Glacier Guides and Montana Raft

Fishing FAQ

What rivers do you fish on?

We run our daily fly fishing trips on either the Middle Fork or North Fork of the Flathead River. Together, these rivers create the western boundary of Glacier National Park and are nationally designated Wild And Scenic. In addition, we have one launch per year on the Smith River in central Montana. This is a strictly regulated river with few launches, great fishing, and beautiful scenery. We spend five days floating, fishing, and camping along the Smith.

Do you provide equipment?

Necessary camping and fishing equipment (flies too) are included with all trips.

What are we fishing for?

These federally protected, Wild and Scenic waters support native Westslope Cutthroat, along with Rainbow and Brook trout. We practice catch and release fishing.

Do we need to wear waders?

No, because all of our fly fishing trips are run in stable and maneuverable drift boats. Occasionally we fish from inflatable rafts.

Do you guarantee we will catch fish?

We can’t guarantee it, but we have caught trout almost every trip. We can guarantee that you’ll be amazed at the stunning beauty of the Wild and Scenic rivers we fish on, whether or not they’re biting!

Do we need a Montana State Fishing License?

Yes, you do need a Montana fishing license if you are on a fly fishing trip with us. Get your Montana fishing license here:

Montana FWP Online Licensing System

It is best to have a license in hand before you meet your guide at our office. We recommend printing one online. If that isn’t convenient, most fly shops and sporting goods stores in Montana sell them.

If you are backpacking with us inside Glacier National Park you do not need a Montana fishing license. Instead, you need a free copy of the NPS Fishing Regulations with you.

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  • Group Trip Testimonial

    Our group of six enjoyed two day hikes with Glacier Guides. The guides were great and took good care of our safety and entertained us with stories and descriptions of the area.

    — Sportsmom238

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  • Our Guides

    The BEST outfit that we’ve ever been out with! The company promotes giving great service and provides their team with the support and necessary tools to give their customers A WOW experience! The food they provide is amazing. Thanks Judith, Katie, Taylor and Jeff for making our 6 day backpacking trip a blast…and the river rafting!

    — Jas Dhillon

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  • Chalet Testimonial

    Our family of 5 just returned from the 3 day chalet trip with Ryan and Eva and WOW! We’re still coming down from the amazing time we had! First of all, both these guides are just really cool people, super knowledgeable about the history and ecology of the park, and clearly enthusiastic about what they do. The Highline Trail was stunning, Ryan and Eva made sure everyone was comfortable with the pace and pointed out animals, berries, and interesting features when we came across them. After the hike in it was awesome to have a delicious, hot meal prepared FOR us (we felt very fortunate for our dinner after watching the rest of the guest eat freeze dried stuff). I’m so grateful for the gentle push to do the two day hikes we did while up that way; they were so worth the climb and our time at the top of the Swiftcurrent Fire Lookout is one of the absolute highlights of this trip. I want to make a special mention of how great both of these guides where with our children, my boys especially bonded with Ryan and they probably talked both his and Eva’s ears all the way off over the duration of the trip but they were so cool about it. Overall this trip was one we will never forget and always cherish and the fantastic guides and process with your company really made it that much more enjoyable. We hope to come back someday for more adventures!

    — Tiphini Axtell

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  • Chalet Testimonial

    Took the 3 day Granite Park Chalet hike with the Glacier Guides. It was a dream trip! The guide was fantastic. He is an avid hiker and could tell us all about the geology, as well as the flowers and animals in the park. We felt quite safe in his hands. He made all of our meals, which were delicious and not at all what we expected in a remote area. We hiked about 8 miles a day and saw parts of the park that we never would have seen otherwise. Glaciers, lakes, meadows, and views for miles and miles. This is my second trip with the Guides, and I will for sure book another one for next year (or maybe this year!)

    — Beth Schecher

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    Granite Park Chalet photo by guide Dre Cameron
  • Hiking Testimonial

    Went on a guided hike to Avalanche Trail yesterday with our guide Tom. Perfect way to experience the Park for the first time. I learned so much about the Park as Tom pointed out many interesting points that I would have not known if I went alone. Enjoyed the company of 5 other guests. Took a van ride about 16 miles in to access the Trail. Tom brought lunches for each and we ate halfway through on the shore of a beautiful lake. I enjoyed asking questions to learn and Tom had the answers. I would highly recommend taking a guided hike with Glacier Guides even if you’ve been to the Park before. Glad I did.

    — Peter Lemp

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    Glacier National Park Backpacking Trips
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