March Missouri River Fly Fishing Forecast
The first thing that most anglers ask on the phone is if we are gonna have high water. The second question is if we will have low water. Then the third is if we know when the PMD’s will come.
The only answer we definitively know the answer to is the latter. The first couple? We can guess. Mother nature is a cruel & nasty girl and she will not let us know until it happens. Not before.
March is a wet one. So is April, May and June. But the wet season starts in March. Historically. And that Mother Nature lady is showing us that it is indeed March.
So we answer those folks on the phone with this statement, “Who knows if we will have high or low water this year. We do know it has been not as wet as we prefer. We know that snow dances can work.
Missouri River March Water Flows
The water managers up there at Holter Dam, tucked away in some concrete laden office with a tiny 40 watt lamp, looking at a damp desk coaxing the slide rule into coughing up some sort of extrapolated formula that tells us…
That’s what Stephanie Micek is saying in the faxograms from the United States Department of the Interior. Official info. Although sometimes even the Bureau of Reclamation guess wrong.
An average water year is shaping up. A bit above average for our current snowpack. We have lots of time to accrue more snow and water for this summer. Lots more time.
More water. More snow. Fish like more water. More oxygen. More habitat.
More is better.
Not as much water as the river historically held this time of year. Or even all winter. 5K-6K was common 20 years ago. But, times have changed. The water management style has changed. My understanding of the current policy centers around “better safe than sorry.” Do we agree? We are certainly not educated hydrologists. Row boat guides? Yes, we got that part.
Currently 3750 cfs. Quite low for the balance of the winter. A great time to get out there and learn a bundle about the bottom of the river. You can literally see every roll, bucket, undulation that the Mo has to show you. She currently has her pants down for all to see. Get it while you can.
Missouri River March Hatches
Midges. That’s it.
Look for more and more on the water as the month moves onwards. Been pretty good already. Better than average. Winter overall has been pretty good fishing! Will we have a strong midge hatch? Boy I don’t know. Let’s hope so. We will let you know after it happens. Just like any decent reporter. I’ll tell you exactly how it went down. In April of course.
We have not and a dandy in a few years. So, maybe our time has come. It kinda looks like that will happen?!?!
BWO’s in April. Not March. So sorry.
A few Skwala’s around. But only a few. Maybe late in the month. Smart to have half a dozen in your box. Fooling a big spring brown trout on a surface bug is awful fun man. Blind cast it out there and stare at it.
But the BWO nymph is active in the month of March. Flirt with it until she gives you the nod. Then rock her world. A common conversation in Joe’s Bar any March afternoon standing close to the fire goes as follows:
Angler: Hey fella, you a fishing guide?
Bearded Millennial: That’s what I tell my parents.
Angler: Whaat’d ya catch ’em on today?
BM: Gaudy pink patterns & baetis nymphs. Threw at a couple sporadic splashy feeders with an Adams, but no success.
Angler: But I didn’t see any BWO’s flying around? Are you sure?!?! BWO nymphs? You look kinda young to be a tenured fishing guide.
BM: Whadaya mean?!?! I’m 47. I’m what ya call a wanna be Millennial, man. If you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s how I keep my youthful appearance. And Mr. Angler Dude, that mayfly lives and morphs subsurface for an entire year before it briefly inhabits (emerges and hatches) our atmosphere. Insects are quite active hidden below the watery barrier staging for their flashy moment in our airy environment. Of course you didn’t see them, they don’t hatch for another month.
True story. Think about what is to come, before we see it. Go fish it. Caddis, Mayflies, Stoneflies. All aquatic insects. Be smarter than you neighbor.
If you don’t want to get hung up on all that entomology stuff or learn about how to nymph in March, just fish a pink fly. Pink is strong through the month. Worms too. Sows. Pink and grey patterns. Don’t forget fruit flavored beads adorning the heads of the fly.
Midges too. Zebra’s, or fancy gilled midge patterns too. They work.
As for dries. For the midge lovers. Try a small Adams, a large Adams, Griffith’s Gnats along with several derivation we have in the store. Posted, poly winged, those crinkly rabbit posted ones.
You can also hand-twist a small Zebra or a small black soft hackle up soft runs and do well. At least you will feel a bunch of them, those sneaky rainbows, sniff and peck at the fly.
Streamer Junkies like March. Water temps warming and the fish more active. They will chase a few flies beginning this month. More in April, and May is on fire. Water temps begin to move noticeably in March. Currently 35F-ish and the temps will move upwards to 40F if not beyond as we cross over the first into the second quarter of the year.
March signals the first time all winter/spring that you can give your fly some stripping action. Jigging is still quite popular but the slow strip is effective. Caught a few the other day with a young stud outta Helena stripping it faster than I would have…and he caught a couple bigger fish moving the fly.
With that in mind the swinging crowd is out there getting it done. A perfect month with some solace left. Come by the shop or call any one of our two handed staff for the answers to questions you may have. Demo any line or rod in the store for FREE. Stop in and see what all the buzz is about. Trout Spey answers at Headhunters of Craig.
Montana March Weather
Cold and shitty. Bring warm clothing.
Wool socks, base layer, insulated pants, waders. Base layer upper, wool sweater, puffball, Gore-Tex jacket, warm hat, lots of pairs of warm gloves. Handwarmers. Schnapps. Hot coffee. Hot soup or broth. Heaters.
March Missouri River Fly Fishing Forecast
There you have it folks. The March update. Hope that was enough info. Pretty much all truths. While this author has not been here as long as some, he has been here longer than most. This info is based on longevity, research, and experience. We hope that you like this daily blog and look forward to seeing you again this spring, summer or fall. Let us help you learn more about this incredible resource, the Missouri River.
Headhunters is your education source for the hallowed waters of Missouri River Montana.
