Troutline

Clark Fork River

Montana·Western Montana·46.87° N, 113.99° W
Flow
197 CFS
Clark Fork at Deer Lodge
Water Temp
68°F
Clark Fork at Deer Lodge
Condition
Above Normal
Weather
70°F
Mostly Clear
near Missoula
Latest report: The Missoulian Angler · yesterday

Insights

Flow
197 CFS — higher than typical
Push to the banks and softer water. Heavier flies.
Snowpack
Snowpack snowpack update
Snowpack data for Clark Fork River basin is limited right now. The June–July runoff forecast for Clark Fork R ab Missoula is 97% of average.
Water Temp
Water 68°F — stress zone
Trout are oxygen-stressed. Fish dawn only, or pick a colder water — survival rates drop fast above 68°F.

The Clark Fork is Montana's longest river, and it fishes like three completely different waters strung together. Up top, near Warm Springs and Deer Lodge, it's a skinny meadow stream you could jump across in places — brown trout tucked under the cut banks, cutthroat rebuilding in the pockets, and a bottom that a century of copper mining nearly killed. This is the headwater of the largest Superfund complex in the country, and the recovery is real: brown trout counts near Warm Springs went from essentially zero in the late 1960s to over a thousand fish per mile a decade later, and have roughly doubled again since. By the time the river reaches Missoula it's a legitimate mid-size freestone; below town it turns into big, steep-sided, deceptively fast water that eventually grows large enough to hold pike and smallmouth before it crosses into Idaho.

The character shift drives how you fish it. The upper river (Warm Springs down to Drummond) is wade-and-nymph water — peel a Woolly Bugger off the bank, or work stonefly and mayfly nymphs through the meanders. Skip the dead stretch between Drummond and the Rock Creek confluence, where riprapped banks and summer algae flatten the fishing. From Rock Creek down the river wakes up: the cold, clean inflows from Rock Creek, the Little Blackfoot, and Gold Creek transform it. Through Missoula it braids into fishable side channels — Kelly Island is the town's most popular wade spot — and below the Bitterroot confluence it opens into wide float flats holding rainbows and cuttbows that average 16-17 inches with honest shots at 20-plus. One quirk worth knowing: Milltown Dam, just above Missoula at the Blackfoot confluence, came out in 2008 as part of the cleanup, reconnecting the Clark Fork and Blackfoot and reopening that confluence for fish and floaters.

Timing matters more here than on a tailwater. As a snowmelt freestone the Clark Fork blows out hard during spring runoff (roughly May into mid-June) and can run muddy for weeks — watch for the descending limb and "high but clearing" water as the turn-on signal. Salmonflies come through in June on most of the river, though the big bugs are weak in the Rock-Creek-to-Missoula stretch and the Alberton Gorge. But the marquee window is mid-September to mid-October, arguably one of the best dry-fly stretches of the year in the state: big pods rising to Mahoganies, BWOs, and Tricos, sometimes 40-50 noses working one seam. If the main river is off-color, Rock Creek and the Bitterroot are right there as backups. Missoula is the hub — three fly shops, an airport, and the town stretch running right through it.

Fishing Reports

Latest reports from local fly shops

The Missoulian Angler · Missoulayesterday
Clark Fork River Fly Fishing Report

“The Clark Fork river has been fishing good over the last few weeks. Western Montana was hit by a snowstorm in late june, followed by significant rain. This combo increased flows and gave us an extra pulse of water. The increase in flows has kept our water temps down and fishing…”

Read full report at The Missoulian Angler
The Missoulian Angler · Missoula3 weeks ago
Clark Fork River Fishing Report

“The fly fishing on the Clark Fork has been great lately, with golden stones, yellow sallies, PMDs, and green drakes all hatching. The dry fly fishing has been excellent. We've got some cooler, cloudy weather in the forecast later this week, and that should only improve things.…”

Read full report at The Missoulian Angler

Species

  • Brown Trout
    Primary (upper river) · Sep-Oct · 12-20"

    Dominant on the upper Superfund reach, where the wild population was rebuilt from near-zero. Big fish hold in the deeper holes of the lower river. Fall pre-spawn is prime streamer time.

  • Rainbow Trout
    Common (increasing downstream) · Jun-Oct · 12-18"

    Increasingly common from Missoula down; lower-river fish average 16-17" with 20"+ possible. Cuttbow hybrids are mixed into the mid- and lower-river pods.

  • Westslope Cutthroat Trout
    Common (native) · Jun-Sep · 8-16"

    Native and recovering with watershed health. Catch-and-release required statewide — release with care.

