Blackfoot River

Montana·Western Montana·46.90° N, 113.40° W

Flow

1,330 CFS

Blackfoot River near Bonner

Water Temp

69°F

Blackfoot River near Bonner

Condition

Below Normal

Weather

63°F

Partly Cloudy

near Potomac

Latest report: Freestone Fly Shop · 4 days ago

Insights

Wind

Wind 1 mph — calm

Easy casting and clean surface presentations.

Flow

Low flows at 1,330 CFS

Fish are spooky. Lighten tippet and lengthen leaders.

Snowpack

Snowpack snowpack update

Snowpack data for Blackfoot River basin is limited right now. The June–July runoff forecast for Blackfoot R nr Bonner is 97% of average.

Water Temp

Water 69°F — stress zone

Trout are oxygen-stressed. Fish dawn only, or pick a colder water — survival rates drop fast above 68°F.

The Blackfoot is the river Norman Maclean made famous in A River Runs Through It, and for a couple of decades that fame was a cruel joke — by the 1980s the upper river was a mining-scarred, dewatered, sediment-choked shell, hammered by the Mike Horse Mine disaster and decades of hard-rock drainage above Lincoln. What makes it worth your time now is the comeback: a 30-year Trout Unlimited restoration effort, ranch conservation easements, and tributary reconnection have rebuilt a genuinely wild population of westslope cutthroat, browns, and rainbows, plus a protected bull trout stronghold in the North Fork. This is a freestone river with no dam on the mainstem, so it fishes on nature's clock — big spring runoff, a legendary early-summer stonefly window, and a low, clear late-summer grind.

Most of the fishing anglers travel for is the roughly 30 miles of canyon and corridor water between Russell Gates and the mouth near Bonner, east of Missoula off Highway 200. It's a boulder-and-pocket-water river through here — slippery, fast, Class II in spots — which makes wade fishing a genuine challenge and pushes most guided days into a drift boat or raft. The signature event is the salmonfly and golden stone hatch: salmonflies usually pop around the second week of June and run past the Fourth of July, with golden stones the more dependable follow-up deep into July. Before that, the river has a real skwala hatch in March-April; after it, you're into PMDs, caddis, green drakes, and a strong hopper-and-terrestrial summer. The upper meadow water above Nevada Creek is slower, browner, and much more about big fish in undercut banks than dry-fly numbers.

The honest trade-offs: this is a popular recreational float corridor, so on a warm July weekend you're sharing the Roundup-to-Johnsrud water with rafts, tubers, and dogs, not just anglers. Runoff blows it out through May into early June most years, and by late summer low, warm flows regularly trigger FWP hoot-owl closures (no fishing 2 p.m. to midnight) to protect stressed fish — check the emergency-restriction list before you drive out. Cutthroat are catch-and-release the length of the mainstem, and intentional fishing for bull trout is flat-out illegal. It's roughly a 30-45 minute drive from Missoula to the lower access sites, which is part of why it stays busy.

Fishing Reports

Latest reports from local fly shops

Freestone Fly Shop · Hamilton4 days ago

July 12th Blackfoot Fishing Report

“The Blackfoot River is in excellent midsummer condition and continues to fish well from Bonner upstream through the canyon. Water clarity is very good, and healthy flows are providing excellent habitat for trout. Early mornings and late evenings have been the most productive…”

Read full report at Freestone Fly Shop

The Missoulian Angler · Missoula3 weeks ago

Blackfoot River Fishing Report

“The fly fishing on the Blackfoot has been great lately. There are still salmonflies up on the upper stretches, and golden stones are going on the upper, middle, and lower river. Add in plenty of PMDs and yellow sallies and the fish have every reason to stay looking up and eating…”

