Big Hole River
Bighorn River
Bitterroot River
Bitterroot River, East Fork
Bitterroot River, West Fork
Blackfoot River
Clark Fork River
Middle Fork Flathead River
North Fork Flathead River
Flint Creek
Gallatin River
Georgetown Lake
Kootenai River
Madison River, Between Quake Lake and Ennis
Madison River, Below Ennis Lake
Missouri, Below Holter Dam
Rock Creek
Yellowstone River
Water flow: Approximately 40,000cfs
Visibility: 6 inches
Water temperature at mid-day: 42 Degrees F
Water condition: Muddy
Best time of day to fish: late morning throughout the afternoon
Best stretch: Conditions are about the same on all stretches but lower river might offer better fishing since there are more riffles and faster water.
Best access point: All access points are open.
Fly fishing hatches in order of importance:
baetis, midge
Fish species: rainbow, westslope cutthroat, brown, mountain whitefish, pike minnow
Fishing season: March-November
Nearest airport: Six of one/half dozen of the other...Spokane, Washington the west or Missoula, Montana to the east.
The Lower Clark Fork River is approximately fifty miles west of Missoula and below the Alberton Gorge. This section of the Clark Fork looks and smells a bit different from the river that runs through Missoula. Above the town of St. Regis the river is broad and runs with very little gradient making for some of the best dry fly water in the state. Below St. Regis the gradient increases as the river runs north ...
By the time the river becomes fish-able again dry fly fishing should be pretty good. That will likely be toward the middle/end of June.
The Clark Fork is officially done for the spring season. Runoff has caused the river to get muddy and rise dramatically. It's going to be a few weeks before it shapes up again.
