Montana Report/Forecast for November

Montana Rivers in General

What to Expect in November:

In general, remember that it's early winter, and fly anglers need to adapt their tactics to the conditions. First, understand the needs of trout. Since trout are cold-blooded, their metabolism slows as the water cools. That means they don't need as much to eat, and they will not waste any energy pursuing what little food they need. They will be most active on warmer days, at the warmest time of each day--usually from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Trout will be found in slower, deeper water than they occupied in summer.

Second, understand what food is available to trout in winter. The big hatches are over. From now until spring the primary aquatic insects that trout will see are blue-winged olives and midges. Both larval and adult forms of these insects will be present. But bugs aren't the only things on the menu. Trout will also eat drifting roe from spawning brown trout, brook trout, and whitefish. Larger trout will eat baitfish, as well.

Most importantly, pick the right flies, the right days, and the right places, as described below.

Pick the Right Fly

The flies that should be in your box are:

1. Blue-winged olive imitations. Pheasant Tails or gold-ribbed Hares Ears for nymphs; CDC Baetis or Baetis Cripple emergers; Parachute Baetis or Sparkle Duns to match duns; and Rusty Spinners to match the final stage (usually not important in winter, but be prepared). All flies in size 18-22, but mostly in size 20-22.

Nymphs are productive most of the active part of the day (11:00 to 2:00, with maybe an hour on either side of those times if the day is warm). Blue-winged olives are most likely to hatch on cloudy days. In the Rockies, they are strongest in the first half of November or until really cold weather settles in. They'll be back again in March and April. Look for feeding fish in backeddies and slow runs. Nymphs should be presented right on the bottom. Tailwater fisheries (upper Missouri, Bighorn, Kootenai, etc.) will cool off more slowly, which can extend fall blue-winged olive fishing

1. Midge imitations. Brassies or Copper Johns to imitate the larvae; Sprout Midges or Griffiths Gnats if trout are taking adults on the top. Carry these in sizes 18-22. The larval patterns are the most effective. In early November, you might find trout feeding just subsurface. Once it turns really cold, however, trout will hunker on the bottom and won't budge unless there's a pretty good hatch that creates a surface-feeding opportunity. So once the weather becomes frigid, you'll need to drift those larval patterns on the bottom
2. Egg Flies. Peach, pink, and orange are the best colors. Dead-drift them on the bottom. See the article Egg Flies for some thoughts on egg flies.
3. Baitfish imitations. Matukas, Egg Sucking Leeches, Muddlers, Clouser Minnows, sculpin imitations, etc. Usually these work best when fished from a boat because you can cast to the bank, but the boat is not essential. A sink-tip line is an aid because you need to get the fly near the bottom. Cast, let the fly sink, and retrieve slowly. This is not exciting fishing, and you'll be lucky to pick up a fish or two a day. But each fish could a brown trout that tops five pounds.
4. Standard Nymphs. A frequent winter tactic is to cast a size 8-10 Prince with a Brassie, Copper John, or Pheasant Tail on a trailing leader tied to the Prince's hook bend.

Pick the Right Day

While fly choice is important, it's even more important to pick the right day. Anytime it starts to warm up, you can think about hitting the water.

Always take extra clothes. If you execute a full-immersion hat-floater when it's near freezing and the wind is blowing 25 mph, you are in big trouble and need to get into dry, warm clothes quickly.

Pick the Right Place

Some streams are in cold places. That's usually not where you want to go. The best choices have relatively warmer weather. Tailwater fisheries and spring creeks are productive because the water is usually warmer than in other streams.

Most fish will be found near the edges and in deeper pools, backeddies, slow runs, and pools below riffles.

Montana Lakes in General

What to Expect in November:

Beaverhead River

What to Expect in November:

Use midge and streamer patterns.

For more on November 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 November:

Egg Flies, streamers, and small beadhead nymphs, such as a size 18 beadhead Pheasant Tail are your best choices.

For more on November 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 November:

The Bighorn is one of the best winter options in Montana because it's a tailwater fishery and fishes like a spring creek. You'll find hatches of blue-winged olives and midges, but much of the action will be subsurface. Nymph patterns such as size 18-20 Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns, and midge larva imitations should do well when drifted near the bottom.

Use an adjustable indicator system and set the indicator-to-fly length at two to two-and-a-half times the water depth. Adjust it for each place you fish. As the water cools down, you'll find trout in slower water because their metabolism is adjusting to the cooler environment.

