Montana

Montana is the canonical Western fly fishing destination and it lives up to the reputation. The big freestone rivers of the southwest — Madison, Big Hole, Gallatin, Yellowstone — fish well from June through October. The Missouri tailwater below Holter Dam carries the early and late seasons. The Bighorn on the Crow Reservation fishes year-round. The Bitterroot in the west offers more intimate freestone water and the famous skwala hatch in early spring.

Float fishing is the default mode on most Montana rivers — drift boats, guides, multi-day floats. Wade access exists on every river but the water is often big and tough to cover on foot. Runoff in May and June is the season's biggest variable; once it drops, you get a long, reliable summer window. Stoneflies in late June, PMDs and caddis through July, hoppers in August, BWOs through October. Costs can run high in the destination towns (Ennis, Twin Bridges, West Yellowstone); the smaller towns are friendlier on a budget.