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Fly Fishing
Guild Outfitters — Streams, Rivers & Lakes. Everyone else in this business is selling you a week on the river. We are not. We sell hotel rooms, which means we can afford to tell you the truth about when to come — that September beats July on the Madison, that the Mother's Day caddis is usually blown out, that the Railroad Ranch is locked until the fifteenth of June.
Pick a month. Pick a water. Find out what is actually hatching.
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Checked against the agencies, September 2026 · Arizona added 1 October 2026
Photo: Big Hole River, Montana — U.S. Forest Service
Where Are They Biting
Choose a month and a water. Or choose a month alone and we will rank every water in the library for you, best first.
Streams, Rivers & Lakes
In alphabetical order. Every one of these is written from the agency that regulates it and the shops that fish it daily. More are being added all the time; the world list is further down.
Bighorn River · Montana
Below Yellowtail Dam — Afterbay to Bighorn to Two Leggins
- The water
- Tailwater — near-perfect trout habitat, cold and nutrient rich
- Signature hatch
- Trico, August mornings
- Season
- Open all year. Ice-free; midges hatch in every month.
- Base town
- Fort Smith, Montana — the river town at the Afterbay — lodges and cabins. Note: Fort Smith MONTANA, not Arkansas
Colorado River at Lees Ferry · Arizona
Below Glen Canyon Dam — about fifteen miles of tailwater down to the Paria confluence
- The water
- Tailwater inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Cold, clear, and at roughly 3,100 feet it never ices over — a naturally reproducing rainbow population, not a stocked one
- What they eat
- Midges and scuds rather than a hatch calendar. Lees Ferry Anglers fish “size #18 or #20 midge or pupae patterns” over “the gravel bars, backwaters, eddies and main river channel”, and put the fish at “14 to 22 inches. And larger”
- Season
- Open all year, and no closed trout season. It fishes in January, when Montana is locked up — which is the real argument for it.
- Getting on it
- Lees Ferry is the only place you can drive to the river. Every mile upstream of it is reached by running a boat up from the launch ramp
- Base town
- Marble Canyon, Arizona — a handful of lodges on US-89A by the Navajo Bridge, and the road down to the water
Green River · Utah
Below Flaming Gorge Dam — the A, B and C sections
- The water
- Tailwater — cold and clear every month of the year
- Signature hatch
- Cicadas, June
- Season
- No closed season — it fishes all twelve months.
- Base town
- Dutch John, Utah — the river town, right at the dam — lodges, cabins and RV, not chains
Henry's Fork · Idaho
Box Canyon, Last Chance and the Railroad Ranch
- The water
- Tailwater and spring creek — the hardest dry-fly water in America
- Signature hatch
- Green drake and brown drake, late June
- Season
- Box Canyon and the catch-and-release water: open all year. THE RAILROAD RANCH (Harriman State Park) IS CLOSED 1 DECEMBER TO 14 JUNE and open 15 June to 30 November only.
- Base town
- Island Park, Idaho — the base — Last Chance, Mack's Inn and the Ranch are all inside the city
Madison River · Montana
The Fifty Mile Riffle — Quake Lake to Ennis, and the Lower below the dam
- The water
- Part tailwater, part freestone — three different rivers in one name
- Signature hatch
- Salmonfly, a moving front through late June
- Season
- Open all year on the Montana length. Inside Yellowstone National Park the Madison now opens early, 1 May, and closes 31 October.
- Base town
- Ennis, Montana — the heart of the valley — and it sells out for the salmonfly
White River · Arkansas
Below Bull Shoals Dam, plus the Norfork tailwater
- The water
- Peaking hydropower tailwater — generation governs everything
- Signature hatch
- The shad kill, February
- Season
- Year-round. No closed trout season.
- Base town
- Mountain Home, Arkansas — the service town — where the conventional hotels are
Yellowstone River · Montana
Paradise Valley & Livingston, plus the water inside the Park
- The water
- Freestone — the longest undammed river in the lower 48
- Signature hatch
- Salmonfly, late June into early July
- Season
- Montana water open all year (Central District). Inside Yellowstone National Park: Memorial Day Saturday to 31 October, and the river below Lower Falls does not open until 1 July.
- Base town
- Livingston, Montana — the fly-shop town, in the middle of Paradise Valley
Arizona — the newest water
Added 1 October 2026. Arizona is our home water, and it fishes when the north is frozen. The Colorado River at Lees Ferry now sits with the other rivers above, in alphabetical order, and in the Where Are They Biting picker — its month-by-month calendar was written from Lees Ferry Anglers, the AZ Fly Shop, Arizona Game and Fish and the Bureau of Reclamation’s own trout monitoring. The outfitters were read off their own websites before being listed.
