6/23/2026: Missouri River Fishing Report
Summary
The Mo is squarely into its dry-fly prime and fishing well, though the PMD hatch is running a touch thinner than usual and the dry-fly fishing has been challenging more often than not. Flows below Holter are holding around 3,160 CFS and easing toward summer levels; water temps run 56 to 58°F, warm enough for wet wading. The rain and hail that moved through June 17 to 18 were a welcome reset, adding bug activity and a touch of color, and the partly cloudy stretch since has pushed hatch start times later in the day.
At a glance: Flow: ~3,160 CFS below Holter Dam (holding, easing toward summer) | Water temp: 56 to 58°F (wet wading viable) | Clarity: good | Weather: summery, highs near 70 to mid-80s with scattered storms | Stage: PMD and caddis prime but inconsistent, Tricos arriving soon
The river has settled into early summer. Flows below Holter Dam are holding around 3,160 CFS, dam-controlled and easing slowly toward summer levels; water temps run 56°F at the dam to 58°F midday downstream, warm enough for wet wading. The rain and hail that moved through June 17 to 18 were a welcome reset, adding bug activity and a touch of color, and the partly cloudy stretch since has pushed hatch start times later in the day. PMDs and PEDs have been popping around noon on cloudy days and closer to 10:00 a.m. on bright ones, earliest on the upper river through the canyon.
The honest read on the hatch is mixed and has stayed that way. Wolf Creek Angler's solstice update calls the fishing good but challenging, as it should be, and notes the dry-fly fishing has been challenging more often than not despite this being prime DFO time. The PMDs arrived weeks early and then stalled out in the cold, and it is unclear how the rest of the PMD window will play. There are bugs daily, but the hatches lack consistency, the fish are spooky on the low water, and the cast is critical. Headhunters echoes it: a mediocre PMD so far, good action in the daily window (roughly 9:30 to 1:30) but no heavy daily flurries and no great spinner fall yet. Caddis are decent and should only get better into summer, with the best evening activity in the canyon and fluttering adults at dusk. The shops are holding out hope for strong PMD days still ahead, and Headhunters is calling Tricos soon.
Note. Heavy boat and wade traffic, at or near all-time highs. This is the busiest month of the year. Crowds of wade anglers at most prime spots, no shortage of boats in any stretch, and low flows making fish spooky. Go early or go late, give wade fishers a wide berth, be patient at the ramps, and play nice.
Best techniques
Nymphing, the workhorse. WCA reports fish holding in the faster, medium-to-shallow depths, taking PMD and caddis nymphs along with sows and pheasant tails. Deep rigs still produce, but short-leashing the shallow flats or running a dry/dropper has been good and should continue. The worm-and-sowbug combo remains the morning opener on the upper river; the Trout Shop's long-rig wire worm over a PMD or caddis nymph is producing, and a short-leash two-Split Case PMD rig has been exceptionally effective. Expect to pick through whitefish early.
Dry fly, the main event, with caveats. Fish look up when the bugs come, but they are educated and the hatches are spotty. Cycle through duns, cripples, and spinners before leaving a riser, and mind your cast on the low, clear water. A Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner over rising pods is the go-to; PMDs in pale and rusty shades are must-haves. For caddis, the Trout Shop likes Corn-Fed Caddis, Party On Tops, and Hi-Vis Caddis, and says to fish a caddis midday even before adults show.
Soft hackles. Late morning to early afternoon swing time when fish are swirling below the surface. Hit-or-miss, but a sleeper on the right day.
Streamers, better with the clouds back. The anemic insect bite has Headhunters reaching for the meaty alternative, and Leeches have been real good on light line or intermediate tips fished with purpose. Cross Currents still calls darker purples and blacks first, then sparkle olive, yellow, and brown. Target banks, gravel-bar drop-offs, and mid-river buckets, and get the streamer days in before the weeds come up in a couple of weeks.
Hatches
PMDs and caddis continue to anchor the menu, with PEDs joining the PMDs midday on the upper river and a few PMD spinners in the evenings (still no great single spinner fall). The early-arrival PMD hatch has held through the cool stretch but remains inconsistent rather than the heavy daily flurries expected by now. Caddis should improve into summer. Tricos are on the near horizon (soon per Headhunters). Background midges persist morning and evening.
The Fly Box
Nymphs: Split Case PMD, Red Bead Duracell, Frenchie, Green Machine, Little Green Machine, Tailwater Sowbug, Wire Worm, Worms, Sows, Brown Perdigons, Zirdle, Two Hot PMD, PMD Magic Fly, Redemption, Gold Lightning Bug, Doc's Summer Bug, Purple Weight Fly, Tung Darts, UV Czech Caddis, Blow Torch, Pheasant Tails
Emergers: Sprouts, CDC Emergers, Last Chance Cripples, Flash Cripples, PMD Soft Hackle, Edible Emerger, Film Critic PMD
Dries: Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner, Rusty Spinners, Corn-Fed Caddis, Missing Link PMD/Caddis, Sparkle Dun, D&D Cripple, Double Duck Caddis, Stockingfoot Caddis, Elkhair classics, Hatchbacks, Buzzballs, Party On Top, Hi-Vis Caddis
Streamers: Kreelex, Sparkly Minnow, Thin Mint Bugger, Sex Dungeon, Lil Kim, Skiddish Smolt, Gamechanger, Leeches
By the stretch. The reports ran whole-river again, with no formal sub-section breakouts. Two geographic notes worth carrying: the upper river (Holter Dam down through the canyon) sees the earliest PMD start on bright days (closer to 10:00 a.m.) and is where the Trout Shop is fishing dries through the canyon. Caddis activity is most consistent in the canyon and toward dusk, with the evening fluttering adults the standout. No specific Land of the Giants or Cascade-stretch notes this run.
Outlook. Summer is here. WCA frames the next four weeks as full-tilt: rooms, rental boats, and shuttles booked solid, guide availability nonexistent, and recreational floaters adding to the crowd on low flows. Weather looks summery with highs near 70 early in the week warming back into the 80s midweek, plus scattered storms. That mix of cloud and sun is helpful: cooler, cloudier windows slow the hatch burn and keep the dry-fly window from collapsing. Flows keep easing toward summer levels. Tricos are on deck to add to the morning menu, caddis should improve, and the streamer bite should hold while the clouds and the pre-weed-growth window last. Fish early, mind your manners on a crowded river, and pack both rain gear and sunscreen.
Sources and Thanks
| Shop | Report date | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Wolf Creek Angler (Wolf Creek) | June 19, 2026 | Missouri River |
| Headhunters Fly Shop (Craig) | June 18, 2026 | Missouri River |
| The Trout Shop (Craig) | June 18, 2026 | Missouri River |
| Cross Currents Fly Shop (Craig) | June 8, 2026 | Missouri River |
