Freestone · Limestone · Montana

Smith River

Smith River venue image
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The Smith is the one you have to win a lottery to fish.

Species

About as good as it gets

River high but settled. Fish are looking up — bigger flies, confident takes.

90% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Ideal
12°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6012% weight
Conditions
Level
1.42 m
Water temp
12.3°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
19°C
Wind
NE 14 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1014 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Montana licence PLUS an FWP launch permit (annual lottery)
  • The flow window is short — too low and you drag boats, too high and it is unsafe.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Smith is the one you have to win a lottery to fish. It's a 59-mile limestone canyon you float over four or five days, camping on gravel bars under walls that close in around you, and Montana hands out the permits by draw because that's the only way to keep it from being loved to death. Browns and rainbows hold in the runs between the cliffs. The flows have to be right — too low and you drag the boat, too high and it's gone — so the season is short and the planning is real, but people talk about a Smith trip for years afterward.

  • Limestone
Seasons & zones
  • TroutThird Saturday of May → Last day of February
Other water nearby · 2