Two more Arizona regions have verified outfitters and bookable rooms but no water write-up yet: the Verde River and Oak Creek down in the Verde Valley, which fish in winter, and the White Mountains streams and lakes between 6,500 and 9,000 feet, which fish in summer when the desert is unbearable. Both are in the guide list and the lodging table below. Their water pages are the next thing we write.
Anglers stay four to seven nights, not two. Come for the hatch, stay for the light.
Madison River — Neal Herbert, NPS
The world, and what is coming
Fly fishing is not an American sport with foreign branches. It is a world sport, and the Guild Travel Library already covers most of these countries for every reason except this one. Here is the honest state of it — what is written, and what is next.
The Rocky Mountain West
Yellowstone, Madison, Henry's Fork, Green, Bighorn — five of the waters above, written and sourced.
The Ozarks
The White River and the Norfork tailwater, Arkansas — four species of trout and the biggest browns in the country.
The Arizona Southwest
The Colorado at Lees Ferry, the Verde and Oak Creek, and the White Mountains. Seven outfitters verified. Lees Ferry is in the hatch picker; the Verde and White Mountains calendars are next.
Argentine Patagonia
Chubut, Rio Negro, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego. Our Argentina pages mention Patagonia sixty-nine times and fishing not once. That is the next page we write.
Chile
The Lakes District and Aysén — spring creeks, volcanoes and a southern summer while the north freezes.
New Zealand
South Island sight-fishing for very large browns in water you can read like print.
Iceland & Scandinavia
Atlantic salmon, sea trout and Arctic char, and the strictest river etiquette in the sport.
British Columbia & Alaska
Steelhead, king and silver salmon, and rivers you reach by float plane.
The Flats
Bahamas, Belize, Mexico, Seychelles — bonefish, permit and tarpon. Our library already covers these islands for every reason except this one.
The English Chalk Streams
The Test and the Itchen, where the whole dry-fly business began, and where the rules still bite.
Mongolia & the Far East
Taimen — the largest salmonid on earth — and the long way to reach one.
The guides
Every business below has its own website, and we read it before listing it. Where an outfitter publishes a state or federal licence number, we print it. Where they do not, we say so — that is not an accusation, only a fact about what is on their page.
- Nothing. No guide pays to be listed and no guide can pay to move up the list.
- We do not invent outfitters, phone numbers, prices or reviews — the same rule that stops us inventing hotels.
- We link to the guide's own site and let them do their own selling. We take no commission on a guided trip.
- If we cannot verify a business from its own website, it does not go on the page.
| Outfitter | What they do, in their own words | Water |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Fly Fishing Adventures Phoenix, AZ | Over 24 years in Arizona; the Phoenix canal system, Rim streams, Sedona and the White Mountains — trout, carp and bass ✓ States it is fully licensed, insured and permitted; works with a Tonto National Forest permittee | Phoenix canals & Rim Country |
| Arizona Fly Fishing Outfitters Phoenix, AZ | Mark Mickelson; ultra-light walk-and-wade for wild trout on Rim Country streams, and drift boats on the high lakes Licence number not published on their site | Rim Country & White Mountains |
| AZ Fly Shop Phoenix, AZ | “The #1 Fly Fishing Shop In Phoenix”; the shop behind the Lower Salt, Lees Ferry, Silver Creek and the White Mountain lakes Licence number not published on their site | Statewide — shop |
| Big Sky Anglers West Yellowstone, MT | Shop and guides working the Fork from over the state line Licence number not published on their site | Henry's Fork |
| Bighorn Angler Fort Smith, MT | Guided trips, drift boat rental and lodging packages Licence number not published on their site | Bighorn River |
| Bighorn Fly & Tackle Shop Fort Smith, MT | Year-round guiding, lodging and boats Licence number not published on their site | Bighorn River |
| Bighorn Trout Shop Fort Smith, MT | Shop and lodge; publishes its own hatch chart and annual forecast Licence number not published on their site | Bighorn River |
| Blue Ribbon Flies West Yellowstone, MT | Long-established shop; float, lake and wading trips Licence number not published on their site | Madison River |
| Cotter Trout Dock Cotter, AR | Float trips in traditional White River jon boats since 1954 ✓ Fully licensed and insured; National Park Service-approved outfitter for the Buffalo | White River |
| Edge Outfitting Ennis, MT | Specialists on the Upper Madison and Ennis Lake ✓ MT Outfitter Licence #36547 | Madison River |
