Absarokee / US West
Tailwaters Fly Fishing TravelLocated on the banks of East Rosebud Creek just outside Absarokee, Montana, Montana Fly Fishing Lodge sits at the foot of the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains in the Yellowstone River basin. The Powers family has owned this ground since 1947. Lincoln Powers, a fourth-generation Montanan, designed the lodge and its fishing program, and Judi Powers runs the operation and the kitchen. They own it and run it themselves, with no management company in between.
The Flagship is the original lodge. From here the guides fish the Stillwater, the Yellowstone, the Boulder, the Clark Fork of the Yellowstone and a long list of smaller creeks, with the Bighorn and Wyoming's Shoshone within reach for a day trip. The lodge has been Orvis-Endorsed since 2023 and was one of three finalists for Orvis-Endorsed Lodge of the Year in 2024.
The family runs two more lodges under the same name. Spring Creek Lodge near Big Timber sits on 4.5 miles of private spring creek, and the Bighorn River Lodge near Fort Smith opened in 2022 with its own boat launch on the river. Spring Creek and the Flagship pair well in one trip: two or three nights on the spring creek, then on to the Flagship, with the staff moving your bags and the transfer day still a full day of fishing. Across all of it the lodge never hosts more than 18 guests at a time.
Location: Absarokee, US West
Species: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout
Seasonality: Late May - Mid-October
Rates: from $5,000, 4 Nights / 3 Days (Shared Room / Shared Guide)
The Flagship has a lot of water to choose from. The Stillwater is the closest major river, and East Rosebud Creek runs past the lodge on its way there. Guides float the Yellowstone between Livingston and Columbus, often covering 8 to 14 miles of river in a day, and also fish the Boulder, the Clark Fork of the Yellowstone, West Rosebud and Rock Creek. The Bighorn, one of the best-known tailwaters in the country, is about a two-hour drive. Guests fish for brown, rainbow, brook and Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
Most days are spent in a drift boat or raft with one or two anglers per boat, and walk-and-wade days are available on the smaller creeks. The Flagship has half a mile of private spring creek on the property, and Spring Creek Lodge has 4.5 miles of its own holding wild, naturally reproducing trout. Spring creeks stay clear through runoff, so they are a good option from mid-May through mid-June when the bigger rivers are high and off color.
The fishing program is run by Jeremy DeVries, who has been guiding since 1997 and has logged more than 4,000 guide days. All fishing is barbless catch-and-release. Orvis and Simms rods, reels, waders and boots are included, along with flies, tippet and leaders, so there is no need to fly with a rod tube unless you want to. Anglers of all skill levels are welcome here, and first-time casters should not be intimidated.
The main lodge is handcrafted log with cathedral ceilings and river-rock fireplaces. There is a fly shop and fly tying station on site, a drying room for waders, complimentary laundry, a recreation barn with pool, shuffleboard, ping pong and foosball, and a fire pit for the end of the day. A 1907 steel truss bridge, moved to the property in 2001, crosses East Rosebud Creek as a footbridge.
Every meal is held to what the lodge calls the Judi Standard. Food is made fresh each day and never catered: breakfast at the lodge, a riverside lunch set out by your guide, and a multi-course dinner with paired wines. Breads, pastas and desserts are made in house, a drink of the day is waiting when the boats come back, and on some evenings local Montana musicians play. The kitchen handles just about any diet, from gluten-free and vegan to kosher-style.
Guests stay in private rooms in the main lodge or in canvas tents along the creek. The lodge rooms are furnished with handcrafted log furniture, and each has an ensuite bath with a glass shower and heated seats. The creekside tents sit steps from East Rosebud Creek and each has its own private bathroom, so you fall asleep to the sound of the water and still get a hot shower in the morning.
Fishing is the main event, but non-angling companions have plenty to do. The staff can arrange half- and full-day horseback rides through the ranch country and along the East Rosebud ($200 per person), longer rides into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Class II-III whitewater rafting on the Stillwater (best in June and early July), hiking, UTV rides, and wildlife viewing for elk, deer, moose and eagles. The drive over the Beartooth Pass climbs to nearly 11,000 feet and is worth a day of its own, and Red Lodge makes a good afternoon of shopping and dinner. Massage is available at the lodge from visiting therapists.
Before you book
$795 per night
At the Flagship. $695 per night at Spring Creek Lodge and the Bighorn River Lodge.
$200 per night
$325 per day
Tailwaters Travel must adhere to the cancellation policies of the guides, outfitters and lodges which it represents. See Montana Fly Fishing Lodge's terms and conditions below:
A 50% deposit is required to confirm your reservation. The remaining balance is due 90 days before arrival.
Cancellations made 90 days or more before arrival receive a credit toward a future trip within 24 months, less credit card fees.
Cancellations made within 89 days of arrival are non-refundable.
Given the strict cancellation and refund policies associated with nearly all fishing packages, we cannot stress enough the importance of obtaining travel insurance to protect your investment. Redpoint Travel Protection / Ripcord offers competitive medical/cancellation/interruption coverage to couple with their industry-leading medical evacuation services. Click here to learn more and contact us to generate a quote.
Guests fly into Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), which is served by Delta, United, Frontier and Alaska. Round-trip transfers between the Billings airport and the lodge are included with every package. The drive takes about an hour and a half, east on I-90 and then south on Highway 78 through Columbus and Absarokee.
Bozeman (BZN) is about two and a half hours away and Cody, Wyoming about an hour and a half, but the included transfer runs from Billings. Check-in is at 3pm and departure is at 10am. Cell service in the Stillwater Valley is limited, though the lodge has Wi-Fi.
Montana Fly Fishing Lodge fishes from late May through mid-October, and each part of the season fishes differently.
Early Season: Late May and June is runoff on the freestone rivers. Guides lean on streamers and the spring creeks, which stay clear while the big rivers are high, and the salmonfly hatch starts on the Yellowstone and the Stillwater.
Middle Season: July and August are the peak dry fly months, with PMDs, caddis, spinner falls and hoppers. This is the busiest stretch of the year and it can fill 6 to 12 months out, so plan early.
Late Season: September and October bring cooler days and what the lodge calls its fall trophy season, when big brown trout turn aggressive and streamer fishing is at its best.
Contact Tailwaters
Contact our travel team to discuss dates, availability and a trip to Montana Fly Fishing Lodge.
Trip details and availability are confirmed with the travel team.
Absarokee, US West
Fishing in the U.S. West is defined primarily by wild trout, with dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing depending on season and conditions. Weather can vary significantly throughout the day and across elevations, so preparation is key when it comes to packing. Many lodges in the U.S. West (but not all) offer rental rods, reels, waders, and boots, and may provide terminal tackle and flies. However, most traveling anglers prefer to bring their own gear. All to say, there are nuances to understand when packing your bags for the U.S. West, including layering systems, appropriate wading setups, sun/rain protection, and selecting the right rods, reels, fly lines, and tackle for trout-focused fishing. One of the most important things to understand is if you are wade fishing or primarily fishing out of a drift boat or raft.
Our U.S. West collection of gear, flies, tackle, clothing, bags, and accessories is curated by our team of professionals that have fished across multiple lodges and dozens of fisheries in Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and more. Whether it is in-store, online, or through a virtual outfitting appointment, we would love to lend a hand getting your gear organized for a trip to the U.S. West.
