the when and the how. We are your source for expert guided trips on the Missouri and Blackfoot Rivers, shuttles, drift boat rentals, sun protection, Simms sportswear and accessories, an amazing assortment of bugs and much more. Pay us a visit and see what the buzz is about. We’re the best fly shop you never even knew was here!

We’re open at 7 AM daily for all of your fly fishing needs on the Missouri River and beyond.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-08T15:27:52-07:00June 27th, 2017|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Summer Days on the Missouri

Well it’s official….summer is here! Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

Will you spend it casting to rising trout on the Missouri River from dawn until dusk?

We’ve had some summer-like weather these past few days but it’s about to cool down. We will see below average temps in the low to mid 60’s for the next several days before summer sets in early next week with abundant sunshine and much more seasonable temps in the high 70’s and 80’s.

We’ve received a fair amount of calls over the past couple of days concerning the flows. People are understandably concerned about high water. The flow at the time of this writing is 9160 and the latest word from the Bureau of Reclamation which we received yesterday is as follows;

CURRENT RESERVOIR CONDITIONS: Elevation: 3796.55 Storage: 1,876,908 acre-feet; River Release: 9,500 cfs; Inflow: 13,100 cfs;

Canyon Ferry Reservoir releases will continue to be reduced. Flows on the Missouri River below Holter Dam will be maintained to near 8,400 cfs. In response, the following operation changes are required at Canyon Ferry Dam and Powerplant.

What can you expect for these next couple of weeks?

I would think a continued gradual reduction in flows would be a safe bet barring another major rain event which would obviously trigger another increase as Canyon Ferry is very near capacity.

The good news is that the dry fly fishing has been nothing short of exceptional over the past week or so in spite of fluctuations up and down in the flows. Some have found it to be better than it’s been in years with bugs a plenty of lots of rising fish. Bring your A Game and expect good things.

Is it wadable? Yes. Are wading conditions ideal? Perhaps not, but if you know where to go you shouldn’t have any problems finding places to wade and if not then we’ve got boats available to deliver you to where the fish are.

The water is in great shape, the fish are healthy, happy and hungry and while we realize that many are disappointed with these conditions we just want to assure you that this is all great for the health of the river and the fishery. Many were hoping for the two to three day flushing flows of 15K or more which we haven’t seen but several days near 12K certainly didn’t hurt.

Consider just a few examples of the bright side of things. 1. Bugs 2. Rising Fish 3. Clean Water 4. Other rivers dropping which is reducing angling pressure on the MO’.

Some of your favorite wading spots may be out of reach at these flows but there are other spots and there are other options if you insist on fishing your favorite spots.

Happy Summer Solstice! We’ll see you soon at Wolf Creek Angler!

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-08T15:29:32-07:00June 21st, 2017|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Double Browns

It’s hard for me to believe but we’ve already reached MID JUNE!

Things are in full tilt mode to the point where we’ve lost track of time. If it weren’t for the local dining schedule we’d have no idea what day it is! No dinner at the Oasis? It must be a Tuesday or Wednesday. Dinner at the O but not at Izaaks? Gotta be Monday. Thursday – Sunday blend into one and the next thing you know you’re smack dab in the middle of prime time on the Missouri.

How’s the fishing you ask? Well every day is a little different but the word from the past several has been PMD’s – GAME ON!

Lots of bugs…..lots of fish up…. and most importantly plenty of fish willing to eat a well presented fly.

For perhaps the first time this season it sounds like the dry fly fishing has been exceeding the nymphing in terms of success rates. Nymphing has been good though somewhat inconsistent so if that’s your game don’t despair. Just because it’s slow today doesn’t mean it won’t be on fire tomorrow.

If it’s dry fly fishing you seek then this is your time! Anyone who follows this blog and others pertaining to the Missouri knows that the dry fly fishing on this river is technical. We’ve got plenty of fish. Plenty of ultra-selective, uppity fish who will laugh at your poor presentation all day long. Casting practice is for the back yard not the MO’. Dial it in before you hit the water or you’ll likely come to be very well acquainted with a thing called frustration. DRAG FREE DRIFT….think it, practice it, live it! Often times not an easy task on the tricky MO’. Need some coaching? We’re more than happy to help!

Best bets on the bugs? We’ve done well with Rusty Spinners, Brooks Sprout PMD, Quigley’s Film Critic, Wilcox’s Micro May PMD, Flash Cripples, Nyman’s DOA Cripple, CDC Winged Emergers, buzzballs, Parachute Adams and more.

Flows in the 9000 CFS range have been fine for dry fly action and nymphing alike. Not the best wading conditions but perfect conditions for fishing from the comfortable confines of a drift boat. Flows are back on the rise and will reach near 12000 again tomorrow as a result of the major rain events we experienced around the region this week. Canyon Ferry is filling quickly so it’s time to dump some water. Think Flushing Flows. We like flushing flows.

What should you expect for the second half of June. Expect a drop in and stabilization of flows soon barring any major precipitation events and expect continued amazing PMD action though we may experience a bit of a lull with the big bump in flows today and tomorrow. Back to the wire worm and the sow bugs. We’re having our best action on sow variations paired with a Fishfinder or Wire Worm. I would expect this to hold true through these bigger flows (10,400 as I write).

Should you choose to switch it up and stray from the sow we’ve been doing well with split case and Crack Back PMD’s, Magic Flies (Rusty or PMD), Little Green Machines, Brown or PMD S & M’s, Psycho Mays, Military Mays, Peep Shows, Gold Weight Flies, Purple Lightning Bugs, Rainbow Czechs, Rainbow Warriors, Doc’s PMD, Tung Darts and plain old pheasant tails among many others.

Streamers? Yes. Pick your poison. Sparkle Minnows, Dirty Hippies, Space Invaders, Buggers. Stun Guns, Circus Peanuts AND MORE. Come by the shop and check out what some consider to be “the best selection of streamers on the MO'”.

Lodging is full for the most part but we do have a few vacancies on Saturday due to cancellations.

The shop is open daily at 7 AM for everything you need for your day on the water. Stop by and see us today.

By Jason Orzechowski|2017-12-08T15:31:42-07:00June 15th, 2017|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|1 Comment

BREAKING…..Your June Water Forecast

The anxiously awaited monthly water supply outlook from the Bureau of Reclamation has been issued and this is what it shows…

The most probable flow scenario has things peaking this month at around 7500 cfs and while we are exceeding that at the moment by about 1000 cfs the chart indicates a stabilization in the 4000 cfs range for the summer season. Max probable would see a peak near 12K (which we saw at the end of May) and stabilized flows in the 5000 cfs range for the remainder of the season.

I’ve still heard whispers of high water coming but if we acknowledge the fact that this monthly report from the Bureau not only takes into account snowpack and forecasted weather for the region but is essentially a scientific model of flows based on those factors and how they relate to the filling of Canyon Ferry Reservoir, then we can assume with a fairly high level of confidence in our assumption, that we’re in for a great water year on the Missouri from an angler’s perspective.

Of course we could still see above average precipitation bumping things up beyond the most probable flow predictions but the extended precipitation forecasts I’ve seen don’t really indicate this.

Canyon Ferry is currently 83% full which is 109% of the 30 year average.The anticipated inflow for the June through July runoff period is forecasted to be 898,000 af, or 99 percent of the 30 year average.

The bottom line is that if you’ve been laying awake at night worrying about high flows ruining your trip to the Missouri then I think you can start to get some rest knowing that while it may not be the wader’s delight it’s been for the past several years you should have plenty of wade fishing opportunities this summer on the MO’.