Seasons

The fishing season in Mongolia legally opens on June 15th and closes November 1.

One of the most common questions we get asked is: “when is the best time to go?”.

The simple answer is: MRO/FM operates on two different river systems, in two different regions. We plan our schedules so that we are on each of these rivers during the “best” season for each river.

We work hard to select the best times for weather and water. That’s why we operate on two different rivers throughout the five month fishing season. However, these are truly wild and remote rivers susceptible to flow fluctuations. Precipitation can come at any season on these wild rivers and weather has become increasingly difficult to predict.

Although perfect weather and water conditions are never guaranteed, the skies are normally bright and sunny with crystal clear water conditions. Any month of the year, you might experience a snow flurry and warm “short sleeve” weather all in the same day. Of course, rain can happen anytime. The great thing is…we’ve caught some of the largest fish ever when the river has color and this stream tends to drop and clear very quickly.

Fish Mongolia’s season runs June through August.

The June opener coincides with the post-spawning period which tends to end in May. In June, wild flowers blanket the stream shores and the taimen begin feeding aggressively. July brings hoppers to the shores by the thousands, drawing trout and grayling to the shorelines to feed, often followed by predatory taimen looking for an easy snack. Taimen hit hard on the surface, striking anything from stimulators to wounded baitfish, even large mouse patterns. Watching a taimen charge a fly in gin clear water after a stealthy presentation is quite an experience.

Autumn comes early to this part of Mongolia. By the end of August, the weather can already be getting chilly. The herders are busy cutting hay and the trees are just getting a bit of gold. This time of the year is generally not about numbers, but quality. For some reason, the really big fish often show up in late summer as they go through their last bout of aggressive feeding, putting on a few pounds before winter. The ger fires are warm and the fishing can be epic. 

Our Fish Mongolia season wraps up by the end of August. 

If you want to fish in the fall, head over to our eastern Mongolia operation, Mongolia River Outfitters. This lower elevation river is located about 800 km to the east. Over there, the fishing season is just getting started at the end of August, into September, and extends right through October.