Montana Report/Forecast for August

Montana Rivers in General

What to Expect in August:

August can be a tough month. The water is warm, the sun is bright. Every trout has seen hundreds of anglers and thousands of fake flies. The big, intense hatches are mostly over, and well-fed trout are not as strongly motivated as the anglers who pursue them. Throw in warm water closures and a few forest fires, and fishing can be problematic.

August can offer excellent fishing, though, if you go at it the right way. First and foremost, concentrate your fishing during the most productive hours. Early morning is often the best time; this when you are most likely to experience a trico hatch or spinner fall. Evenings can be good as caddis activity peaks, but hot days will result in shorter--and more intense--fishing in the evening. During the heat of the day trout will be more reluctant to come to the surface. At that time of day, hoppers may entice them, and nymphs can be productive; so the best strategy is to combine the two in a "hopper/dropper" rig.

Put that all together and you get the August mantra: "hopper, dropper, trico, caddis." Remember that chant--throwing in an occasional "PMD" or "pink Albert"--and you'll reach September with a smile on your face.

Western Hatches: Terrestrials by Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes has some good thoughts on fishing terrestrials. While hoppers get most of the attention, beetles and ants are usually more important food-forms for trout. See Jeff Morgan's articles on these overlooked terrestrials: Tying Better Ant Patterns and Meeting the Late Summer Challenge.

To put a dropper off your hopper, use a clinch knot to tie a section of tippet to the hopper's hook bend. Tie a small nymph or caddis pupa imitation to the other end. During the day, a 24-30 inch dropper is usually appropriate, but sometimes a longer leader is needed. A 12-18 inch dropper can be used during the evening hours when trout are more willing to come near the surface.

For tips on fishing the trico hatch/spinner fall, see Tricos Without Tears. Tricos can vary from size 18 to size 24, so snag a natural insect and make sure your imitation matches the real bug. The three Ps--presentation, persistence, patience--will aid in success.

There are hundreds of species of caddis in the West, and many of them are on the water at the same time. Because trout see many sizes and colors of caddis, you seldom have to match this insect with the same precision that mayflies require. Match the size and general color of the majority of caddis on the water and you'll do well. The most important thing is to match your fly choice to the type of water you're fishing. A bushy Elk Hair Caddis will well on rough, riffly water, but the same fly can fail miserably on flat runs and spring creeks. For softer water, you'll need a fly with less hackle and a lower profile, such as a CDC Caddis or Parachute Caddis. In a pinch, you can trim the hackle from the bottom of an Elk Hair Caddis; this can profoundly increase the fly's effectiveness on certain types of water.

The Casanova Caddis has become a favorite of mine. The deer hair dubbing makes a realistic body, although it takes some practice to use that material correctly. Also, the Raffia wing can be in shreds after 6-8 trout.

Pale morning duns may be present on some rivers early in the month, but they are on the way out and will seldom be seen after the first week of August.

Pink alberts are a midday hatch on some rivers this month. The body is a creamy pink color. You can match it by mixing pink dubbing with cream dubbing. A size-16 Sparkle Dun or Light Cahill style of dry fly is adequate.

During extended hot spells, you may see voluntary closures on some rivers. This means that MFWP will ask anglers to avoid fishing from noon to midnight; if you care about the river's fish, you will comply with that request. You may also be faced with mandatory closures, where rivers are open only from midnight to noon or 2:00 p.m. ("hoot owl" hours); it's also possible for sections of a river to be closed entirely.

Montana Lakes in General

What to Expect in August:

With few exceptions, August is not a good option for lowland reservoirs and lakes The high lakes are the place to be.

Beaverhead River

What to Expect in August:

The pale morning duns and yellow sallies are on the way out. Most of August is a trico, hopper, and caddis show.

Mornings usually begin with a trico hatch of variable length. Hatching duns will merge into falling spinners, so you need to be prepared with long, thin tippets (6X or 7X) and size 20-24 black Sparkle Duns, or equivalent, to match the duns, and size 20-24 Polywing Spinners or CDC Biot Spinners for the final stage.