Read full report at The Missoulian Angler

Species

Westslope Cutthroat Trout
Common · Jun-Sep · 8-16"
Recovering native; catch-and-release on the mainstem and most tributaries. Loves the stonefly and hopper windows.
Rainbow Trout
Common · Jun-Oct · 10-18"
Best in the canyon and lower river; fish to 20"-plus in the big pools above Bonner where cold North Fork water comes in.
Brown Trout
Common · Jun, Sep-Oct · 12-24"
Dominant in the upper meadow water from Lincoln to Cedar Meadow; 20"-plus fish hold in undercut banks and become fall streamer targets.
Bull Trout
Rare · Variable · 18-30"+
Threatened species — intentional angling is unlawful. The North Fork is a core spawning stronghold. Release immediately if incidentally hooked.
Mountain Whitefish
Abundant · Year-round · 8-16"
Native and prolific; a reliable nymph and winter target when the trout are dour.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size	Notes
Westslope Cutthroat Trout	Common	Jun-Sep	8-16"	Recovering native; catch-and-release on the mainstem and most tributaries. Loves the stonefly and hopper windows.
Rainbow Trout	Common	Jun-Oct	10-18"	Best in the canyon and lower river; fish to 20"-plus in the big pools above Bonner where cold North Fork water comes in.
Brown Trout	Common	Jun, Sep-Oct	12-24"	Dominant in the upper meadow water from Lincoln to Cedar Meadow; 20"-plus fish hold in undercut banks and become fall streamer targets.
Bull Trout	Rare	Variable	18-30"+	Threatened species — intentional angling is unlawful. The North Fork is a core spawning stronghold. Release immediately if incidentally hooked.
Mountain Whitefish	Abundant	Year-round	8-16"	Native and prolific; a reliable nymph and winter target when the trout are dour.

Ideal wading flow1,000–2,500 CFS

Blow-out>4,000 CFS

Ideal water temp48–62°F

Mid-June through mid-July for the salmonfly and golden-stone peak (the reason to plan a trip). Late July through September for dependable hopper-dropper and evening caddis, watching for hoot-owl closures. March-April is the local skwala window before runoff; fall brings brown-trout streamers and BWOs with fewer crowds. Avoid mid-May into early June — peak runoff blows it out.

Sections

5 sections on this river

North Fork Blackfoot

WadeCutthroat · Bull Trout · Rainbow Trout · Whitefish

A small, cold, high-gradient mountain tributary out of the Bob Marshall front near Ovando — wild and lightly pressured, reached by forest roads north of Ovando and largely walk-and-wade. The cold input cools the mainstem at River Junction. Bull trout are present — do not target them; release any that grab a fly.

Best for: Westslope cutthroat trout (catch-and-release) and mountain whitefish on small stimulators, attractors, and hoppers. A marquee reconnection and restoration success and a bull trout spawning stronghold.

River Junction — Nevada Creek to Clearwater Crossing (Box Canyon)

Wade & FloatBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The river straightens and gains volume below Nevada Creek and the North Fork, including Box Canyon — a roughly 5-mile section of riffles, pools, larger waves, and one whitewater stretch. The North Fork Blackfoot enters here and noticeably refreshes and cools the flow. Access at River Junction FAS and Aunt Molly FAS upstream.

Best for: Brown trout and rainbow trout on dry-dropper rigs, hoppers, and stonefly dries — the point where the Blackfoot becomes a real trout river as cold tributary water comes in.

The Canyon / Recreation Corridor — Russell Gates to Johnsrud Park

FloatSalmon · Cutthroat · Rainbow Trout

The postcard water — rock- and boulder-strewn pocket water, fast current, Class II whitewater, and ponderosa-pine canyon. Roundup Bridge marks the start of more technical water. This is the most popular and most heavily floated stretch, so expect recreational-float crowds on warm weekends. Access via the Blackfoot River Recreation Corridor (Russell Gates down to Johnsrud).

Best for: Rainbow trout and westslope cutthroat on salmonfly and golden-stone dries in June–July, hopper-dropper in summer. The heart of the salmonfly hatch experience.

Upper Blackfoot — Lincoln to Nevada Creek

Wade & FloatCutthroat · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Small, meandering freestone-to-meadow water through forest and ranchland — downed timber, twists, and undercut banks, with slow current through the Mineral Hill–Cedar Meadow stretch. Much of the meadow water fronts private ranch land, so access is limited to Highway 141, secondary roads, and Aunt Molly's WMA.

Best for: Big brown trout in the undercut banks (some over 20 inches) and westslope cutthroat; streamers and stonefly dries. The visible payoff of the mine-cleanup and restoration work above Lincoln.

Lower Blackfoot — Johnsrud Park to Clark Fork

Wade & FloatBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Large pools, riffles, and boulders with Highway 200 paralleling the river; fishing legally ends about 2 miles above the old Bonner Dam site at Milltown. Easy roadside access off Hwy 200 at K. Ross Toole and Marco Flats FAS, roughly 30–40 minutes from Missoula. The USGS Bonner gauge — the primary flow reference — sits at the bottom of this reach.

Best for: The river's largest rainbow trout and brown trout; nymphing the deep pools, streamers, and evening caddis and mayfly dries.

