Category: Big Hole River Fishing Report

The Big Hole fishing report has been fantastic lately. We have PMD’s, caddis, yellow sallies and Golden Stones hatching on the river. You will find trout eating dries throughout the day and the dropper fishing has been flat out fantastic. Fish have been feeding in the fast riffles mid day. We have done well with golden stone patterns and PMD dries and nymphs. Streamer anglers have been crushing fish in the riffles with sculpin patterns and minnow imitations. The overcast damp weather should continue to serve up great dry fly opportunities. We have been floating the Jerry Creek section, Divide into Maiden Rock section and the lower Big Hole sections. Summer is here and it’s your time to get out and fish.

Recommended Flies:

• Chubby Chernobyl #10 (yellow, purple, tan)
• Purple Craze #12
• Headlight Yellow Sallie #12
• PMD Comparadun #16
• Pearl Lightning Bug #12
• Pat’s Stone (Black/Brown) #8
• Jig Thread Frenchie #12
• Mini Loop Sculpin #6
• Lil’ Kim #6 (Gold, Copper)
• Sparkle Minnow (Sculpin) #6

The Salmonflies on the Big Hole River are here! The arrival of the Western Tanagers on the banks of the Big Hole always signals the arrival of the stoneflies. The famed Big Hole Salmonfly hatch should be fantastic this year. We have seen adult Salmonflies from Glen up to Melrose. The next significant warm up will move the hatch into the Maiden Rock Canyon. The river flows have been dropping due to the cooler temperatures, currently the flow is 2,290cfs in Melrose. The trout below Melrose are keyed into the Salmonfly dries and you will find egg layers in the afternoons. Above Melrose we are having productive streamer fishing and nymphing on salmonflies. When we turn over rocks in the canyon you will find the stonefly nymphs ten feet off the banks. I predict by the weekend the hatch will move into the Maiden Rock Canyon. It’s time to grab your buddies and throw your foam flies tight to the willows and hold on for some dry fly action. We always see some fantastic trout caught on dries this time of the year.

We are open 7:00am – 6:00pm daily

Recommended Flies:

• Cat Puke Salmonfly #4
• Chubby Norman #6
• Salmonfly Half Down #4
• Water Walker #4 Black/orange
• Pat’s Stone #4 (Black/orange)
• Dungeon (Black #4
• Circus Peanut (Black) #6
• Jig Slum Lord (Black/Brown) #6

The Big Hole River caddis hatch has been exploding lately. Conditions are perfect right now for dry fly fishing, with the clarity around 4 feet. The dropping water conditions have made for great streamer fishing and nymph fishing. Our best streamers have been yellow Zonkers, dungeons and Olive Lil’ Kim’s. We have also been picking fish on stone fly nymphs in the #8 size range and various caddis nymphs. The upper Big Hole has been fishing well and the canyon sections have produced great caddis fishing. Currently, we are in a great window of fishing before the high elevation snow melts off. The cloudy days have had the fish up eating caddis and chasing streamers off the banks. The Big Hole will be a great option for fishing over the holiday weekend.

We have a last minute opening for prime June Salmonfly fishing. June 12th-15th we have availability for 2 anglers and lodging. Give us a call to book these prime dates (406) 835-3474

Recommended Flies:

• Bloom’s Caddis (Olive, Tan) #14
• Flambe Caddis (Tan) #14
• Blowtorch #14
• Thread Frenchie #16
• Zonker (Yellow) #6
• Lil’ Kim #4
• Dungeon (Yellow) #4
• Pat’s Stone (Black) #8

The Big Hole fishing report has been pretty good lately. Spring has the river flows up and down, so each day has been a bit different on the river. The bright sun lately does not have the fish looking up for dry flies. We are seeing March Brown mayflies hatching below Melrose and some Blue Winged Olives throughout the river system. The visibility in the river is about 3 feet and the flows this morning are stable. We have been sticking to subsurface fishing during these bright sunny days. Nymphing or slow moving streamers have been bringing the fish to the boat. The water temperatures this weekend should get the fish moving and the bugs hatching. All of the fish we have seen caught this spring seem very healthy and are in great shape for the season.

