Montana boasts several renowned spring creeks, yet my personal favorite often flies under the radar. I've had the pleasure of fishing Big Spring Creek, meandering through Lewistown, Montana, for 53 years, and it has been my cherished home water for the past 32 years.

Big Spring Creek stands as one of the state's largest spring-fed streams, originating 9 miles southeast of Lewistown near the Big Springs Trout Hatchery. From its inception, it winds northwest for 30 miles, carving its path primarily between the majestic Big Snowy and Judith mountains, before joining the Judith River west of Brooks, Montana. Along its journey, a consistent flow of chilly 52-degree Fahrenheit water meanders through picturesque trout habitat.

In its upper reaches, stretching from the hatchery to Lewistown, the creek maintains an average width of 30 feet and a depth of 18 inches. As it progresses downstream to its mouth, the creek widens to approximately 45 feet, accompanied by an increase in depth and summer water temperatures. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), Big Spring Creek boasts a remarkable trout population, with up to 3,000 pounds of trout per river mile.

Over the years, anglers on Big Spring Creek have reeled in impressive catches, including browns weighing up to 19 pounds and rainbows reaching 16 pounds. Notably, the record-breaking brown trout was snagged by Vic Farrah in 1949 using a nightcrawler and fly rod. The mounted brown, measuring 33 inches in length with a 21-inch girth, proudly adorns the wall of the local Sports Center. On average, browns and rainbows in this stream span from 12 to 18 inches in size.