What is the class of the Smith River in Montana?

Class I river
The Smith is a Class I river from the Camp Baker Fishing Access site near Ft. Logan to its confluence with the Missouri River for public access for recreational purposes.

Can you float the Smith River without a permit?

The Smith River is so popular that a permit is required to float it. The permit process allows visitors a quality, multi-day float in relative solitude. Smith River State Park has one put-in point (Camp Baker) and one take-out point (Eden Bridge) for the entire 59-mile stretch.

Where is Smith River Montana?

The Smith River drainage is located south of Great Falls in Meagher and Cascade Counties of west-central Montana. The river drains the Big Belt Mountains on the west, and the Little Belt and Castle Mountains on the east.

What fish are in the Smith River MT?

Best Place to Wade Fish the Smith River Rainbow, brown and brook trout can all be found along the entire river, but this access point has some of the better spots for catching them. There are several deep holes and pools where the browns can be found in large numbers.

How do you get a Smith River permit?

Applicants pay a $10 non-refundable permit application fee. Links within the email will allow permit holders to download and print their float permit, as well as access vital and detailed information regarding their upcoming Smith River float. Lottery results will also be available online at stateparks.mt.gov.

Can you float the Smith River in September?

Mid September through October Fall trips are always a gamble on the Smith and some years the river is still too low to effectively float. There is about a 50% chance that flows will be high enough to get down the river for experienced boaters for a late fall trip – it all depends on water levels.

Is the Smith River open for fishing?

Closed to fishing all year. North Fork from mouth to Stony Creek* • 4th Saturday in May–Mar. 31. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from the 4th Saturday in May–Aug.

When can I apply for Smith River permit?

Super Permit Lottery The opportunity to purchase chances for the Smith River Super Permit will be available from Monday, January 3, 2022 through Friday, April 1st, 2022. Chances may be purchased online through the FWP Online Licenses Service.

How much is a Smith River permit?

Applicants pay a $10 non-refundable permit application fee. Lottery results will also be available online at stateparks.mt.gov.

What is the Smith River super permit?

Montana State Parks issues one Super Permit each year through a separate lottery. The recipient of the Super Permit will be allowed to launch on any date of their choosing for that float season.

Are there salmon in the Smith River?

Known as California’s last wild river, the Smith River is one of the West Coast’s top salmon and steelhead streams. It holds the California state record for steelhead, a 27-pounder, and produces many of the biggest salmon outside of Alaska, with fish in the 50- to 60-pound range caught each season.

Where can I fish on Smith River?

The Smith River below Martinsville Dam offers the best chance to catch larger brown trout. Brown trout 12 to 18 inches are common in this section and hooking into a brown over 20 inches is possible. Downstream from the Marrowbone access point the brown trout begin to fade and smallmouth bass become more prevalent.

How hard is it to draw a Smith River permit?

The odds of drawing a golden ticket range from year to year: Between 1 in 6 and 1 in 9 applications receive a permit, entitling the recipient to float in a group of up to 15 individuals between the put-in at Camp Baker and the take-out at Eden Bridge.

Can I fish on Smith River?

Smith River Salmon Fishing The Smith River produces many of the largest salmon on the west coast, with fish weighing up to 50 pounds getting caught each season. The largest Smith River king salmon weighed an impressive 86 pounds. Big salmon are caught on plugs and roe back-bounced through the deeper holes.

Can you fish mouth of Smith River or?

But 50-pound salmon are caught in the Smith River every year. Fall-run Chinooks start to mill around the mouth of the Smith River as early as August, and begin making their way upriver in September. Anglers begin the season by drifting bait and trolling plugs in the broad, lower section of the Smith River.

Is Smith River open for fishing?

Can you keep steelhead on the Smith River?

The Smith River is California’s premier steelhead fishery and the only river in California where anglers are allowed to keep a wild fish. Steelhead are tremendous fighters and the terrain of the river makes landing one a unsurpassed challenge.

Where is the Smith River in Montana?

Smith River is a tributary of the Missouri River, in central Montana, in the United States. It rises in southern Meagher County in the Castle Mountains and flows northwest in the valley between the Big Belt and Little Belt mountains, past White Sulphur Springs and past Smith River State Park.

Where does the Smith River join the Missouri River?

It turns north-northwest (NNW), and is joined by Hound Creek in Cascade County, and joins the Missouri approximately 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Great Falls . The Smith is a Class I river from the Camp Baker Fishing Access site near Ft. Logan to its confluence with the Missouri River for public access for recreational purposes.

Why visit Smith River State Park?

Experience a multi-day float trip on the Smith River if you are lucky enough to draw a permit in the annual lottery. Noted for its spectacular scenery and renowned trout fishing, the Smith River is unique with only one public put-in and take-out site for the entire 59 miles. Smith River State Park offers gorgeous scenery in a remote setting.

Where can I camp on the Smith River?

The boat camps are signed and marked on the Smith River maps, which are distributed at Camp Baker upon registration. Please camp only at the designated boat camps. The Montana Stream Access law allows walking and fishing along the river within the ordinary high-water mark.