May is heating up on the Ranch with homemade hot sauce and hotter hatches!
- May 7
- 2 min read
May 7, 2026
May welcomed itself to Montana with groups of incredible guests and the first elk of the season on property.  Long time friends of MRR made their yearly appearances to keep the trout on their toes, and first time guests left us feeling like we added to the Missouri River Ranch family. Flows are hanging around 3000CFS with water temperatures looking to get into the low 50's this coming week. We are hoping the warmer, consistent weather will bring on even stronger hatches at the Ranch.
Picking your spots and time of day have been the key to wrangling in the rising fish on the river. Our top notch guides have been able to accommodate dry fly purist but nymphing while hunting for rising heads has been the most effective way to cover water. Guests looking to chase surface eats on the Ranch have had the best luck on a high-vis attractor followed by a smaller cripple pattern behind in a two fly setup. March Browns, Caddis, and BWOs are all firing so bouncing between Para Wulffs, March Brown Parachutes, and Cornfed Caddis with Rusty Spinners following have found fish with the right combos.
Hot or cold, rain or shine...our fishy guides are still finding the trout subsurface. While fish are starting to look up and have been the prize last week, most trout and whitefish are still being tricked with the nymph patterns. Nymphing your way to risers has kept anglers busy between pods. Rainbow Warriors, Mosassins, and olive perdigons are continuing to play well. Adjust your depth on indicator rigs until you find the feeding zone. Natural colored Chubby Chernobyls are a great alternative to watching an indicator and have been the go-to dry/dropper setup along the borders of faster moving runs.
If there's clouds, give them the big meal! While not as consistent as other methods amongst guests, pulling big streamers through the water column has produced a few studley brown trout. Dark Buggers and Game Changers are still catching the eyes of the predators in our river. If you are looking to take stroll on the wild side, try taking a walk to the river under the stars to try your luck with a mouse pattern. Flies like the Master Splinter and Morrish Mouse have gotten reactions out of angry, nocturnal trout.Â
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