| Fly Fish Arizona and Beyond Greer, AZ | Cinda Howard; stream, lake and private-pond trips from 6,500 feet to over 9,000, plus instruction Licence number not published on their site | White Mountains |
| Forrester's Bighorn River Resort Fort Smith, MT | Cabins, main lodge and Orvis-endorsed guides ✓ Montana licensed outfitter #4035 — confirmed on the state association register | Bighorn River |
| Frenchie Fly Fishing Cottonwood, AZ | Prescott, Sedona, the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains; wading days, stillwater and a beginners’ school ✓ States it is permitted for the Kaibab, Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests | Verde Valley to the White Mountains |
| Green River Drifters Dutch John, UT | Half and full days across all three sections ✓ Permitted by Ashley National Forest | Green River |
| Henry's Fork Anglers Last Chance, Island Park, ID | Founded 1976 by Mike and Sheralee Lawson; the best hatch resource on the river ✓ States it is licensed to guide these waters | Henry's Fork |
| Hooked Outfitting Ennis, MT | Madison float trips, plus the Yellowstone, Jefferson and Missouri ✓ Montana Outfitter #12505 | Madison River |
| Kingfisher Lodge Fort Smith, MT | Family-owned lodge guiding 21 miles of river Licence number not published on their site | Bighorn River |
| Lees Ferry Anglers Marble Canyon, AZ | “Arizona’s largest fly fishing outfitter and oldest fly shop at the crown of the Grand Canyon”; guided days and rental boats Licence number not published on their site | Colorado at Lees Ferry |
| Long Outfitting Livingston, MT | Orvis-endorsed on the Yellowstone and the spring creeks ✓ MT Outfitter #5189 · YNP #CUA14-227 · Madison Permit #74 | Yellowstone River |
| Madison River Outfitters West Yellowstone, MT | Shop and guided trips in the Park and the greater Yellowstone area Licence number not published on their site | Madison River |
| Montana Angler Bozeman, MT | Guided trips and lodging packages; publishes its own hatch charts Licence number not published on their site | Yellowstone River |
| Old Moe Guide Service Dutch John, UT | Float and walk-wade, plus lodging; Orvis-endorsed Licence number not published on their site | Green River |
| Parks' Fly Shop Gardiner, MT | Serving the Gardiner and Park water since 1953; walk-wade, float and private water Licence number not published on their site | Yellowstone River |
| Riffletrip Outfitters Flippin, AR | Full-service White River guiding ✓ Fully licensed and insured | White River |
| Rim Shoals Resort Mountain Home, AR | Cabins, guiding, boats — and a river taxi for wade anglers Licence number not published on their site | White River |
| Sedona Fly Fishing Cottonwood, AZ | Walk-and-wade and drift boat on the Verde and Oak Creek, plus the Dead Horse Ranch lagoons; Orvis gear ✓ States it is “proudly permitted” with Dead Horse Ranch State Park | Verde River & Oak Creek |
| Spinner Fall Guide Service Dutch John, UT | Drift-boat floats across all three sections; publishes the best Green River calendar ✓ BLM & Ashley National Forest Permit #9156 | Green River |
| Steve Dally Outfitters Cotter, AR | Full shop in Cotter, guided White and Norfork trips, and Dry Run Creek for under-16s Licence number not published on their site | White River |
| Sweetwater Fly Shop Livingston, MT | Shop and guided trips on the creeks and rivers around Livingston Licence number not published on their site | Yellowstone River |
| Trout Creek Flies Dutch John, UT | Full shop, guided trips, lodging, RV park and shuttles ✓ Licensed shuttle service within Ashley National Forest | Green River |
| Trout Stalkers Fly Shop Ennis, MT | Outfitter, guide service and full shop on the Madison ✓ Publishes a Montana outfitter licence number | Madison River |
| TroutHunter Island Park, ID | Shop, guides, riverside lodging and the Last Chance bar since 1999 ✓ Licensed in Idaho, Montana and Yellowstone National Park | Henry's Fork |
| TRR Outfitters (Three Rivers Ranch) Ashton & Island Park, ID | Four shops; the clearest section-by-section breakdown of the river Licence number not published on their site | Henry's Fork |
| Western Rivers Flyfisher Guides Dutch John, UT | Guides and retail; cicada dry-fly specialists ✓ Holds a Green River guiding permit dating to 1986 | Green River |
| White River Fly Anglers Cotter, AR | Jet boat and drift boat on the White and Norfork ✓ One named guide licensed in Arkansas since 2011 | White River |
| WorldCast Anglers Victor, ID | Box Canyon nymphing and Ranch sight-fishing ✓ Caribou-Targhee National Forests permittee | Henry's Fork |
| Yellowstone Angler Livingston, MT | Shop and guide service since 1978; the Yellowstone and the Paradise Valley spring creeks Licence number not published on their site | Yellowstone River |
Guide on one of these rivers? Put yourself forward here — it is free, and we check the business against its own website and its licence.
