Rosebud Creek Montana Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Rainbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
Size
Small to Medium
Location
Southern Montana
Nearest Towns
Fishtail
Roscoe
Billings
Season
3rd Sat. May – Nov 30th
Access:
Plentiful on the East Fork, limited on
the West and Main Stem
Non-Resident License
State of Montana
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
Fly fishing Rosebud Creek can be good any day of the season.
Spring:
Except during the runoff, springtime is a prime time for fly fishing Rosebud Creek due to plentiful hatches.
Summer:
The water stays cool during the Summer, especially in the upper sections, and the fishing stays good all the way to its confluence with the Stillwater River.
Fall:
Early Fall is an excellent time to fish Rosebud Creek and if the water levels are good, it maybe the best time.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing Rosebud Creek Montana
Rosebud Creek is one of the best kelp secrets in Montana. It’s hidden away fairly close to many other highly advertised trout streams. Almost unheard of Rosebud Creek is near a little unheard of town of Fishtail, Montana. It is far better known for the Battle of Rosebud Creek that took place in 1876 than trout fishing, but rest assured, fly fishing Rosebud Creek can be about as good as it gets.
The headwaters of both of the two forks, the West Fork of Rosebud Creek and the East Fork of Rosebud Creek, begin in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area. They both are beautiful streams with picture perfect backgrounds. It’s as pretty of a place to fly fish as
Montana has to offer. The two forks eventually flow into prairie country where they join to form the rather short, main fork of Rosebud Creek.
Of hand, you may think the two forks are small streams and I guess they are but they could well be classified as rivers. The East Fork of Rosebud is the larger of the two. It also provides the most fly fishing opportunities of the two. It flows primarily through Forest Service Land. It also has excellent access from a forest service road that follows along closely for most of the entire length of the stream. Only the section outside of the mountains is limited to bridge crossings. The West Fork flows mostly through private property for its entire length. Access is limited to bridge crossings. The main stem of Rosebud Creek is only about four miles long. Like the West Fork, access is limited to bridge crossings.
Most of the trout in the two Forks are small cutthroat, rainbows and brook trout. The lower section of the East Fork within the Forest Service Land, as well as the main
stem holds some nice brown trout. The water in the mountain sections consist mostly of fast pocket water but there are some meadow sections.
The streams can be fished in the sections outside of the mountains from a small pontoon type watercraft or canoe provided the water levels are not too low. The same is true of the main stem of Rosebud Creek. You can also wade from one of the bridge crossings as long as you stay within the water line.
We much prefer to fish the sections on Forest Service Land. The trout may average a little smaller and there probably won’t be any brown trout, but you won’t have any competition from other anglers. You should be able to stay occupied and catch plenty of trout. Fly fishing Rosebud Creek is a small stream delight.