Green Hillsides and Great Fishing light up the Ranch!
- May 14
- 2 min read
May 14, 2026
With cooler temperatures on the horizon, things are shaping up for a great week of fishing and evenings by the fire. Spring is in full swing at Missouri River Ranch with flowers blooming and the hillsides during from their winter gold to a vibrant green in anticipation of the Summer to come. This has the antelope in the meadows by the Ranch as active as the trout along our banks. 3000CFS remains the flow of the Missouri at Wolf Creek, but we are hoping some precipitation might bump these numbers up slightly. Water temps are on the rise but still toping out in the mid-50's.
The dry-fly buffet has begun on the Mo. Caddis, BWOs, and Midges are all hatching on the Missouri at the moment. We even had a Salmon Fly make an appearance at the Ranch this week, so keep that in mind when floating past creeks that feed the Missouri. Picking the right dry fly has been tricky with so many different bugs on the water, but we have had the best luck starting with a fly that you can easily see and dialing in the tailing fly to the liking of picky trout. Corn-fed Caddis or a Parachute pattern followed by a cripple or emerger has been the ticket as of late.
Whether it's under an indicator or suspended beneath a larger foam fly, nymphing continues to pick up the most fish on the river. It seems like the specific fly is changing day to day, but we are seeing more action on shorter nymph rigs in faster currents. This is a good sign that trout are starting to spread out from their wintering homes, so don't be surprised to pick up your biggest fish in only a few feet of water. Dark olive or black perdigons have been staples but adding a little flash with a Green Machine or Rainbow Warrior has also been fooling stubborn fish.
Streamer junkies have had their persistence pay off in the last week. Though streamers are not turning the number of fish that other methods have, the fish that have been caught always impress. Patterns like the JJ Special in the unweighted and conehead versions have been save bets for enticing hungry brown trout.
Drop us a line, and we'll see you soon at the ranch!
This is sure to be an unbelievable season on the Missouri.
Missouri River Ranch
406-206-6989