Regulations

Current fishing rules and restrictions

Standard Montana Western District stream regulations. Westslope cutthroat are catch-and-release on the mainstem; bull trout are federally protected with mandatory immediate release. FWP routinely imposes hoot-owl closures on hot, low-flow summer days — check the drought and restriction page before every summer trip.

License: anglers 16+ need a Montana Fishing License + Conservation License + AIS Prevention Pass
General stream season: third Saturday in May through November 30 (portions open year-round under standard/winter regs — confirm by reach)
Westslope cutthroat: catch-and-release on the mainstem and most tributaries
Bull trout: protected — intentional angling is unlawful; release immediately if incidentally hooked
Hoot-owl restrictions (no fishing 2 p.m.-midnight) are common in hot, low-flow summers; occasionally full closures apply

Hoot-owl closures are a recurring summer reality on the Blackfoot — when afternoon water temps approach 68-70°F, FWP closes the river 2 p.m. to midnight. Fish early and check the FWP emergency-restriction list before you drive out.

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — Fishing Regulations. Regulations change annually — verify before fishing.

Access & Logistics

Getting there, fly shops, and lodging

Getting There

Ovando, MT (upper); Bonner/Missoula (lower)

30-45 min from Missoula to the Johnsrud/lower access, 1 hr+ to the upper meadow water near Ovando/Lincoln

Fly Shops

Camping & Lodging

Numerous FAS campsites in the Blackfoot River Recreation Corridor (Russell Gates has 11 sites and a boat ramp; camping restricted to designated corridor sites). Dispersed and Forest Service camping around Ovando and Seeley Lake. Motels in Lincoln, Seeley Lake, and Missoula.

FAS access is free; standard MT license + Conservation License + AIS pass required. Highway 200 parallels the lower river. Shuttle services operate for the popular float sections — arrange via the Missoula shops or Blackfoot Angler in Ovando.

Conditions data is live from public monitoring networks. Regulations change annually — always verify current rules with your state fish & wildlife agency before fishing.

More in Montana

View all 22 rivers

Western Montana

Bitterroot RiverMT

Western Montana's home water — 84 miles of cottonwood-bottomed valley fishing for wild rainbows, browns, and native westslope cutthroat. Famous for the March-April Skwala stonefly hatch and a long dry-fly season from spring through October.

Clark Fork RiverMT

Montana's longest river fishes like three waters in one — a skinny Superfund-recovery meadow stream up around Deer Lodge, a legitimate mid-size freestone through Missoula, and big float water down to St. Regis. Wild browns up top, 16-17" rainbows and cuttbows below town, and a marquee mid-September dry-fly window.

Rock CreekMT

Missoula's home freestone — about 50 miles of wadeable pocket water running from the Forks near Philipsburg down to the Clark Fork at Clinton. A Blue-Ribbon stream with five wild salmonid species and Montana's most famous June salmonfly hatch.

West Fork Bitterroot RiverMT

The tailwater fork of the Bitterroot below Painted Rocks Reservoir, holding cool, wadeable flows and late hatches for westslope cutthroat, rainbows, and browns while the surrounding freestone rivers drop and warm.

Other regions

Beaverhead RiverMT

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Big Hole RiverMT

The 'Last Best River' — 153 miles of classic Montana freestone from the Beaverhead Mountains through Wisdom, Wise River, and Glen to its confluence with the Beaverhead at Twin Bridges. Home to the lower 48's only fluvial Arctic grayling population.

Bighorn RiverMT

The Yellowtail Dam tailwater — 13 miles of fly fishing gold from the Afterbay to Two Leggins. 3,000-5,000 trout per mile, year-round consistent flows, and the West's most reliable sow bug and PMD fishery.

East Gallatin RiverMT

Bozeman's spring-influenced backyard brown-trout stream — a small, weedy, serpentine meadow river that forms east of town and joins the West Gallatin near Manhattan. A separate drainage from the famous Gallatin canyon freestone: wade-only, technical, spring-creek-style fishing for wild browns, rainbows, and whitefish.

Flathead RiverMT

The big glacial-green valley river formed where the three forks meet near West Glacier, running through the Flathead Valley into Flathead Lake and continuing below Kerr Dam. A native westslope cutthroat dry-fly float up top, northern pike water down low.

Gallatin RiverMT

The Gallatin runs through Yellowstone NP and the Gallatin Canyon along Highway 191 — wadeable freestone water for rainbows, browns, cutthroat, and whitefish, with a strong salmon fly hatch in late June and excellent post-runoff dry-fly fishing into October.