Top 5 Montana Rivers Fishing This Week | June 2026

The Clark Fork is currently flowing at 446 cfs (normal) with a falling trend. Flows are fishable today. The Verdict: Excellent Conditions This week’s forecast shows temperatures ranging from 66-84°F. Calm winds make indicator nymphing more effective.

Insect Activity: Late June means Golden Stoneflies are wrapping up their run, but it’s still worth throwing a Kaufmann’s Stone or Atomic Stone through the riffles — especially in the morning before the sun hits the water. Caddis are the dominant surface bug right now, with egg-laying adults appearing mid-morning through late afternoon; a Green Weenie or Caddis Larva suspended below a small indicator will out-fish most other subsurface offerings. Keep a Parachute Adams or Sparkle Dun handy for evenings when small PMDs drift through the slower runs.

Where to Fish: At 446 cfs the Clark Fork through Drummond is in excellent wading shape — concentrate on the riffled runs above and below the highway pullouts where westslope cutthroat and rainbows stack to intercept drifting insects. The current is dropping steadily, so exposed gravel bars near the main channel are your best access points; fish the seams where fast water meets slower current near mid-channel boulders. Early morning is prime before the afternoon winds build — hit the deeper pools for brown trout with a Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear stripped across the current.

Gear Tip: Start with a streamer rig in softer edges. Switch to a two-fly nymph rig and a yarn indicator as flows settle. A 9-foot 5X leader with light tippet keeps the rig natural in these flows.

Presentation: Start shallow, then add weight or depth as you move into deeper runs and pockets. Use longer drifts to cover tailouts and seam water.

Regulations: Montana general regulations apply. Western District. No special gear restrictions for Clark Fork at Drummond — bait, artificial, lures all allowed.

The Jefferson River is currently flowing at 1000 cfs (normal) with a stable trend. Flows are fishable today. Water Temperature: 62°F (warm). The Verdict: Excellent Conditions This week’s forecast shows temperatures ranging from 63-81°F. Calm winds make indicator nymphing more effective.

Insect Activity: The Jefferson’s slow, weedy currents are ideal for evening PMD hatches — expect spinners on the water from 7–9 PM, and a size 16–18 Sparkle Dun or Klinkhammer Special will get the job done. During the heat of the day, switch to a San Juan Worm or Squirmy Worm drifted along the edge of weed beds where big brown trout hold in the shade at 62°F water temps. Terrestrials are just beginning to come into play — clip on a Chernobyl Ant near any grassy undercut bank and hold on.

Where to Fish: With 1,000 cfs pushing through the Twin Bridges section, the Jefferson is best fished from a drift boat or raft — the river braids through multiple channels and wading is limited to shallow gravel bars at the bends. Target the outside sweeping bends where the current undercuts the banks; big brown trout park in these lies waiting for terrestrials and baitfish pushed by the SW winds gusting to 20 mph today. A big Stimulator or Chernobyl Ant drifted tight to the bank through these sections will draw the most aggressive surface takes of the week.

Gear Tip: Start with a streamer rig in softer edges. Switch to a two-fly nymph rig and a yarn indicator as flows settle. A 9-foot 5X leader with light tippet keeps the rig natural in these flows.

Presentation: Start shallow, then add weight or depth as you move into deeper runs and pockets. Use longer drifts to cover tailouts and seam water.

Regulations: Standard Montana FWP fishing regulations apply. Valid fishing license required. See https://fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations.

The Jefferson River is currently flowing at 797 cfs (normal) with a falling trend. Flows are fishable today. Water Temperature: 64°F (warm). The Verdict: Excellent Conditions This week’s forecast shows temperatures ranging from 62-80°F. Calm winds make indicator nymphing more effective.

Insect Activity: The lower Jefferson near Three Forks sees slightly different bug activity than the Twin Bridges section — PMDs remain the primary mayfly, but evening caddis hatches can be explosive in the slower backwater pools and off the main channel edges. At 64°F water temp, caddis larvae are highly active subsurface all day; a Green Weenie or Green Caddis Larva fished deep on a dead drift is your best bet between hatches. Watch for scattered Golden Stoneflies on sunny boulders along the bank — a Kaufmann’s Stone or Twenty Incher swung through the deeper runs can surprise you with a big brown trout.

