Missouri River February Fishing Forecast 2021
Welcome to February. Football is over, baseball is coming. We are getting nearer to spring ’21 everyday and we for one are damn excited about 2021. We bring you the Missouri River February Fishing Forecast 2021.
We hope to continue to stack up the snow in the higher elevations. It’s early still folks. 5 months until we will truly know what the entirety of the 2021 summer and fall fishing season will hold. That is a long time from now. I think another 135 days til the last week of June. Then Mother Nature will have spoken.
But as it sits now we are behind in our annual snow totals. 80%-ish is where we are at. February has proven over the past couple decades to surprise us as it did just two short years ago when Montana and the west tumbled into an Arctic Freeze for 6 weeks!
February is a good month to organize your fly fishing summer plans. Get your gear fixed and cleaned. Buy some new gear from Headhunters of Craig. Your favorite fly shop. Why not? We love you!
Headhunters Fly Shop Calendar
Swing Season continues as we head toward the meat of the winter months. Today 57F. Not normal. This weekend will bring us more seasonal weather with snow and wind and cold. Perfect.
Swingers have been out in force as they battle the Nymphers for the deeper holding buckets.
Bugs. Midges. Mid Month. Maybe.
We all love March because the Headhunters Annual Spring Special guided trips are $450 with lodging starting at $150/nt. A good way to get your fly fishing year ramped up. Our spring special begins March 15th and runs through the end of April. The longest running and most popular Spring Special on the Mo!
Headhunters Fly Shop open daily 8-5pm will all things Trout Spey. Come by and demo a rod before you buy. Check out a demo spey line before you buy. Come in and chat with our crack staff about all things 2HTROUT. All of the lines, leaders, tips, accessories you need!
Montana February Weather
Not a month that is generally inhabitable. Cold. Windy. Some snow. About 8 inches of snow fall for the month. We may see some of that come this weekend. More to come as the week progresses.
Some good to great fishing can be had if the conditions allow you to get on the water. Calm, cool, cloudy afternoons make us drool starting the fire for the 2021 season.
Bring cold and wet weather clothing. Anything can happen weather-wise…except for sunny and 80F.
Missouri River February Flows
The chart is how it will look most of the month. Not much in daily air temperature movement will allow for consistent water temps. 36F is a magic winter number. When water temps hold below the magical 36F mark the fish are not as responsive. Not to say that there are times when even the cold fish get good and bitey. That can happen. We still like to get out there when the mercury is above 40F. Pretty nice really.
Flows will remain about the same as well. Like many Missouri River flow graphs February will look relatively static. If anything with continued snow fall in the Rockies and eastward the flows will remain at or above historic winter flows. Well, recent winter flows.
Previous to twenty years ago the winter flows were more often at the Median Level. Only recently have the water managers felt it necessary to be concerned about lack of precipitation changing the early season directive. This year may be different. We will see.
February Mo River Hatches
Midges. Only midges. They may come stronger middle of the month. Keep it tuned here for the up to the minute hatch reports. Headhunters is your only source for current Missouri River conditions.
Clusters/Buzzballs & CDC Cluster Midges & Griffith’s Gnats, Adults/Para Adams, Emergers/soft hackles & CDC Hanging Midges, nymphs/Zebra’s.
February Fly Fishing Realities
It’s historically cold. Not many folks around. A nice quiet time on the Missouri River. Start looking for a decent number of rising fish mid month. Nymph slow deep buckets. Streamer anglers are really waiting for warmer water temps. Unless you like to “nymph” your streamers down the river with tension on the line along with very little stripping movement.
Montana Winter Trout Spey
Trout Spey will have success swinging in a bit deeper water with possibly your heaviest tips of the year. Come by the shop to get your Spey Rig all tuned in! We have a the only selection of swinging flies on the Mo. Look for Headhunters to bring in even more patterns for your Trout Spey day in 2021. Over 150 already in the bins. Locals already know that Headhunters of Craig is the Trout Spey Destination Fly Shop!.
Headhunters of Craig Montana is your Trout Spey fly shop. Call us today with any and all questions regarding all things spey.
Headhunters Fly Shop in February
We are currently hiring the balance of our summer staff. That is one of the many winter projects. Julie and Sara are busy booking trips and lodging for the ’21 season. Derek, Mike, Richard,a dn Steve are shuffling fly gear. Jimmy is shuttling trailers up and down the river for those who choose to float. John is masterminding updated merchandising and finding the coolest gear for the season ahead. Mark is scripting your winter blog articles and scheduling summer fun!
And some YouTube action too…
The entire staff does enjoy this slower period of the year. But this winter we have had a ton of wade and boat anglers due to the seasonal warm weather.
Book your 2021 Guide Trip or Lodging today. It is happening. June and July continue to fill. Now is the time folks. Get it done, locked in, and put to bed. Then fantasize warming your bones in sunny Craig Montana.
Enjoy February wherever you are wintering. We’ll speak with you soon!