Caddis will end the day. Expect evening activity from size 16-18 adult caddis with tan or olive bodies, and maybe some size-18 black caddis.

Between the caddis and tricos, cast hopper patterns to the bank. RIGHT to the bank, not 12 inches out. As close as you can make it. Even closer. Bring extra flies because you're going to leave a few hoppers hanging in the vegetation. If you don't leave a few flies behind, you're going to have poor fishing.

The best hopper activity is along grassy areas. Braided areas can be good because braids mean more shoreline per river mile, and that bodes well for hopper fishing. Yellow patterns, such as Daves Hopper, work well here. Pick a size-6 fly.

Size 20 green midges are an August occurance. Sowbugs and scuds will also take trout.

The usual subsurface patterns should produce very well in August. Lightning Bugs, Princes, beadhead Pheasant Tails, and Hares Ear nymphs dead-drifted near the bottom will do the trick. A hopper/dropper rig (a small nymph such as a size 18 natural Hares Ear tied to a 24 inch dropper leader that's affixed to the hook bend of your hopper) is a good tactic in many places.

Cranefly activity can be good in August. Larva patterns such as the Muskrat or Cranefly Larva are productive when dead-drifted near the bottom. Local adult patterns such as the Darbee Cranefly and the Ginger Spider work well when skated across the surface. See also Tying Adult Cranefly Patterns for patterns.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Beaverhead River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Big Hole River

What to Expect in August:

Anglers should always check to see if there have been any fishing closures due to low, warm water. Even if the river is not closed, anglers need to take care of the trout during hot weather. Basically, if the water temperature is 72 degrees or over, don't fish.

Fishing on the Big Hole always slows some in August. Fish in the morning and evening, and skip the hot hours in between.

Most fishing will be with dry flies this month. Tricos and hoppers will provide the action. Look for the tricos in the morning. From 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. fishing may be slow. After 4:00, try your luck with a Parachute Hopper or caddis or both in combination.

Spruce moths can be present on the Big Hole in August. You can imitate them with a size 10-12 Elk Hair Caddis in a light color.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Big Hole River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Bighorn River

What to Expect in August:

As usual, most of the action is subsurface. Midge, sowbug, and scud imitations will be taking most of the trout.

Black caddis (size 18) should be hatching this month The black caddis (a species of grannom) are evening hatchers; be prepared for them. Spotted caddis in size 14-16 may also be on the water. No matter which caddis hatch you're matching, Sparkle Pupas or other pupa patterns in the same size should also be in your fly box. If you're not sure which stage the trout are focused on, give them both barrels: tie a pupa on a dropper off the hook bend of the dry fly.

You should pack some Sprout Midges or Griffiths Gnats as well as pupa patterns such as Serendipities.

Hopper action can be good here, and anglers should carry patterns such as a Parachute Hopper or foam-bodied hopper. Cast these up tight against the bank. Put a San Juan Worm on a dropper below the hopper.

If moss and weed growth gets bad later in the month, use the moss to your advantage: cast so your nymph goes over the moss and drifts through the slots between pods of moss. Trout often hide under and along vegetation like this.

Until you have solid evidence that trout are taking caddis or midges on the surface, stick to dead-drifting sowbugs, scuds, San Juan Worms, Copper Johns, or CDC Bubble Brassies along the bottom.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Bighorn River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Bitterroot River

What to Expect in August:

The pale evening duns and tan caddis are on the way out, but you should be prepared for hatches of them early in the month.

The pale morning duns have been replaced by tricos. The trico hatch should continue all month. When you're fishing the trico hatch, take lots of flies. Trout are fussy about tricos, and a high-floating fly is essential when imitating duns. Your fly will be shredded after a few fish have chewed it, so you need to tie on a fresh one. It's a similar problem with the spinners; the wings get chewed up after a few trout.

Hoppers are an August event. They will dominate the midday scene for the rest of the month, especially on windy afternoons. Size 10-12 Parachute Hoppers, Joes Hoppers, Turcks Tarantulas, and similar patterns will excite trout. During the hot part of the day, put a 24-30 inch dropper leader off the hopper and tie a size 16-18 beadhead Pheasant Tail, Copper John, or Prince to the dropper.