Where to Fish: Three Forks is float country at 797 cfs — put in above the confluence area and work the inside turns and grassy banks where brown trout look up for surface food in the softer water. Multiple current seams near the channel transitions create foam lanes where PMD spinners and caddis adults concentrate, and rising fish are easy to spot from the boat. Wade anglers can access the shallower riffle-run sequences near road pull-outs for smaller but willing rainbows and mountain whitefish throughout the day.

Gear Tip: Start with a streamer rig in softer edges. Switch to a two-fly nymph rig and a yarn indicator as flows settle. A 9-foot 5X leader with light tippet keeps the rig natural in these flows.

Presentation: Start shallow, then add weight or depth as you move into deeper runs and pockets. Use longer drifts to cover tailouts and seam water.

Regulations: Standard Montana FWP fishing regulations apply. Valid fishing license required. See https://fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations.

The Madison River is currently flowing at 356 cfs (normal) with a stable trend. Flows are fishable today. Water Temperature: 62°F (warm). The Verdict: Excellent Conditions This week’s forecast shows temperatures ranging from 58-76°F. Calm winds make indicator nymphing more effective.

Insect Activity: The upper Madison is in prime summer form this week — Golden Stoneflies and Yellow Sallies are coming off through midday, and a size 8–10 Stimulator on a dry-dropper rig with a Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear below it will be deadly through the pocket water. At 356 cfs and 62°F, fish are actively feeding throughout the day with PMDs expected in the afternoon; a size 16 Sparkle Dun or RS2 will match them precisely as the hatch intensifies. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible after 4 PM — position yourself in a productive riffle beforehand, because the pre-storm pressure drop can turn the dry fly bite on hard.

Where to Fish: The upper Madison from Slide Inn down to McAtee Bridge offers world-class pocket water wading at current flows — the river is knee- to thigh-deep across most runs, and every boulder creates a productive seam on its downstream edge. Focus on the choppy riffle-run transitions where oxygenated water concentrates both insects and fish; rainbows and browns tend to stack at these transitions from mid-morning through evening. Work the softer water along the edges of main channel boulders with your dry-dropper, and probe the deeper slots with an Atomic Stone or Kaufmann’s Stone if you want to target the larger fish that hold subsurface in the slower current.

Gear Tip: Start with a streamer rig in softer edges. Switch to a two-fly nymph rig and a yarn indicator as flows settle. A 9-foot 5X leader with light tippet keeps the rig natural in these flows.

Presentation: Start shallow, then add weight or depth as you move into deeper runs and pockets. Use longer drifts to cover tailouts and seam water.

Regulations: Catch and release required; Artificial flies & lures only; Barbless hooks required; No bait allowed

The Madison River is currently flowing at 1280 cfs (normal) with a stable trend. Flows are fishable today. Water Temperature: 56°F (prime). The Verdict: Excellent Conditions This week’s forecast shows temperatures ranging from 61-79°F. Calm winds make indicator nymphing more effective.

Insect Activity: Below Ennis Lake, the Madison fishes like a different river — at 56°F water temp (textbook prime feeding range), trout are aggressive and opportunistic all day long. Caddis are the dominant hatch from late morning through evening, with egg-laying adults creating the best surface action; match them with a size 14–16 Elk Hair Caddis or swing a Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear through the tail-outs as the light fades. Midges are also productive subsurface through the morning — a Rojo Midge or Top Secret Midge behind a larger nymph will intercept fish stacked in the deeper holes before the caddis show up.

Where to Fish: At 1,280 cfs the Ennis reach fishes best from a raft or drift boat — the river spreads wide across the valley and wading access is best at obvious pull-outs where gravel bars extend well into the channel. Focus your float time on the channels section upstream of town where the river braids; each braid holds different water types, and the slower secondary channels are where you’ll find fish rising to evening caddis in calmer current. Evening is the golden hour on this section: position your boat on the downstream edge of a flat riffle as the sun drops and watch for pods of rising trout working the last light.

Gear Tip: Start with a streamer rig in softer edges. Switch to a two-fly nymph rig and a yarn indicator as flows settle. A 9-foot 5X leader with light tippet keeps the rig natural in these flows.

Presentation: Start shallow, then add weight or depth as you move into deeper runs and pockets. Use longer drifts to cover tailouts and seam water.

Regulations: Catch and release required; Artificial flies & lures only; Barbless hooks required; No bait allowed