Autumns’ Prime. Photo by Jason Orzechowski

One of the most frequent questions we hear year after year is “when is the BEST time to fish the Missouri”?

My stock answer is that it depends what you mean by the “best” time because it all depends on what you like to do and how you prefer to fish.

For those without a preference who define “best time” by sheer numbers I would say spring is the best time to fish the MO but you’re going to be bobber or streamer fishing for the most part. If dry fly fishing is your game and “best time” is defined by bugs on the water and the opportunity to target rising fish, then June is the start of PRIME TIME for you.

All that being said, there is a magical time each year that lasts for around three weeks, give or take, and that time is NOW.

In my mind, these first three weeks of October are unrivaled, maybe not specifically as the best time to fish, but just the best time to be outdoors in general.

It’s the peak of fall colors and the weather is often as close to perfect as you can get. It’s not too hot and not too cold and there’s plenty of sunshine and an abundance of blue sky more often than not. The cool mornings are often followed by warm afternoons and an evening chill arrives just as soon as the sun drops below the trees.

Personally, this is my absolute favorite time of the year. October is the end of the busy season and the time to get away from the grind and enjoy Montana to the fullest before winter arrives. Since moving to Montana we have done an annual trip to the Flathead and an annual Halloween streamer float on the Yellowstone and I spend as much time as I possibly can outdoors throughout the entire month.

Much of that time is spent fishing but it doesn’t really matter to me what the activity is, it’s just the best time of the year to be out there. Maybe it’s cleaning up the yard, maybe it’s hiking, maybe it’s floating down the MO, or maybe it’s sitting around a campfire with baseball in the background on a chilly autumn night. It’s all the best of what fall has to offer so get out there and enjoy it while it lasts. With any luck soon you’ll be shoveling snow!

And how’s the fishing you ask? The fishing has been consistently solid though some days have been much better than others. Nymphing is getting the numbers and the streamer bite has been decent with more than a couple of giant browns already having been brought to hand. The October caddis/zebra dropper rig has been good for a fish or two most days and while the DFO’s are dreaming of and patiently waiting for those cold dark and snowy BWO days, there have been limited opportunities to hunt heads on any given day.

The point is, however you’re fishing or whether or not you’re fishing at all, there’s simply no better time to be outdoors than right now. So whether you’re fishing or hunting or hiking, or watching a high school or college football game or just sitting back and taking it all in, enjoy the blessing of autumn while it lasts.

Our updated shop hours for fall are 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily.