59 miles
Montana · freestone
59 miles
Intermediate · Boat
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout
August on the hatch chart — names and sizes, not a catch report.
Filled months are when that insect is on the chart. Best months for this river are lit.
| Insect | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midge (Chironomidae) | ||||||||||||
| Skwala stonefly | ||||||||||||
| Blue-winged Olive (Baetis) | ||||||||||||
| March Brown (Rhithrogena) | ||||||||||||
| Caddis (Trichoptera) | ||||||||||||
| Salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica) | ||||||||||||
| Golden Stonefly (Hesperoperla) | ||||||||||||
| Pale Morning Dun (Ephemerella) | ||||||||||||
| Terrestrials | ||||||||||||
| October Caddis (Dicosmoecus) | ||||||||||||
| Mahogany Dun (Paraleptophlebia) |
Hatch-chart nymphs, dries, and streamers for this river. Not a crowdsourced catch report.
Open the Smith River fly list →5 listed points. Map is Vellum land and Teal water — a desk chart, not a satellite.
Montana FWP fishing access on the Smith above Camp Baker. FWP: 46.74513695, -111.17401085. About 17 miles west of White Sulphur Springs, then 2 miles north on Smith River Road. Not the lottery put-in.
Smith River State Park put-in. Only authorized public launch for the 59-mile permitted corridor. FWP GPS: 46.8034787, -111.1824724. Lottery permit and floater fee required to float downstream to Eden Bridge.
Smith River State Park take-out at river mile 58.9. Only authorized public take-out on the permitted corridor. FWP GPS: 47.23604959, -111.3888357. Near live USGS 06077500.
Montana FWP access on the Smith below Eden Bridge, outside the lottery corridor. FWP: 47.35454458, -111.43702962. About 8 miles southeast of Ulm on Millegan Road.
Montana FWP undeveloped access on the lower Smith. FWP: 47.39279, -111.44887. About 3 miles south of Ulm on Highway 330 (Millegan Road). Not signed.
Central Fishing District. Montana fishing license required. Floating between Camp Baker and Eden Bridge is strictly limited: mandatory registration, floater fee, and other Smith River State Park rules. A drawing for launch dates is held in February, with remaining launches filled first-come. Contact the Great Falls FWP office at 406-454-5840. Camp Baker Bridge to Eden Bridge: combined trout 3 under 13 inches daily and in possession and only 1 over 22 inches daily and in possession; artificial lures only, except anglers 14 or younger may use bait. Listed tributary mouths (Sheep, Rock, Tenderfoot, Hound creeks as described in the FWP booklet) open the third Saturday in May through November 30. Central District rivers are otherwise open all year unless listed. Verify the current FWP booklet and Smith River State Park permit conditions.
The Smith River is the Central District limestone-canyon river between the Little Belt and Big Belt mountains. The water anglers mean when they say the Smith is the 59-mile Smith River State Park corridor from Camp Baker to Eden Bridge. This is not Smith-Morehouse Creek in Utah and not any other Smith.
Floating Camp Baker to Eden Bridge requires a Montana FWP permit. FWP runs a lottery for launch dates, then fills leftover days first-come. There is one public put-in (Camp Baker) and one public take-out (Eden Bridge) on the permitted reach. Average trips take four days.
Brown trout and rainbow trout are the main fish. Cutthroat show in some miles. Live USGS gauges are 06076690 near Fort Logan (upper river) and 06077500 near Eden (lower permitted reach).
Fort Logan FAS sits above Camp Baker. Truly Bridge and Lower Smith River FAS sit below Eden Bridge, outside the lottery water. Confirm the current FWP Central District exceptions and the Smith River State Park floater rules before you apply or launch.
Tailwater
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout
Freestone
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Brook Trout
Tailwater
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout
Freestone
Cutthroat Trout · Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout
Freestone
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Westslope Cutthroat Trout
Freestone
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout
If something here is thin or wrong, add what you know. It goes to review before it publishes.
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