Big Hole River
Near Butte, Montana
The Big Hole River, nicknamed "Montana's Last Best River," flows 150 miles through one of the most scenic valleys in the Northern Rockies. This pristine freestone river is home to five species of game fish: brown, rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout, plus the lower 48's last remaining stronghold of native fluvial Arctic grayling. The upper river near Wisdom winds through high-country meadows beneath 10,000-foot peaks, offering small-stream fishing for brookies, rainbows, and the rare grayling. The canyon sections near Divide and Melrose hold trophy brown trout in pocket water and deep pools, with populations reaching 3,500 trout per mile in certain stretches. The Big Hole is renowned for its prolific hatches, including the famous salmonfly emergence in June, Mother's Day caddis, and excellent trico fishing. Conservation efforts continue to protect the river's unique grayling population and wild trout fishery.