In addition to nymph patterns, pink sow bugs are a good choice. Egg Flies can work well on rainbow trout as the river's brown trout start to spawn. A sink-tip line with a streamer can be productive.

Under no circumstances should you target actively spawning browns. Spawning redds are in gravelly areas; you'll see concentrations of fish over gravel that has been swept clean of algae and debris. Don't walk through them, anchor over them, or try to catch the trout that are there.

For more on November 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 November:

Blue-winged olives will be strong at the beginning of November, especially on overcast days. As the month progresses and weather becomes more frigid, the blue-wings will taper off.

Midges and nymphing will be weak until January, but you might pick up some trout in December on a Prince teamed with a Pheasant Tail or San Juan Worm. Streamers are not a very good choice here. Your nymphs need to be on the bottom because trout are not going to move very far to take a fly.

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

Blackfoot River

What to Expect in November:

Blue-winged olive imitations, Egg Flies, and streamers are the best bets for the next two months.

For more on November 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 November:

Expect to find trout anywhere the water slows and deepens, along current seams, below boulders, behind drop-offs, etc.

As on the Bitterroot, blue-winged olives will be strong at the beginning of November, especially on overcast days. As the weather becomes more frigid, the blue-wings will taper off.

Midges and nymphing will then be weak until January, but you might pick up some trout in December on a Prince teamed with a Pheasant Tail or San Juan Worm. Unlike some other Missoula-area rivers, streamers are a good winter choice.

When fishing subsurface, make sure your nymphs are on the bottom.

For more on November 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 November:

Most trout move out of the forks and into the mainstem and the lake. Look for them from the South Fork confluence on down. The Middle Fork has some deep pools and some trout will over-winter in them.

Standard nymphs--Pheasant Tail, Prince, Copper John, Brassie, etc.--as well as streamers such as Woolly Buggers will pick up trout on warmer days. This is a cold part of Montana, so warm days will be hard to come by. The mainstem is best fished from a boat. Presentine Bar has good boat access in winter.

For more on November 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 November:

The Gallatin can be good at this time of year if the brown trout are on the move. Low water conditions will push trout into deeper pools and runs. Those places are harder to find above Big Sky, but they do exist. Blue-winged olives, midges, and streamers are the keys to success--once you find the right water.

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

Kootenai River

What to Expect in November:

Expect the usual winter fare of blue-winged olives, midges, streamers, and Egg Flies. Because it's a tailwater fishery, the Kootenai will maintain a blue-winged olive hatch longer into November than most rivers.

For more on November 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 November:

Both the upper Madison (above Ennis Lake) and lower Madison (below Ennis Lake) can fish well in winter. Look for fish in deeper sections.

On the lower Madison, the bank is high enough that you can spot deep water by looking for color changes; look for greener (vs. browner) water when the sun is high. Also, look for places where little waves are dancing on the surface but the water isn't going anywhere. These "bathtubs" can hold a bunch of trout.

Wherever you find suitable water, streamers and small nymphs drifted near the bottom can pick up fish. Some anglers feel that sparsely-tied streamers work best here. Sculpin and crayfish imitations are good choices. These can be especially effective when fished downstream from spawning brown trout because sculpins and crayfish are attracted to spilled eggs. However, under no circumstances should you target spawning brown trout. These fish need to be left alone. When fishing downstream from redds, you are targeting rainbows, not browns.

The usual blue-winged olive and midge hatches are the only events that will bring trout to the surface.

For more on November 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 November:

The first couple of weeks of November can be excellent as blue-winged olives come on strong and this tailwater fishery keeps its warmth a little longer. After that, use midge larva imitations such as Brassies and Copper Johns. Woolly Buggers, streamers, and standard nymphs such as Princes are also good producers.

For more on November 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 November:

Nymphs and streamers are your best bet. Midge activity will be weak until January.

For more on November 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 November:

Big streamers are king here in November as the river's brown trout turn aggressive.

On the surface, look for midge and blue-winged olive hatches in the early afternoon. The blue-wings are typically size 20-22. The best dry fly action will be on cloudy days. The blue-wings will taper off as the cold weather deepens.

Dry fly anglers should search for "foam pockets." These typically form behind large rocks, logs, and other obstructions. They indicate places where trout food, such as drifting blue-winged olives and midges, will be trapped. Trout have easy swimming and a supply of food, so they tend to gather in those places.

Another tip for anglers is to fish a "type" of water; see Where, Not What for an example of this approach. If you're drifting the river in a boat, look for places where trout are holding: are they in tailouts, backeddies, bankwater? Once you've figured out what type of water holds fish, concentrate on those places.

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