Missouri River Fishing Report, June 5, 2026

Summary

The unseasonably cool, wet pattern that closed out May is still running the show, with the Mo bumped over 3,500 CFS and now dropping back near 3,400. PMDs are well underway, and the cool weather has the shops optimistic the early start means bonus time rather than an early end. Early terrestrial fishing is paying off on the right day.

At a glance: ~3,400 CFS below Holter and dropping | Light color, Dearborn mud line downstream | 54 to 56°F | Cool and wet, welcome rain on thin storage | PMDs underway, BWOs waning, Pseudos, caddis building, early terrestrials

The unseasonably cool, wet pattern that closed out May is still running the show. The steady Mo bumped over 3,500 CFS with the rain and is now back down to roughly 3,400 and dropping, with the tribs adding volume as you move downstream, the Dearborn set up a good mud line a couple of days ago and even bumped to floatable flows itself (488 CFS and falling fast). The rain put about 2" on the ground in 72 hours and is welcome news for thin reservoir storage in what has otherwise been a low-water year that has the river acting more like a freestone than a tailwater. Water temps are running 54 to 56°F and the fish are in their peak metabolic zone, eating heavily every day.

PMDs arrived a few weeks ahead of schedule and the hatch is well underway, but the return of cooler, wetter weather has the shops optimistic the early start means bonus time on the front side rather than an early end. BWOs are waning, micro mayflies (Pseudos) show at varying times of day, and caddis are back on the menu and building. Early terrestrial fishing has been effective on the right day. June is prime time on the Missouri Dry Fly Mecca, regional flow bumps brought some transient boat traffic back this way, but that should dissipate as everything else comes back into shape.

Best techniques

• Nymphing is the main game. Mornings: go deep, 6 to 7 feet under an indicator, with a worm pattern like the Wire Worm as lead fly trailed by a sow bug, target inside bends and slower water, especially up near the dam where sow bugs are always on the menu early. The Dearborn mud line has the worm bite going downstream. Afternoons: shorten to 3 to 5 feet and keep your mayfly nymph high in the column on the hard seams, swirlies, and fast shallow bank water; brown and olive patterns in #16 to #18.
• Dry-fly fishing demands your A-game. Plenty of fish working PMDs when the waves of risers come, but they're educated, long leaders, accurate casts, and fly-first presentations. High-wing duns work the front end of the hatch; cripples, spinners, and emergers rule as it matures. Fish CDC and short hair-winged patterns in the film. A Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner has been very productive over rising pods; drop an emerger off it if the spinner alone gets refused.
• Soft-hackle swing late morning to early afternoon: a Gold Tung Dart (caddis pupa) over a Partridge & Yellow (PMD) on a trout spey or single-hander finds swirling fish below the surface.
• Dry-dropper in skinny water: a Chubby suspending a Micro May or Frenchie is hard to beat, occasionally a big brown lights up the Chubby itself.
• Streamers when the sun is off the water, before the hatch or after the bugs have flown. Bright-sun fish follow but won't commit; use a heavier sink tip or sinking leader to get down rather than expecting fish to chase up.

Hatches

Hatch picture: PMDs well underway and building toward the peak weeks (action expected to increase through the 4th of July, with the cool spell possibly extending the season); caddis back on the menu and improving, best below Mid-Canon for now; BWOs nearly done; Pseudos midday; Yellow Sallies starting (a small yellow stonefly, fish the parachute versions in the film); the worm hatch continues; ants (cinnamon, black, bi-colored) become daily carry by late June; Tricos on the horizon to finish the month. Midges remain the steady background option.

The Fly Box

Nymphs: Frenchy, Black IPT, Green Machine (incl. Little Green Machine), Psycho May, Split Case PMD, Spanish Bullet (brown or olive; Spanish Perdigon), Warrior Perdigon, Fullback Napoleon, Two Bit Hooker, Micro May, Crust Nymph, Tung Jig Pheasant Tail, Tung Jig Hares Ear (GRHE), Blow Torch (incl. red bead), Redemption, PMD Magic Fly, Two Hot PMD, Gold Lightning Bug, Purple Weight Fly, Doc's Summer Bug, UV Czech Caddis, Tung Darts, Tailwater Sow (natural grey and rainbow; Tailwater Sowbug), Pill Popper, Wire Worm, Iron Sally, big and small PTs, Zebras, Split Back

Emergers: Loop Wing Emerger, Captive Dun, Partridge & Yellow, PMD Soft Hackle, Sprout Baetis (Baetis/PMD), Flash Cripples, Last Chance Cripples

Dries: Purple Haze, Parachute Adams (Adams), Purple Para Wulff, Royal Wulff, Sparkle Flag, Split Flag, Brianne Dun, Film Critic (BWO/PMD), Missing Link (caddis/PMD), CDC Para Spinner, Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner (Hi-Vis Spinners), Rusty Spinners, Hatchbacks, Corn Fed Caddis, Double Duck Caddis, Stockingfoot Caddis, Elkhair classics, Buzzball (great for both caddis and PMD)

Streamers: Bam Bam, Thin Mint (Thin Mint Bugger), Trout Spey Bugger, Mini Montana Intruder, Mini Sculpin, Mini Dungeon, Micro Peanut Envy, Peacock and Black Bugger, Sex Dungeon (try a big white one if your heart can handle it), Kreelex, Sparkly Minnow, Lil Kim, Skiddish Smolt, Gamechanger, Zirdle

Outlook. Tomorrow looks warm (high near 80), then the cool trend resumes, highs in the 50s and 60s much of next week with a good chance of more precipitation toward the end of next week. Flows are on the drop from the rain bump and should stabilize near the 3K level, with Headhunters predicting roughly average flows for late June and July if the rain keeps coming. The PMD main event is here on its historical June 4 to 6 schedule, and the cool wet pattern may stretch the hatch rather than shorten it, the next two weeks are the favorite fly-fishing window of the year on the Mo. Caddis should flourish as water temps rise between systems. Thunderstorm chances most days; pack raingear and sunscreen both.

Sources and Thanks

Shop	Report date	Coverage
Headhunters Fly Shop (Craig)	June 4, 2026	Missouri River
The Trout Shop (Craig)	June 4, 2026	Missouri River
Cross Currents Fly Shop (Craig)	June 4, 2026	Missouri River
Wolf Creek Angler (Wolf Creek)	June 4, 2026	Missouri River