Jefferson River

The Jefferson begins where the Big Hole & Beaverhead rivers meet just north of Twin Bridges and joins the Madison & the Gallatin at Three Forks to form the Missouri River..  While floating this more relaxed river you will enjoy looking at the Tobacco Root mountain range to the east, while the mighty Highland mountains with there year round white peaks glimmer in the west.  "The Jeff" as the locals like to call it, is a brown trout river with the ratio being 10 to 1 to that of the rainbow.  This less famous Montana river is a slow meandering river, but holds a large population of trout.  It also holds large populations of Whitefish & Sculpin.

The most predominant insects on the river are Baetis, P.M.D.'s & Caddis, which hatch from April to October.  There are some Golden Stones that hatch with the spring run-off.  The river also holds a very large number of crayfish.  Growing up less than 30 miles from this river we would have big crayfish cookouts.  There isn't much meat on these things and you have to gather a bunch to fill you up.  "The Jeff" is full of them and the trout grow big eating these distant cousins of the tasty lobster.  During the summer months the "hopper" fishing is very exciting and can take some large fish.  I have friends that live in the town of Whitehall,  that float this river all the time and they won't go anywhere else.

To check the current stream flow and water temperature of "The Jeff" click here.

Click here for a map of "The Jeff"

If you would like to purchase a detail map of the Jefferson, click here.

Here are some suggested patterns for the river: