Fly Fishing the Sun River

Sun River : Overview

Photo Use Guidelines

The Sun River begins in the mountains at the confluence of the North and South Fork of the Sun River on the eastern edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. As the river is located on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountain Front, the landscape is quite arid.

From its origin, the river flows for a little over five miles before the river flows through two dams, the Gibson Dam and the Sun River Dam located three miles further downstream. These dams regulate the flows of the Sun, frequently leading to low water during the summer as irrigation draws off much of the Suns flows.

Below the Sun River Dam and lasting for the next twenty-five miles, the Sun River turns into a very isolated and wild river. The river first flows through the Sun River Canyon, a steeply sloped canyon providing wild and remote scenery on the edge of the Rocky Mountain Front. This section of the river has extensive rapids, depending on river flows, making any float or fishing trip a memorable experience.

Below Sun River Canyon, the whitewater ends as the river flows out onto the high prairie, traveling in a southeast direction. Except for right along the river, vegetation is sparse, as the river flows through a combination of rocky and prairie terrain.  

Photo Use Guidelines

Below all these diversion dams, the river slows down as it continues traveling through the high prairie country of the Rocky Mountain Front. The views are spectacular, with the Rocky Mountain Front extending for the entire western horizon.

The river soon nears the town of Vaughn, the first town it travels near since its origin more than eighty miles upstream. Below Vaughn, the river slows down substantially and the river frequently runs muddy. Motors are allowed and frequently used on this stretch of the river, as the combination of slow current and the high winds that are prevalent along the Rock Mountain Front can make for rough paddling in a canoe or raft.

The Sun River continues on in a slow, meandering fashion below Vaughn, emptying into the Missouri River in Great Falls seventeen miles later.

Next Page : Sun River Fishing Information

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