Missouri River Fishing Report, June 7, 2026

Summary

The Mo is fishing well across all reaches, with flows settling back near 3,400 CFS after a rain bump and a green tint downstream from the Dearborn. It is prime time: the PMD hatch is a few weeks early and in full swing, with caddis building. Craig and the ramps are busy, so plan around the crowd.

At a glance: ~3,400 CFS at Holter, cresting and dropping | Lightly off-color but fishable, green tint below the Dearborn | 55 to 56°F | Cool and wet breaking to a warming trend | PMDs in full swing a few weeks early, caddis building

The Mo is fishing well across all reaches. A wet close to May and start to June bumped flows over 3,500 before settling back to about 3,400 cfs and dropping, with the tributaries adding a touch of volume and color downstream. Flows are well below the historic 6K, 10K of a normal June, the signature of a low-water year. Water temps sit at 55 to 56°F, squarely in the trout's peak metabolic zone, and the fish are eating heavily. The Dearborn surprised everyone by bumping over 500 cfs, throwing a fishable mud line and a green tint into the Missouri below its mouth.

The headline is the PMD hatch, which popped a few weeks ahead of schedule and is well underway. Caddis are back on the menu in good numbers, BWOs and Midges round out the bug life, and early terrestrial (Ant) fishing has produced on the right day. Fish have been pod-feeding in waves, on then off, so coverage and patience matter. The fish have already seen a month of anglers, so they are educated: long leaders, accurate casts, and fly-first / reach presentations are the difference between a good day and a great one.

Boat traffic and crowding. Craig boat ramps and the river are busy. Give other anglers room and be courteous at the ramps. The Dearborn is dropping fast, call ahead for shuttles.

Best techniques

• Nymphing, the bread and butter right now. Go deep in the morning (6 to 7 ft) with a worm as the lead fly trailed by a sowbug; target inside bends and slower water. In the afternoon shorten to 3 to 5 ft and ride higher in the column as fish look up for emerging bugs, working hard seams, swirls, and the fast shallow bank water. Small brown and olive nymphs in #16 to #18.
• Dry fly, as good as it gets during the PMD waves, with caddis taking over in the evenings in side channels and along banks. Blind-fishing caddis and PMD dries is working for those willing to cover water. When fish are up on spinners, a Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner has been the ticket; drop an emerger off it if they refuse. Lower river (below Mid-Canyon) is the call for topwater caddis over the next couple weeks.
• Dry-dropper, a Chubby suspending a Micro May or Frenchie is hard to beat in skinny water.
• Soft hackles, swing time is late morning to early afternoon; a Gold Tung Dart (caddis pupa) over a Partridge & Yellow (PMD) on a trout spey is producing.
• Streamers, tough in bright sun (fish follow but won't commit); use heavier sink tips and fish low light. Most streamer anglers are shelving it until fall.

Hatches

Active: PMDs (primary), caddis (building), BWOs, Midges, early Ants and Yellow Sallies. On deck: Tricos and Brown Drakes.

The Fly Box

Nymphs: Frenchie, Black IPT, Green Machine (and Little Green Machine), Psycho May, Split Case PMD, Spanish Bullet / Spanish Perdigon, Warrior Perdigon, Fullback Napoleon, Two Bit Hooker, Micro May, Crust Nymph, Tung Jig Pheasant Tail, Tung Jig Hare's Ear, Blow Torch (and Red Bead Blow Torch), Two Hot PMD, Split Back, Pheasant Tail, PMD Magic Fly, Redemption, Gold Lightning Bug, Doc's Summer Bug, Purple Weight Fly, Iron Sally, Zebra Midge, Tailwater Sow, Pill Popper, Wire Worm

Emergers: Sprout Baetis, Loop Wing Emerger, Captive Dun, Partridge & Yellow, PMD Soft Hackle, Translucent Pupa, Translucent Emerger, Tung Dart, UV Czech Caddis, Flash Cripple, Last Chance Cripple

Dries: Purple Haze, Parachute Adams, Purple Para Wulff, Royal Wulff, Sparkle Flag, Split Flag, Brianne Dun, Film Critic, Missing Link Caddis, CDC Para Spinner, Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner, Rusty Spinner, Buzzball, Jake's Hatchback Baetis, Corn-Fed Caddis, Hi-Vis Spent Caddis, Double Duck Caddis, Stockingfoot Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis

Streamers: Bam Bam, Thin Mint, Trout Spey Bugger, Mini Montana Intruder, Mini Sculpin, Mini-Dungeon, Micro Peanut Envy, Peacock & Black Bugger, Sex Dungeon, Kreelex, Sparkle Minnow, Lil Kim, Skiddish Smolt, Gamechanger, Zirdle

Outlook. More cool, showery weather is forecast through much of next week (highs in the 50s to 60s) with a warm spike midweek, then a return to the wet pattern. That is good news: the cool, damp conditions should extend the early PMD hatch rather than burning it out, so expect strong PMD dry-fly action through roughly the 4th of July, with caddis numbers climbing (especially on the lower river) and Tricos and brown drakes on the near horizon. Flows should hold near average for the back half of June barring a big rain event.

Sources and Thanks

Shop	Report date	Coverage
Headhunters Fly Shop (Craig)	June 1, 2026	Missouri River
The Trout Shop (Craig)	June 6, 2026	Missouri River
Cross Currents Fly Shop (Craig)	May 26, 2026	Missouri River
Wolf Creek Angler (Wolf Creek)	June 4, 2026	Missouri River