In the evening you can expect caddis hatches, so bring size 14-18 imitations. X Caddis, CDC Caddis, and Sparkle Pupas are good fly choices.

If it turns very hot, fishing will be best from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If it's cool, fishing will be better in the evenings and you can take some trout at midday with hoppers. During hot periods, the upper sections should be best.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Bitterroot River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Blackfeet Lakes

What to Expect in August:

Duck and Mitten are the best August choices, but in general this is not a great place to fish at this time of year. The lakes are weedy, and most trout are in deep water due to heat. You'll find them around 20 feet down, or more. You need a Wet Cell IV or Type VI sinking line to reach them.

Don't ignore terrestrials on these lakes. You can do well if you ply the water with ants, hoppers, and beetles, especially near the edges and on windy days. Rather than blind casting these patterns, search for cruising trout and put your fly in their path. Those trout are opportunists who are searching for an easy meal, and your fly will look like the answer to their desire. The best terrestrial fishing will be in the morning and evening.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

See the Lakes in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Blackfeet Lakes report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Blackfoot River

What to Expect in August:

The Blackfoot is usually not a good August option, especially late in the month. If you visit this stream, take your hopper and streamer patterns. The hoppers will dominate the midday, and you'll do better if you hang a size 16-18 Pheasant Tail, size 14-16 Prince, or size 16-18 Sparkle Pupa off your hopper's hook bend on a 24-inch dropper leader. Beetle and ant imitations are other terrestrial patterns to carry. See Western Hatches: Terrestrials for some pointers on fishing hoppers and other terrestrials.

Your fly box should include some "big uglies" this month: rubber legged streamers in large sizes. Swing or retrieve these through undercut banks, around rocks, along the bank, and through deep pools. San Juan Worms are another fly worth carrying. These flies should work well in the mornings, especially when the days are hot. General purpose attractors, such as Stimulators, Royal Wulffs, and lime Trudes, are good choices.

Caddis will round out the day. Size 16-18 dry flies with olive or tan bodies will cover your bases.

In general, surface patterns will work this month, but they will primarily be interesting to smaller trout. If you want one of the big bad boys, go deep with a big nymph or streamer.

It's not unusual for the Blackfoot to have a voluntary closure (don't fish from noon to midnight) during an extended August hot spell.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Blackfoot River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Clark Fork River

What to Expect in August:

Pale morning duns will be mostfly gone by the time August begins, and the pale evening duns and tan caddis will be waning fast. As elsewhere, tricos, hoppers, and caddis will generate most of the action this month. See Tricos Without Tears for some tips on trico fishing. The tricos will be a morning event. You'll encounter hatches and spinner falls.

Hopper patterns, such as Daves Hopper or a Parachute Hopper, will be productive in August. Hopper/dropper combos are also a good option; keep the dropper around 36-48 inches and tie a size 16-18 Pheasant Tail, Copper John, Brassie, or Prince nymph to it.

In the evenings you can expect excellent caddis fishing, with size 14-18 Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Caddis, CDC Caddis, Casanova Caddis, X Caddis, and similar patterns being effective.

You should also carry outrageous streamer patterns, such as a black or olive Woolly Bugger or sculpin pattern decorated with rubber legs or other appendages that give the fly some extra action. Fish these near the bottom. Other good subsurface choices are Prince nymphs, San Juan Worms, and Copper Johns.

In general, fishing will be best early and late in the day. It will remain that way until the weather begins to cool.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Clark Fork River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Flathead Basin

What to Expect in August:

On the mainstem, North, South, and Middle forks, attractor patterns such as yellow Stimulators, Royal Wulffs, Humpies, and Trudes will catch trout. Hopper patterns such as Turcks Tarantula are also worth casting on these forks. Ants and beetles are other good choices. Expect slower fishing in the afternoons.

