The Musselshell River winds over 300 miles through central Montana's prairie and agricultural country, offering a different fishing experience than the state's famous mountain streams. This warmwater fishery supports populations of smallmouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, sauger, and northern pike, with some sections holding brown trout in cooler upstream reaches. The river flows through rolling grasslands and cottonwood bottoms between the Snowy and Judith mountains before eventually reaching the Missouri River. While not a destination trout fishery, the Musselshell provides good warmwater fishing opportunities for anglers seeking solitude away from the crowds on western Montana's blue-ribbon streams. Access can be challenging through the agricultural valley, but several FWP sites provide public entry points. Spring and fall offer the best conditions before summer heat raises water temperatures.