Boulder river montana
Boulder River Montana Fly Fishing
Every time I head south in Big Timber, Montana, I am excited. Why? The finest cold-water trout fishery in Montana flows north through Big Timber – the Boulder River. The Boulder flows straight north and drains the highest elevation snowpack in Montana, thus a summer long supply of faultless water. As the river courses through deep granite canyons, it eventually runs into an idyllic, intimate river valley. Here we find a brown trout fishery that at times meanders, and at other times thunders through the innumerable cottonwood trees that line the Boulder River.
The reason for the name becomes obvious upon first glance. Large, round boulders dot the stream bed throughout much of the upper stretch, and as the river hits the Yellowstone River Floodplain, the river spreads and we have some of the premier wade fishing water in Southwest Montana.
Large, round boulders dot the stream bed throughout much of the upper stretch, and as the river hits the Yellowstone River Floodplain, the river spreads and we have some of the premier wade fishing water in Southwest Montana.
When To Fish The Boulder River
With the high-altitude snowpack, we often see a gentle rise in flows in the springtime providing a window of opportunity to float and fish the Boulder River. We observe many of the major spring hatches including BWOs, midges, March Browns, Mother’s Day Caddis, and Skwala Stoneflies – if you know where to look. While this creates some dry fly action, the fish are always feasting on the robust stonefly population set to hatch at the conclusion of spring runoff. Like the Stillwater River, there is also a healthy run of rainbow trout that push into the river to feed and spawn.
As runoff concludes in late June the river drops dramatically and clears rapidly, ushering in the emergence of salmon flies. Stonefly imitations fished tight to structure are rewarded with big eats and strong flights. To break up the boat fishing, we target inside bends where fish stack like cordwood, and are eager to take a variety of nymphal imitations with stoneflies dominating the dietary makeup. The long presence of salmon flies leads to the even longer presence of golden stones. Golden stoneflies provide a tremendous opportunity for the dry fly angler and persist through much of the earnest float season.
As July winds down and August ushers in lower water, there is an exodus of anglers. However, the water temps rarely exceed the low 60’s providing a continuation of the great July fishing- Through the use of our fleet of small rafts, we are able to continue floating and enjoying the fantastic dry fly fishing the Boulder River has to offer. In the mornings, a robust population of nocturnal stoneflies are capitalized upon by skittering, yes skittering, large, foam stonefly imitations. As the sun crests the mature cottonwoods, the bite shifts to hoppers.
After all the hay is put up in the valley, flows increase, and the brown trout begin to exhibit predatory behavior and the clear water can provide some very visual streamer fishing. Like August, September and October fishing on the Boulder River requires fortitude and the desire to wade fish, and potentially assist your crack guide in dragging the boat through some shallow areas!
Our Rivers
Read through detailed reports of the rivers we typically fish with our Wet Net Outfitter clients. Whether you’re looking for big river float trips, iconic spring creek wade trips, or secluded small creek trips, we can help facilitate your bucket list fly fishing adventure.