On the North Fork, the best fishing should be between Big Creek and Great Northern Flats. The Middle Fork's bigger fish are above Bear Creek.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Flathead Basin report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Gallatin River

What to Expect in August:

The upper river is cool and the gradient is steep enough to keep the water oxygenated and the trout active all day; the lower Gallatin is not a great August venue.

Expect some pale morning duns to hatch in the morning during early August. A size 16-18 caddis pattern, such as an Elk Hair Caddis, Casanova Caddis, or X Caddis, can be a good morning fly, too. Also, try dead-drifting a Sparkle Pupa (size 16-18) in the morning.

In the afternoon, you should have good hopper fishing in the grassy areas. Tie on an imitation and cast it tight against the river bank where the water is over two feet deep. The area above Big Sky and below the Gallatin Canyon can offer excellent hopper fishing.

Attractor patterns, such as Royal Wulffs, lime Trudes, or orange or yellow Stimulators or Humpies, are also useful in the afternoons.

In the evenings, return to the caddis imitations.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Gallatin River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Georgetown Lake

What to Expect in August:

Damselfly imitations, both nymph and adult versions, can take trout, especially in the shallows. Watch, too, for Georgetown's traveling sedge, a caddis that skips across the surface and draws hearty strikes from large rainbows and, occasionally, brook trout. A size 6-8 Tom Thumb or Goddard Caddis matches the insect, and it should be strip-retrieved across the surface as fast as possible. Use a heavier than usual leader; strikes can be real slammers. The traveling sedges will fade in importance this month.

Size-16 Callibaetis are another option when they're hatching.

See the Lakes in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Georgetown Lake report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Hebgen Lake

What to Expect in August:

It's gulper time. Trout cruise near the surface looking for tricos and Callibaetis. Gulper action starts as early as 8:00 a.m., so be in place, ready to fish when the action starts. Cast a Polywing Spinner or CDC Biot Spinner or Gulper Special. Various leeches and Woolly Buggers can fool fish the rest of the day, but keep an eye on the wind; it can blow you off the lake in a hurry.

See the Lakes in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Hebgen Lake report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Kootenai River

What to Expect in August:

Work the banks with a Parachute Hopper or similar pattern during the midday hours. When fishing the hopper patterns, tie a beadhead Pheasant Tail off the back of the hook on a dropper leader; use a 24-30 inch dropper at midday, and a 12-18 inch dropper in the evening. Ant patterns can be a good alternative to hoppers.

Expect some green midges in the morning. Pale morning duns are sparse but sometimes important. They are active from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PMD Cripples, Sparkle Duns, Halfback Emergers, Stillborn Duns, and Parachute PMDs are good flies to carry for this hatch. The PMDs may hold up until mid-month.

The PMDs are followed by caddis, who keep the action going until dark. For the caddis carry tan imitations in size 14-16 (Elk Hair Caddis, X Caddis, Casanova Caddis, etc for adults; Z Wing Caddis, Sparkle Pupa, CDC Caddis for emergers) and size 12 dries with a gray-green or peacock body.

When casting dry flies, a 5X leader is standard here UNLESS you're tossing a hopper imitation; use a 3X or 2X tippet with the hoppers.

In the morning, you may see hatches of pale morning duns, as well as some caddis on the water. Streamers can also be effective at this time. Size 14-16 ants can take trout.

Blue-winged olives may hatch on cloudy days.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Kootenai River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Madison River

What to Expect in August:

Above Ennis Lake, use size 8-10 hopper imitations and size 12-16 attractor patterns. In addition to standard hopper patterns such as Parachute Hoppers, Turcks Tarantulas, and Whitlock Hoppers, carry some beetle imitations; see Meeting the Late Summer Challenge for some unique and effective beetle patterns.

If the hoppers are not working, try small beadhead nymphs, such as Princes, Pheasant Tails, and Copper Johns,

Expect evening caddis hatches. Match those caddis with size 14-16 olive or tan Elk Hair Caddis, Goddard Caddis, X Caddis, or any of the myriad other caddis patterns. Put a Sparkle Pupa or Z Wing Caddis on a dropper leader off the hook bend of your dry fly. You may also encounter size 18 black caddis.

