The Milk River : Fly Fishing &
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 The
Milk River begins near Browning, Montana, at the confluence
of the North and South Forks Milk River, on the Blackfeet
Indian Reservation. It angles in a northeast direction and
enters Canada fifty miles from its origin. Unique among most
rivers, the Milk River returns to Montana 168 miles later.
The river soon enters Fresno Reservoir near Havre, a popular
recreational spot for locals.
Below Fresno Dam,
the Milk River continues flowing through the very open,
desolate
but yet beautiful Montana prairie. Access points are infrequent
and widely scattered. After more traveling more than 700
hundred
miles from its origin, the Milk River finally empties into
the Missouri
River downstream from Fort Peck Dam.
For floaters, the
Milk River provides an absolutely wonderful way to achieve
solitude. While floating can begin near its origin, as the
river first flows through the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
and then enters Canada (floating through to Canada is not
allowed), the best place to begin floating is below Fresno
Dam, near the town of Havre.
There are no rapids
or whitewater on the Milk River, making it the perfect
river
for inflatable
kayaks and canoes.
While the river is fairly wide and can easily support large
rafts, the frequent slow current and very windy conditions
can make rafting difficult at times. Other than an occasional
irrigation jetty or small diversion dam that needs to be portaged,
no obstacles exist on the Milk River to hamper floating below
Fresno Dam.
A floater down
the Milk River will find plenty of solitude. Access points
are widely scattered, and its location in the Montana prairie
means few towns or people will be around.
Trout fishing on
the Milk River is poor, at best. While some fishing for small
brook and rainbow trout can be had on the river near its origin,
the fish are small and access is extremely difficult. No trails
follow the river, and the nearest access point to the upper
portion of the Milk River is more than thirty miles downstream
at a highway bridge crossing. The countryside is also incredibly
bushy making off trail travel problematic.
 Some
trout fishing can also be had directly below Fresno Dam. However,
unlike the Marias
River, which has very good brown trout fishing below Tiber
Dam, the Milk River has only fair to poor trout fishing beneath
Fresno Dam. While a few trout can be found, predominantly
brown trout near the dam, the Milk River is by and large a
warm water fishing river.
For warm water
fishing, smallmouth bass are abundant on the Milk River, and
make for lots of fun when fly fishing using crayfishes. Catfish,
sturgeon, whitefish and pike are also common in the Milk River.
Overall, the Milk
River is a far cry from a destination spot for anglers on
a Montana fly fishing trip. However, it makes a fine floating
river for people who want to be well away from the crowds
and who enjoy the wide open and rolling prairie.
Milk River :
River Miles
Origin: 704
Highway 213 Bridge: 684
Canadian Border: 656
US Border: 490
Fresno Reservoir Inlet: 458
Bridge: 455
Fresno Dam: 437
Upper Rookery Access Site: 430
Rookery Access Site: 424
Havre Dam: 420
East Havre Dam: 414
Highway 2 Bridge Access: 390
Highway 529 Bridge: 383
Highway 240 Bridge: 379
Zurich Road Bridge: 362
County Road Bridge near Harlem: 343
Savoy Road Bridge: 310
Coburg Road Bridge: 293
County Road Bridge near Dodson: 268
Malta Access Site: 230
Nelson Reservoir Bridge: 177
Highway 243 Bridge: 164
Hinsdale Access Site: 130
Highway 2 Bridge: 124
Vandalia Road Bridge: 110
Highway 246 Bridge: 71
Highway 24 Bridge: 56
Highway 117 Bridge (near Nashua): 23
Confluence with Missouri
River: 0
Wading
Boots are crucial for safe wading. Cabela's
has the largest selection of wading boots on the market
today at affordable prices. Browse
all Wading Boots at Cabela's.
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