Where to stay
Anglers stay four to seven nights, not two, and the town that fishes is rarely the town with the rooms. Both are listed here.
| Water | On the river | Where the rooms are |
|---|---|---|
| Bighorn River Montana | Fort Smith, Montana the river town at the Afterbay — lodges and cabins. Note: Fort Smith MONTANA, not Arkansas | Hardin, Montana the nearest town of size, conventional rooms |
| Colorado at Lees Ferry Arizona | Marble Canyon, Arizona the lodges on US-89A by the Navajo Bridge — and the only road down to the river | Page, Arizona about 40 miles up the highway; the volume of rooms, and the airport |
| Green River Utah | Dutch John, Utah the river town, right at the dam — lodges, cabins and RV, not chains | Vernal, Utah about 45 miles out; the full-service basecamp |
| Henry's Fork Idaho | Island Park, Idaho the base — Last Chance, Mack's Inn and the Ranch are all inside the city | Ashton, Idaho for the middle and lower river |
| Madison River Montana | Ennis, Montana the heart of the valley — and it sells out for the salmonfly | West Yellowstone, Montana for the top of the river and the Park water |
| Verde River & Oak Creek Arizona | Cottonwood, Arizona on the Verde itself, next door to Dead Horse Ranch State Park | Sedona, Arizona Oak Creek runs through it; far and away the most rooms in the valley |
| The White Mountains Arizona | Greer, Arizona at about 8,500 feet, in among the streams and the little lakes | Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona the service town for the White Mountains, with the conventional rooms |
| White River Arkansas | Mountain Home, Arkansas the service town — where the conventional hotels are | Cotter, Arkansas on the river; the most atmosphere and closest to the fishing |
| Yellowstone River Montana | Livingston, Montana the fly-shop town, in the middle of Paradise Valley | Bozeman, Montana nearest airport, the most rooms, an hour away |
Questions
What does “Where are they biting” actually do?
Pick a month and a water and it tells you what is hatching then, which flies match it, and whether that month is worth your holiday. Pick a month alone and it ranks every water in the library for that month, best first. The answers come from agency hatch data and the shops who fish the water daily, not from a booking calendar.
Do you sell the guide listings?
No. Nobody pays to be in the Guild's guide list and nobody can pay to move up it. We list outfitters we have verified from their own websites, we say when a licence number is published and when it is not, and we make our money from lodging bookings, not from guides.
How do you decide which month is best?
By what the fish do, not by what is easiest to sell. That is why we will tell you September beats July on the Madison, that the Mother's Day caddis on the Yellowstone is usually blown out, and that the Railroad Ranch is shut until 15 June.
Are the regulations on these pages current?
They were checked against the agencies on 21 September 2026 — Montana FWP, the National Park Service, Utah DWR, Idaho Fish and Game, Arkansas Game and Fish, the BLM and the Bureau of Reclamation. The Arizona water was added on 1 October 2026 and checked against the Arizona Game and Fish Department Commission Order. Rules change, sometimes mid-season, so always check the agency before you fish. Where something has changed recently and most published copy is still wrong — the White River's emergency trout rules, for one — we say so on the page.
I guide or outfit one of these rivers. How do I get listed?
Put yourself forward on the Guild Fly Fishing Guides page. We check the business against its own website and its state or federal licence, and listing is free.
- The Big Hole River valley, southwest Montana — U.S. Forest Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- A cast on the Madison River, Yellowstone National Park — Neal Herbert, National Park Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- An angler in Bighorn Canyon country — National Park Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Colorado at Lees Ferry, October — Alan Schmierer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red Canyon, Flaming Gorge — the river runs out below the dam — Vulturesong, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Henry's Fork from Last Chance, Island Park — Z3lvs, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Lower Madison in Bear Trap Canyon — Mike Cline, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cold-water mist on the White River in late July — Thomas & Dianne Jones, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Yellowstone at Carbella, Paradise Valley — Bureau of Land Management, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing, Sedona — Christopher Lee Cassel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Verde near Childs, southeast of Camp Verde — Alan Stark, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- High meadow water in the White Mountains of Arizona — Adventurepiece, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
🌍 Destinations Guild · An affiliate of Trip.com · Fly-fishing seasons, licence requirements and regulations on this page were checked against Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the National Park Service, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Idaho Fish and Game, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation on 21 September 2026, and against the Arizona Game and Fish Department Commission Order for the Lees Ferry water on 1 October 2026. Rules change, sometimes in the middle of a season. Always check the agency before you fish.