Pale morning duns are possible early in the month, but this hatch is pretty much over. You might see spinner falls early in the morning; checkout the backeddies and places where insects might collect. Size-16 Rusty Spinners are worth carrying for the purpose.

You might also try dead-drifting a Woolly Bugger with a beadhead Pheasant Tail or Prince nymph on a trailing leader.

This is a good time of year for the attractor hatch. This insect of unknown species has never been seen by anglers but is apparently familiar to trout because they eagerly gobble its imitations. Apparently this bug is gaudy (but invisible to human eyes) and comes in a wide range of colors and sizes. You can match it with Royal Wulffs, Stimulators, Humpies, Trudes, and a Parachute Madam X with Royal Wulff colors. Hang a beadhead Copper John or other nymph off a 24-30 inch dropper leader attached to the hook bend.

The lower Madison is too warm for fishing.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Madison River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Missouri River

What to Expect in August:

Tricos, caddis, and hoppers provide most of the action this month. The fun begins around 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. with a trico spinner fall; it can start even earlier if you get there around 6:00-6:30 a.m. and fish for trout rising to duns. The joy continues as the day wears on and trout respond to hoppers and other terrestrials (especially between Craig and Cascade). About two hours before dark the caddis (size 16-18, tan) will be on the water.

The tricos will keep going for another eight weeks. You should also be prepared for size 22 blue-winged olives (pseudos, or tiny olives)

For tips on hopper fishing, see Western Hatches: Terrestrials and Hoppers . . . at Last!. For trico tips, see Tricos Without Tears.

Look for adult damselflies in the weedy, quiet spots in the upper three miles; the trout are looking for them, too. You might also find some Callibaetis hatching in the slow sections.

If it's hot, play your trout quickly and revive them carefully before releasing them.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Missouri River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Rock Creek

What to Expect in August:

When it's cloudy and cool in August (not a frequent event!), fish Rock Creek with tricos in the morning (not a strong hatch here), hoppers and hopper/dropper combos in the afternoon, and caddis in the evening. When it's hot, forget Rock Creek and fish elsewhere.

Red attractors, such as a red Turcks Tarantula, can be a favorite with Rock Creek's trout at this time of year, so make sure you have some in your fly box. Standard nymphs, such as Princes, Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns, Brassies, etc., will take trout during the day.

A few pale morning duns might linger into the first week of August.

In general, fishing will be best early and late in the day. It will remain that way until the weather begins to cool.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Rock Creek report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Yellowstone River

What to Expect in August:

Expect occasional muddy spells due to thunderstorms in the Park, which blow out the Lamar River and send a plug of mud downstream into the Yellowstone. Don't try to fish in the mud! You can, however, make the most of it if you're on the river as it's starting to clear. The extra color in the water will help to hide your leader and make trout less wary.

You might pick up some trout in the morning with a brown or olive Woolly Bugger with a beadhead Prince, red Copper John, or Pheasant Tail on a trailing leader. Dead-drift this rig near the river bottom along the banks. You might also get some morning trout on an attractor dry fly.

The best action starts around noon, when hoppers get active. August is a prime month for hoppers on the Yellowstone, and the sections above and below Livingston--especially the Sheep Mountain to Big Timber stretch--can be very productive. Put your hopper imitation right next to the bank. If you don't adorn a few bushes and grass stems with your flies, you're not trying hard enough. In addition to standard hopper patterns such as a Whitlock Hopper or Daves Hopper, big attractors, such as the Turcks Tarantula or Parachute Madam X in Royal Wulff colors, will take trout. High-floating patterns seem to work best, but try the lower profile Parachute Hopper if trout are rejecting the bushy guys.

Bring some size 10 Stimulators in orange, yellow, or royal coloration, too; they're a good dry fly for cutthroat.

Evening caddis activity is common. Size 16-18 Elk Hair Caddis, or equivalent, with tan or olive bodies will cover most situations. Other hatches you may encounter include tricos, Hecubas, black caddis (the second round of grannoms), pink alberts, and pale morning duns.

See the Rivers in General report for more August fly fishing tips.

For more on August tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Yellowstone River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.