Near Missoula
The best rivers to fly fish near Missoula
Missoula sits at the meeting of five rivers, which is why it’s one of the great fly-fishing towns in the country. Blue Ribbon freestones run in every direction, most within a half hour of downtown. Here are the ones worth the drive, each with a live read of what’s happening right now, so you know before you go.
The water near Missoula
Numbered on the map, ordered by drive time from Missoula.
The home water, running right through town. Large freestone holding wild browns and rainbows, fishable on a lunch break.
The river from A River Runs Through It. Long riffles and pools, wild trout, and a June salmonfly hatch worth planning around.
The benchmark skwala river, fishing hard in March and April when most freestones are still asleep. Forgiving wading.
A Blue Ribbon freestone with more than fifty miles of public access and one of the most diverse hatch calendars in Montana.
The bigger trip, a remote freestone that hatches something from April through August. The upper river still holds arctic grayling.