Missouri River Fishing Map & Spots (MT)

Hatch outlook

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · until the hard frosts of mid-October; on the Missouri, August hoppers fish mid-river, not the banks

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Pale Morning DunsActive window

Typical here: Jun 1 – Aug 31 · peak mid-June through July; still present through August on the Missouri

dunlate morning (10–11am start) through mid-afternoon, in the riffles and glides

The daily midsummer riffle event — though abundance isn't preference: in August the risers may be on tricos or caddis in the same lane.

A location signal more than a lure event: late-morning risers mark the riffle-glide seams. Bubble-and-fly with a #16 PMD is the honest match; micro-spinners through the same seams before the hatch starts.

The event happens over riffles and glides

Spruce MothActive window

Typical here: Jul 20 – Aug 31 · a conifer-forest event — it needs fir and lodgepole on the banks, so it's a Rock Creek / Blackfoot / upper Bitterroot specialty

adultmorning through midday — moths don't enter the water willingly — landings are sporadic and near the conifer banks; fish the imitation LOW in the film with minimal floatant, even fully drowned, with a little movement

When the moths show, just about every run produces — large trout key on them so hard that one pattern carries the whole box for two weeks.

Honest limit: a small drowned-surface moth has no lure analog. The workable rig is a casting bubble with a drowned moth pattern along the timbered banks in the morning; otherwise fish spinners early and late and leave the moth window to the film.

2–3 weeks at best, and day-to-day — fish key on the moths when they show and vanish with them

The event happens over banks under conifers — the moths rarely reach mid-river

Trico (Missouri morning spinner fall)Active window

Typical here: Jul 15 – Sep 15 · the famous Craig-area morning event on the Missouri below Holter

dundawn
spinnerroughly 7–10am — spent spinners 2–3 hours after sunrise — a short, hard window — the fall is over by mid-morning; be on the water at 7am

Daily pods on a clock — with the shop's own honesty attached: just because tricos dominate the water doesn't mean every riser is eating them; refusals often mean caddis or PMDs in the same lane.

Honest limit: a #20 spinner fall is out of reach for hardware. Treat it as a fish-location broadcast — morning risers mark the pods; return with spinners and spoons through the same slots after 10am.

The event happens over slow slicks and flats where the morning foam lines collect the spinners

Next on this water

Blue-Winged Olives · mayflySep 1 – Nov 15 · in ~3 days

October Caddis · caddisSep 15 – Oct 31 · in ~2 weeks

Skwala Stonefly (Missoula spring) · stoneflyFeb 25 – May 31 · in ~6 months

Salmonfly (Rock Creek & Blackfoot) · stoneflyMay 15 – Jul 10 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Missouri River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Missouri River on the board.

Fishing Missouri River: what the data says

Holter Dam (Craig) to Cascade The river tops out around 11 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

The outline encloses 916 acres, worked by 53.8 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 12.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. End to end it runs roughly 18.7 mi, about 2.1 mi across. Cascade County claims this one. Gollaher Reservoir sits 10 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Missouri River

Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 11 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 11 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 11 ft. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 11.8) — current seam, 8 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 11.8) (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	3 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 11.8) (8 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	3 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 11.8) (8 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	2 to 11 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 11.8) (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Common Carp fishing at Missouri River

Early season common carp use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 2 to 11 ft game here, winter a 3 to 11 ft one. The chart's best answer is Eddy pocket (mile 8.9) — eddy pocket, 8 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Eddy pocket (mile 8.9) (8 ft)
Summer	2 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Eddy pocket (mile 8.9) (8 ft)
Fall	3 to 11 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft)
Winter	3 to 11 ft	midday	Eddy pocket (mile 8.9) (8 ft)

Brown Trout fishing at Missouri River

Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 1 to 11 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 11 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 11.8), a prime-rated current seam around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Eddy pocket (mile 8.9) (8 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	3 to 11 ft	night & dawn	Current seam (mile 11.8) (8 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	2 to 11 ft	dusk & dawn	Eddy pocket (mile 8.9) (8 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	2 to 11 ft	dawn	Eddy pocket (mile 8.9) (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Notable structure

Count 20 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), sits near 8 ft.

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 7.5): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 10.3): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 13.1): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 16.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 19.9): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 21.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 24.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
Inside bend (mile 14.8): point, around 8 ft
Channel swing (mile 23.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
Current seam (mile 11.8): current seam, around 8 ft
Eddy pocket (mile 8.9): eddy pocket, around 8 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Craig — ramp (concrete)
Mid Canon — ramp (gravel)
Mountain Palace — ramp (concrete)
Prewett Creek — ramp (concrete)
Spite Hill — ramp (gravel)
Stickney Creek — ramp (concrete)
Dearborn — carry-in
Devils Kitchen — carry-in
…plus 2 more mapped sites.

Access data: Montana FWP — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Missouri River fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Montana waters are set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Missouri River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Missouri River?

Missouri River is about 11 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Missouri River?

Anglers target rainbow trout, common carp, brown trout on Missouri River.

Where is the best fishing spot on Missouri River?

Current seam (mile 11.8) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Missouri River?

For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Missouri River?

Fishing on Missouri River is regulated by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Montana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Gollaher Reservoir 10 mi · Hound Creek Reservoir 13 mi · Lewis Pond South 27 mi · Bean Lake 30 mi · Wadsworth Lake 32 mi · Hauser Lake 32 mi · Lake Helena 33 mi · Heart Lake (Lewis and Clark) 39 mi · Willow Creek Reservoir 40 mi · Spring Meadow Lake 40 mi · Parker Lake 43 mi · Pishkun Reservoir 47 mi

See how Missouri River stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best common carp lakes in Montana · best brown trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Cascade County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all Montana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.