Ahh... September. A Wonderful time to fish around Glacier National Park
In and around Glacier National Park in northwest Montana, the nights are getting longer, yellowing leaves are falling from Cottonwoods, and our trout are starting their annual migration back down to Flathead Lake. For some, this is the best time of the year. The only problem is that there is just too much fun stuff to do and not enough time to do it. But if you willing to fish around Glacier National Park’s hallowed waters in September and October it can produce some of the best fishing of the year. If you know where to find them.
The Flathead’s wild and native trout fishery is considered migratory. When the conditions are right (July- early September), native cutthroat trout along with other trout species that inhabit the the Flathead’s moving waters are relatively consistent in the types of water they inhabit. But when conditions change these fish start to become more elusive. Where they all go, nobody can say with certainty but if an angler can locate them they might find some of the largest trout of the year. At Wild Montana Anglers we specialize in knowing how to target these riverene travelers and have been finding some incredible fish with the folks we have been taking fishing.
Big Water
Fall is a great time to be on the big water. Tourism season is starting to wain and hunting season is ramping up which equates into fewer people on the water. Boat ramps are back to being lonely parking lots and waiting in line to either launch or recover your boat is a thing for someone to worry about next year.
Water temperatures have cooled off and trout are starting to disperse into a variety of water. For our team, it has still been a dry fly game. Big foam flies are still king but with the cooling of fall, maylfies, caddis, and midges are starting to reemerge in the river corridor and trout have be found sipping small flies. This week, riffles, foam lines, outside turns, and structure have been productive places to find trout holding. If the wind is less than a breeze, long flats have congregated trout looking for surface flies. Our clients have been having a blast targeting individual feeding trout. Whatever method you like to fish for our native and wild trout, you can likely find a productive place to do that on the river right now.
Dries
Trout have been looking up and we have been throwing a variety of dry flies depending on the situation. Hopper patterns such as chubby chernobyls, Jake’s trigger belly, and Ross’s repeat offender have all been effective in getting trout’s attention. Smaller flies trailed off the back with a lengthy section of tippet have also been productive. Parachute mayflies in a variety of colors, dark and orange caddis, as well as small ants have been hard to beat in our current conditions.
Bobbers
We don’t have a lot to tell ya in this department. Check back in next month. Late fall is generally when we dust of the bobbers and get down and dirty again.
Sreamers
We have had some folks throwing small streamers with big results. Slump busters, Sculpzillas, and small Krellix streamers under either a floating or sinking line have moved some impressive trout from all types of waters. pounding banks, structure, and tailouts are a good way to get an aggressive strike from a variety of trout species. Brighter colors in white and yellow have appeared to be more productive than darker colors lately but it would best to experiment with a variety of colors to dial in exactly what the trout are wanting on that particular day.
Small Water
Our local small waters are starting to shine again. We generally leave these waters alone during the “dog days” of summer but with our cooling air temperatures and longer nights these fisheries are now a great option to explore. Keep the fly selection simple. We, along with several of our fishy friends have been throwing a variety of standard fly patterns with varying success. As we transition farther into fall, we will likely see more of a variety bugs hatching on these smaller streams. Caddis, both large and small, nocturnal stone flies, and a variety of mayflies are likely to show up on these smaller waters.
Trout have been hanging out in a variety of water as well. Inside turns, depth changes, and outside banks with structure have all produced fish lately. Some of our local small water are having the annual run of Kokanee salmon. This is a great opportunity to catch and keep if you are into that sort of thing or you might be able to find some larger trout hanging out behind the salmon and gorging on salmon eggs. It is like our own little version of Alaska but make sure you know the regulations and fish in the designated waters where Kokanee are allowed to be targeted. Not sure where that is? Check out the Montana fishing regulations here.
Dries
Flies to consider on our local small waters are Parachute mayflies in a variety of colors, Kauffman’s stimulators, buzz ball caddis, caddis X, water walkers, and chubby Chernobyls.
Bobbers
We haven’t been fishing under a bobber per say but we have heard that dropping a nymph below a larger dry fly or hopper has been productive on a variety of smaller water. Flies to consider in this department are pheasant tails, perdigons in a plethora of colors, small stonefly nymphs, and small egg patterns if you are fishing behind spawning Kokanee salmon.
Streamers
We know some tried and true streamer anglers in this valley and reports from them have indicated that streamer fishing is starting to heat up on our local small waters. Much like the bigger water’s streamer report, it appears as though brighter streamers have been better. These anglers have been targeting structure and undercut banks and although the number of trout have not been high the size of the trout that have been chasing these streamers have been impressive. As we get closer to the fall spawn, I would suspect that the streamer bite is only going to build and there are going to be some rather large brown trout that come to hand using this technique. If you are a streamer junky this fall, let us know how your thoughts and techniques.
Warm Water
Fall is also a great time to shift gears and target some of our local warmwater species northern pike, smallmouth, and largemouth bass. As water temperatures cool, many of these fish begin to move out of the deeper holes and into the shallows, making them more accessible to fly anglers. It’s only a matter of time before pike start cruising the flats again during daylight hours, offering some of the most exciting visual opportunities of the season.
These fish can be found patrolling skinny water, especially on sun-warmed flats, drop-offs, and along points. Keep an eye out for baitfish stacking up if you find the bait, the predators aren’t far behind. This seasonal movement creates a prime window to connect with some of the biggest fish of the year on the fly.
Much like our native trout fisheries higher up in the drainages, the warmwater bite is only going to get better as we move deeper into fall.
Closing Thoughts
I know I’ve harped on this all article long, but seriously, September is just an incredible month to be in Northwest Montana. We’re so fortunate to have these wild waters and fisheries right in our backyard. It’s the kind of place where you can truly immerse yourself and feel connected to the landscape.
Now, while the drop in both air and water temps is usually a great thing for fishing this time of year, it does come with a word of caution. Hypothermia can sneak up on you fast if the weather turns and you’re not prepared. So pack the right layers, know the forecast for wherever you’re heading, and be ready for rapid changes in conditions.
Bottom line—be safe out there, and soak up the best month of the year while it lasts
