The Snow Gods have blessed Montana and Yellowstone very well this winter!  As many of you know our snowfall for several years now has been subpar, but so far this year we are well above average across most of the state.  Southwest Montana and Yellowstone Park snowpack is better than anywhere else in the state. 

 

 As of February 6, 2008 the snowpack for the following river basins is:

To get a daily update on snowpack condtions in Montana you can click on our "Area Resources" page and then click on Snow Report.  This will take you directly to the NRCS snow precipitation page.  Or go to:  www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/newupdate.html. Click on Snow and Precipitation Update Report, then select Montana in Step 1.  Be sure the current date is showing in Step 2. You can customize river basins and other information if you would like. Then click Create Report at the bottom of the page. 

 

Once you've landed on the Snow/Precipitation Update Report page you can scroll through all the major river basins in the state.  There are two "percent of average" stats.  The first colum you read is "Snow Water Equivalent" and the second column is "Year-to-Date Precipitation".  Snow Water Equivalent is the most significant because it shows the percent of average (year to date) of the actual amount of water that's in the snow.  Year-to-Date Precipitation is the actual snowpack.  For example, a river basin might have 110% snowpack, but the snow might be a little drier so the water equivalent might only be 100%.  Conversely, a river basin might have 95% snowpack, but the snow might be wetter and the water equivalent might be 100%.  The bottom line is that the most important stat for determining river flows is the snow Water Equivalent because that's how much water is in the snow and ultimately is going to end up in our rivers.

What does all this mean for our 2008 fishing forecast?  Well, with a little luck and continued snowfall it means that we will have water and plenty of it in our rivers and streams this summer.  But before we get too excited there are several factors we must take into consideration.

 

First, we must continue to receive a steady influx of storms coming off the Pacific.  The current trend has seen 2-3 storms rolling through our area each week, dumping several inches to several feet with each hit.  Historically February is one of our driest months, but a few good storms this month should add to our snowpack or, at the very least, maintain it.  So far in February we've already received a couple of good dumps of snow and the forecast is for more to come. 

 

Then comes March which is historically one of our wettest months.  During March our days get longer and a bit warmer and the accompanying storms provide "wetter" snow.  The amount of "water content" in snow can vary significantly.  For example a snowstorm in January or February when the temperature is very cold might give us a light, powdery snow that's great for poweder days skiing, but has a lower water content than a March or April snowfall. 

 

Secondly, we must hope that we have a cool wet spring.  Two years ago we had great snowpack, but lost a significant amount of it with above average temperatures in March and May.  Last year we had below average snowpack and again lost quite a bit of our snowpack the first two weeks of May.  Fortunately last year we had some excellent rainfall in late May and early June which helped with our summer flows a bit before the heat hit and fishing restrictions went into affect.

 

The best part of it all is that our wettest months lie ahead of us.  March through June is when Montana receives its greatest amount of precipitation.  Typically we will receive good amounts of wet snowfall in March in both the moutains and valleys.  April and May bring valley rain and heavy, wet snowfalls to the mountains.  June continues to see heavy rainfall and some occasional heavy snowfall on the higher peaks.

 

Lastly, let's hope for a cooler summer this year.  Day time highs in the 75-90 degree range would be fine, but extended periods of 90-100 degree plus temperatures really hurt.

 

Overall, if the wet trend continues through June we will see the river flows the highest we've seen in a decade.  The good news is that we will have great flows in July and August.  The drawback (for those of you who remember the pre-drought years) is that mid May through most of June will see our rivers high and muddy.  Don't plan on fishing the Yellowstone the third week of June like we've done the last few yeats, the first of July is probably a more realistic time frame. So, for now, if you're planning a fishing vacation to our neck of the woods and want to fish the major rivers we would suggest avoiding the mid May through late June period.  Of course, even if you come during that time we will have many fishing options for you including the Madison, Firehole and Missouri rivers, plus spring creeks, private ponds and lakes.  And high water should also make for great salmonfly fishing in June and early July.