Recommended Flies:

• Pat’s Stone (black/brown #10
• Jig Hot Spot #12
• San Juan Worm (Pink) (Red) #8
• Prince Nymph #10
• Sparkle Minnow J.J. #6
• Rusty Trombone #6

We have had some fantastic spring weather for the most part on the Big Hole lately. We are just getting through a cold snap today and then we are back to good fishing conditions. The river is stable and visibility is around 3 feet. We have had great nymph fishing and the occasional afternoon with good Skwalla dry fly fishing. You should be able to prospect the slow grassy banks this weekend with skwalla dry flies and do well. We have seen the better dry fly conditions on the lower stretches of the Big Hole River.

The trout have looked very healthy so far this spring. You will find some blue winged olives and March brown mayflies scattered throughout the river system. The streamer anglers are having good reports in the afternoons. Some days we have seen fish chasing and some days they have wanted slower moving streamers off the bottom. It is a wonderful time to get your spring fishing in before the high elevation runoff hits. We have a snowpack around 90% of normal for this date in time. The water conditions are shaping up to be very good this season. Spring Special Packages are still available. Book your trip today.

Recommended Flies:

• Bullet Head Skwalla #10
• Chubby Chernobyl Olive #10
• Blackout Stone Skwalla #10
• San Juan Worm Pink/Red #8
• Pat’s Stone #8 Olive/Brown
• Rusty Trombone #6
• Lil’ Kim Copper #6
• J.J. Special #6

Spring Fishing on the Big Hole has arrived. It has been winter like weather but that is going to change this weekend. Highs in the upper 50’s and lower 60’s this weekend will make for some nice fishing. The Big Hole is dropping and clearing and should be great shape this weekend. Water temperatures are still cold and the fish will be in the slower buckets. We have been nymphing with our best success. Flows are around 800cfs and should continue to drop or stay stable. You will find hatches of midges right now. Skwallas are still about a week out. Water temperatures need to get up into the upper 40’s to 50’s to get the Skwala hatch going. A solid window of spring fishing is here until the next push of water from snowmelt. The Big Hole basin is currently at 96% of average in snowpack.

Recommended Flies:

• Pat’s Stone olive/brown #8
• San Juan Worm #8
• Zebra Midge #16
• Shop Vac #16
• J.J. Special #6
• Bow River Bugger #6

The Big Hole River opening day is tomorrow, April 1st. We are looking forward to celebrating our 20th year in business in 2025. Our shop will be open at 9:00 am tomorrow and open daily for the Spring season. We will be running shuttles and open with many fishing goodies in stock. Our lodging opens this week and we still have some availability for our Spring Special.

The conditions of the Big Hole are not ideal right now but improving daily. The ice on the upper river has broken free last week and it has caused the flows to come up and the river to be off color. The river seems to be stabilizing and should drop in flows in the next 24- 36 hours due to cooler temperatures. Once the river drops in flow we should have great fishing. Boats will be out this week and we will give you reports as soon as we have them. We are looking forward to a great season. Snowpack in the Big Hole drainage is 95% for this date in time. We are expecting to have a good water year and plenty of healthy fish in the river system. We will see you in the shop or on the water.

We have your Montana snowpack update as we enter the middle of the winter season. It was a brisk -15 degrees here this morning but it looks like temperatures will get back into the 20’s in a few days. The Montana snowpack is much better this year compared to last year at this time. The Big Hole and Beaverhead drainage is sitting at 80% of normal snow water equivalent at this time. We still have 90 more days until our snowpack has peaked, so plenty of winter left to increase our percentages. It is still too early to predict streamflows for the spring and summer season. We usually will know streamflows for the spring in summer once April comes around. Updates will be coming from us throughout the winter and spring season as the snow piles up for outdoor enthusiasts.

We are looking towards a great 2025 fishing season. Fish health this past fall was found to be fantastic in the brown trout and rainbow trout in the Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers. We will start our season April 1st with our Spring Special. This year we are taking the Spring Special through May 15th. You will find great dry fly fishing opportunities in the Spring season. Hatches of Skwallas and Blue Winged Olives will dominate the menu for trout. Spring packages are 15% our regular season rates. Book your trip today.

Job Position Available:

Sunrise Fly Shop Manager Position:

Sunrise Fly Shop is searching for a qualified and hard working individual to manage our fly shop. This is a fun environment filled with passion for fly fishing on the legendary Big Hole River in Melrose, Montana.

• Manage marketing and growth of online store.
• Inventory accuracy and order fulfillment
• Social Media Marketing and email marketing
• Manage, promote, and grow Sunrise Fly Shop’s social media
• Inventory management and inventory accuracy
• Weekly email news blasts highlighting online store, sales, and guide trips and fishing reports
• Help facilitate the accurate and efficient completion of all the day’s shuttles.
• Communicate with clients via email and telephone to book both guided trips and lodging
• Manage the stocking of merchandise and organize the backstock and back rooms
• Contact all clients that will be checking in within the next 24 hours and ensure that they have all the – logistical information that they might need for their upcoming trip

To apply email resume to: [email protected]

The Big Hole River fishing report has been pretty good lately for our guides and general public anglers. We have over 55 miles of open fishable water on the Big Hole right now. The Big Hole is open from Dickey Bridge down to Notch Bottom(Tony Shoonen Fishing Access). Hoot Owl Restrictions have been lifted on this section. You can fish all day and all evening from Dickey Bridge down to the Lower Maiden Rock (FWP). On the Big Hole you will find trico’s, hoppers and a few spruce moth’s still around. Nymphing has been solid with Spanish bullett’s, psycho mayflies and pat’s rubber legs. We have seen some very nice brown trout caught lately on the river. Hoppers and a nymph dropper has been the ticket to stay hooked up after the trico’s hatch in the morning.

Recommended Flies:

• #8 Plan B (peach)
• #10 Chubby Chernobyl Pink
• #18 Trico Spinner
• #18 Trico Comparadun
• #18 Purple Craze
• #16 Spanish Bullet Olive

The USGS recalibrated the Glen gauge on Monday, August 5 and it was determined that the gauge was reading lower than the actual flow of the river. Because of this, FWP announced on August 6 that sections 3 and 4 of the Big Hole Rive are open again. This means that you can fish sections 2, 3, and 4 of the Big Hole River. These three sections are still under Hoot Owl Restrictions, meaning you can fish the river from Midnight until 2:00pm every day. With the river opening, our fly shop will be open again starting Wednesday, August 7 at 7:00am.

Full fishing closures are still in effect for both Sections 1 and 5 of the Big Hole.

Full Fishing closure is in effect for the following section of the Big Hole River beginning August 1

• Section 5: Tony Schoonen FAS (aka Notch) to confluence with Beaverhead River

Flows have gradually decreased since hoot owl restrictions were put in place in early July and dropped below 100 cfs on the morning of August 1, 2024.

The Big Hole River has a drought management plan that is overseen by the Big Hole Watershed Committee and calls for a full closure of Section V when flows drop below 100 cfs.

Fishing closure is in effect for the following section of the Big Hole River beginning August 7

• Section 1: ​​Saginaw Bridge on Skinner Meadows Road to the confluence with North Fork of the Big Hole River

​​Flows and water temperatures in Section 1 are measured at USGS gage 06024450 near Wisdom.​ 

​​Flows have gradually decreased since hoot owl restrictions were put in place in early July and dropped below 20 cfs on August 2, 2024. Flows have since fluctuated between 15 and 24 cfs.​ 

​​The Big Hole River has a drought management plan that is overseen by the Big Hole Watershed Committee and calls for a full closure of Section I when flows drop below 20 cfs. FWP staff visited the site last week to confirm the gage was providing accurate measurements. At the time, the gage was reading 46 cfs and staff measured closer to 35 cfs, so there’s a high likelihood that flows are lower than being reported.​