Fishes Gallatin River, Smith River
River · Central Montana · Montana
Smith River Fishing Guides
The permit-only, fifty-nine-mile wilderness float from Camp Baker to Eden through a limestone canyon, the trip Montana anglers enter a lottery to take.
Map of the Smith River
6 numbered points: 5 access points, 1 USGS gauge. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 7, 2026.
- Access / boat ramp (5)
- USGS gauge (1)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Points are curated from OpenStreetMap and state agency sources; confirm access and hours before you go.
Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
Open the printable mapAll 6 points on this map
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Logan Montana FWP fishing access site | Access / boat ramp | 46.74514, -111.17401 | Upper river above the canyon. FWP directions: 17 miles west of White Sulphur Springs, then 2 miles north on Smith River Road. |
| 2 | Camp Baker Smith River State Park - permit put-in | Access / boat ramp | 46.80318, -111.18221 | The launch for the 59-mile permitted canyon float to Eden Bridge. Montana State Parks runs the permit and the launch calendar; you cannot put in here without one. |
| 3 | USGS 06077200 - Smith River below Eagle Creek near Fort Logan USGS streamgage | USGS gauge | 46.82798, -111.19224 | The gauge this water page reads, just below the put-in reach - the number floaters watch before a canyon trip. |
| 4 | Eden Bridge Smith River State Park - permit take-out | Access / boat ramp | 47.23591, -111.38904 | End of the permitted canyon float, 59 river miles below Camp Baker. There is no vehicle access to the river in between. |
| 5 | Truly Bridge Montana FWP fishing access site | Access / boat ramp | 47.35454, -111.43703 | Lower river below the canyon. FWP directions: 8 miles southeast of Ulm on Hwy 330 (Millegan Road). |
| 6 | Lower Smith River Montana FWP fishing access site | Access / boat ramp | 47.39279, -111.44887 | Lowest access on the river, a few miles above the mouth on the Missouri. FWP directions: 3 miles south of Ulm on Hwy 330 (Millegan Road). |
Guides on the Smith River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
Order on this page: premium and outfitter plans first (labelled Premium placement), then claimed free profiles, then unclaimed — one published price, no bidding for position. How placement works
About the Smith River
The Smith is the only river in Montana that requires a permit to float, and the reason is simple: fifty-nine miles between Camp Baker and Eden with no road access, one takeout, and a limestone canyon with thousand-foot walls and pictographs on the rock. Trips take four to five days, campsites are assigned with the permit, and the state runs a lottery every winter that draws far more applicants than it can accommodate. Outfitters hold a share of the launches, which is how most first-timers get on.
The fishing is good rather than legendary, and that is not the point. Brown trout and rainbows hold along the ledges and in the corners, they eat dry flies willingly in June and July, and the canyon scenery is what people remember for the rest of their lives. It is a float trip in the fullest sense: gear boats, camp kitchens, a schedule set by the permit, and no way out once you are past Camp Baker.
Flow decides whether the trip happens at all. The Fort Logan gauge is the standard reference, and the general rule is that the float needs a few hundred cfs to run comfortably; below roughly 150 the boats start dragging over the shallow ledges and the state may recommend against launching, while big spring runoff makes the canyon fast and the campsites wet. The window is usually late May through early July, and in dry years it closes early.
White Sulphur Springs is the launch town and Great Falls is the nearest city. Apply for the permit in the winter drawing, or book an outfitter a year ahead, and plan the trip around water rather than around the calendar.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not Smith River.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Access
Camp Baker: the only launch point for the canyon float, permit required.
Eden Bridge: the takeout, fifty-nine miles downstream.
Fort Logan area: upper river access near the gauge above the permit section.
Sheep Creek: tributary and upper river access.
Smith River State Park: the administering agency for permits and campsites.
There is no road access between Camp Baker and Eden; plan for a self-contained multi-day trip.
Seasons
Late May through early July: the normal float window, dictated by flow.
June: the best combination of water, weather and dry fly fishing.
July: still floatable in wet years, marginal in dry ones.
August through spring: flows are usually too low to float the canyon; the upper river fishes on foot.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Smith River?
As of Nov 2, 6:15 am, the USGS gauge Smith River bl Eagle Cr nr Fort Logan MT reads 174 cfs, the 75th percentile for this date. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Smith River?
Anglers target Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout on the Smith River in Montana.
Are there fishing guides on the Smith River?
GuidedFloats lists 1 guide and outfitters on the Smith River. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the Smith River?
Camp Baker: the only launch point for the canyon float, permit required. Eden Bridge: the takeout, fifty-nine miles downstream. Fort Logan area: upper river access near the gauge above the permit section. Sheep Creek: tributary and upper river access. Smith River State Park: the administering agency for permits and campsites. There is no road access between Camp Baker and Eden; plan for a self-contained multi-day trip.
When is the best time to fish the Smith River?
Late May through early July: the normal float window, dictated by flow. June: the best combination of water, weather and dry fly fishing. July: still floatable in wet years, marginal in dry ones. August through spring: flows are usually too low to float the canyon; the upper river fishes on foot.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Smith River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Montana agency site: https://fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations