Missouri River August Forecast
Let’s get right into it this first day of August.
Historically not a hot as July. August while only one degree in average cooler, the hours of daylight wane as we move into fall.
One thing that is happening as days get shorter some sections of the canyon become shaded and the evening bite can be good enough. Caddis are around and certainly more plentiful than the daytime activity.
Ben McNinch says …“We could use any and all of the rain days. A good soak once a week could help us out. On another note the weeds while difficult for those not familiar with Missouri river fishing they are not as bad as they can be. Will the gooey subsurface weeds present themselves this year? Maybe. The weather in August will dictate that occurrence.”
Looking at the chart and the table to your right we see that the rainfall in August is 1.57inches. Generally due to afternoon thunderstorms. But not always. Would not hurt to get some of those soakers as mentioned above.
As for the fishing? If July is any indication we will see hard, difficult, and challenging angling. August has historically been a slower pressure month as well as many of the freestone river around the state fish well. This year? Who knows about those other fabulous resources. Many are on hoot-owl restrictions. Have we seen the impact here on the Mo because of other river closures? No not really. We always see boats from other rivers here not eh Missouri and the 2015 numbers have been about average or slightly less.
Fly shop speak for difficult is “Inconsistent.” You can expect an eat a mile for the hopper fishing. Some days better and some days worse. Being first to the fish is a good card to hold. Can you watch that fly for an hour between takes? Only you can control that outcome. Slower strike rhythms help you on this long arduous journey. You can pull the fly from the fishy’s mouth.
Trico’s are good some days and not so good others. the upper river holds the best techy dry fly fishing but you can run into a botch of Trico’s about anywhere. If you know the river and the hatch patterns you can capitalize on that knowledge.
Caddis in the evenings for a while. How long? Only Mother Nature knows the answer.
I’ve seen some Callibaetis showing and that can prove to be a positive situation if you stop and fish to them immediately. Silt dwelling flies do not live everywhere. If you see some spinners, stop and cast. A cripple, spinner or even dun can bring confident takes. Expect to see them throughout the late summer and early fall. A good fly to have in your possession when you meet a few Callibaetis.
Not nearly as much overall pressure from anglers in August. Nightly rentals available even here in town at the Craig Trout Camp and elsewhere prove the drop in angling days. If it gets hot, like today as we will see temps near the century mark, you will bump into lots of floaty groups. Tubes, rafts, inflatables only seen/sold at Wal-Mart will inundate the waters. BE prepared.
Go out early regardless of the ancillary float pressure and you will get the best part of the day. While the hoot-owl does not regulate us directly here on the Mo, a good plan is to get out early and get off early. Dawn til noon should do it. You may be able to fool some fish after 2 pm, the best shot is clearly the morning show.
August can be a great fishing month. Only time will tell this current August. Let us know if we can help in any way as we are fully engaged with the shuttle business, guiding, lodging, dissemination of fly fishing information, trips to the Blackfoot, free coffee, A/C inside the pleasant confines of the shop, fly lines, rods, sungear, hats, gifts for the wife and kids…
See you in Craig this August. Shop open at 6am and late til 9pm. See us after of before your Izaak’s or Joe’s Bar foray for a little shopping and BS. Enjoy the shade on the front porch as you watch the afternoon angler wander parade up and down Bridge St.
