Feb 24, 2026

***2026 MT LICENSE SEASON UPDATE***

As of 03/01/2026 all Montana Fishing Licenses, Conservation Licenses and all other recreation licenses are now ONLINE purchase only. Please visit FWP website to obtain your 2026 season licenses.

Fish are in their winter haunts. They will be stacked up in deep slow runs. If you find one fish, you will probably find a few more of them. Fish are all about calories in vs calories out this time of year. There is not a lot of food in the water, so they are pretty opportunistic. If you're not picking fish up, you're probably not deep enough. Adjust your depth before switching fly's and don't be afraid to use a little split shot. If that doesn't work moving to a new pool is always a good bet too. Fly wise we are fishing stones, worms, and midges. Get those flies down there, and make sure to set on small twitches of the indicator. A few of those fish have been eating pretty soft.

Winter tips:

• Fish the warmest parts of the day
• Use a wading staff for stability and to check ice thickness
• Winter fishing can be tough on the body, dress in layers and stay warm
• Keep your rod and reel out of the water to eliminate your guides and reel from freezing
• Use a net to land fish, having cold wet hands is the easiest way to end a day of fishing
• Minimize fish handling and land fish quickly.