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Jefferson
River
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The Jefferson River could well be the most underrated river in Montana. Generally big water, best fished from a drift boat, there are many areas of the Jeff which are channeled and provide terrific wade fishing for rainbows and browns.
It is a river of intricacies and history, flowing from Twin
Bridges where it is formed by the confluence of the Big Hole, Ruby and Beaverhead,
to its juncture with the Madison and Gallatin some 50 miles downstream, creating
the mighty Missouri. It is the river of Lewis and Clark and Sacajawea in a
time not so long ago.
The Jefferson Valley is a picturesque Rocky Mountain paradise full of trophy whitetails, home to incredible numbers of waterfowl and surrounded by the looming Highlands, and Tobacco Root Mountains. The Jefferson offers every imaginable type of water from long slicks dimpled by the rise of feeding trout, to swift boulder strewn currents, wide sweeping undercut banks, and channels which offer the same intimacy one can find on this major river's much smaller tributary, the Ruby. Spawning tributaries were recently declared catch and release; however, there is no closed season on any reach of the Jefferson.
Our
favorite times of year for this wonderful river is spring, when pre-run off
streamer and dry fly action is incredible, and fall when big fish begin to
migrate out of the Missouri, through the Jefferson, on their way to spawning
grounds in the Ruby, Beaverhead and Big Hole. Browns and rainbows to 22" are
not uncommon, and there are 10 pound man eaters lurking in the deeper holes.
Run off is generally encountered between approximately May 25 and June 15. Average flow on this river is approximately 1,000 cfs but she can rip and roar at close to 18,000 cfs - a sight to behold - under the right spring conditions, fed by the undammed Big Hole. At least a day on the Jefferson is a must for any fisherman visiting Southwest Montana. Country Roads and Ranches of the West manage approximately 12 miles of this unacclaimed, uncrowded resource.
Country Roads LLC |