  • Mountain Whitefish
    Abundant · Year-round · 8-16"

    Native and prolific; a reliable winter nymphing target throughout.

  • Northern Pike
    Present (lower river) · Spring, fall · to 36"+

    Below the Flathead confluence in the warmer lowest reaches. Large baitfish streamers on sink tips. No limit under MT regs.

  • Smallmouth Bass
    Present (lowest river) · Summer · 8-16"

    The warmwater transition near and below Plains as the river heads for Idaho.

Ideal wading flow300–1,200 CFS
Blow-out>8,000 CFS
Ideal water temp50–62°F

Fall (mid-Sep to mid-Oct) is the marquee dry-fly window — big rising pods and aggressive pre-spawn browns. Early summer (June) brings the salmonfly/golden stone. Pre-runoff spring (Mar-Apr) offers skwalas on warm afternoons. Late-May-through-mid-June runoff is the low point. Wading numbers reference the Above-Missoula/Turah gauges; the lower river floats well at 2,000-6,000 CFS.

Sections

5 sections on this river

Lowest River (St. Regis to Plains) — warmwater transition

FloatBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Northern Pike · Smallmouth

Below St. Regis the gradient increases with big riffles and boulder runs; near Plains and the Flathead confluence the river grows very large and transitions toward warmwater. This is the trout-to-warmwater handoff before Idaho. Access at St. Regis and Plains and FAS points along MT-135 and MT-200.

Best for: Rainbow trout and brown trout up high, giving way to northern pike and smallmouth bass in the warmer lowest reaches — big baitfish streamers for the pike.

Lower Clark Fork — Alberton Gorge to St. Regis

FloatSalmon · Rainbow Trout

Big, steep-sided, fast river below the Bitterroot confluence — wide dry-fly flats broken by the whitewater of the Alberton Gorge (a serious Class III+ run better known to rafters, where the salmonfly hatch is weak). Above St. Regis the river runs broad and low-gradient, some of the best dry-fly flats in the state. Boat launches at Harper's Bridge, Petty Creek, Forest Grove, Tarkio, Cyr, and Dry Creek/Superior.

Best for: Float fishing for the largest average rainbow trout and cuttbows on the river — 16-17" typical with 20"+ possible — on big dries, nymphs, and streamers.

Town Stretch / Missoula (Milltown to Kelly Island)

Wade & FloatBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

A mid-size freestone running right through downtown Missoula that braids into fishable side channels — Kelly Island is the classic town wade spot. Excellent urban access at Sha-Ron, McCormick Park, and Kelly Island makes it walk-and-wade friendly. Milltown Dam came out in 2008, reconnecting the Blackfoot confluence for fish and floaters. Caution below McCormick Park: diversion dams between there and Kelly Island are dangerous to boaters.

Best for: One of the best in-town trout fisheries in Montana — dry-dropper and nymphing for rainbow trout and brown trout, and the famous fall dry-fly rise.

Bearmouth Canyon to Turah (Drummond to Milltown)

FloatBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The river gains gradient through Bearmouth Canyon, then swings into a swift, braided section below the cold Rock Creek confluence. The Drummond-to-Rock-Creek stretch up top is widely skipped — riprapped banks and summer algae flatten it — but everything below Rock Creek fishes markedly better as the clean inflow drops the temperature. Access at Bearmouth, Beavertail Hill State Park, and Turah Bridge.

Best for: Float fishing for rainbow trout and brown trout below the Rock Creek confluence, where the productivity switches on.

Upper Clark Fork (Warm Springs to Drummond) — the Superfund reach

WadeCutthroat · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

A small, meandering meadow stream through the Deer Lodge Valley — undercut banks, slow pools, and willow-lined bends. This is the headwater of the nation's largest Superfund complex, and it holds the lowest historical fish counts in the state, but the wild brown trout population has been rebuilt from near-zero and westslope cutthroat trout are recovering in the pockets. Frontage roads off I-90 (Galen, Deer Lodge, Gold Creek, Drummond) and numerous FWP access sites open it up.

Best for: Wild brown trout and recovering westslope cutthroat trout — streamers stripped off the bank, stonefly and mayfly nymphs through the meanders.

Regulations

Current fishing rules and restrictions

Montana FWP Western Fishing District. Regulations vary sharply by reach: catch-and-release artificial-only on the uppermost river, a limited trout harvest through the middle and lower, and a warmwater section down low. Westslope cutthroat and bull trout must always be released. Hoot-owl (afternoon) closures can hit the upper river in hot, low summers.

  • Upper (Perkins Lane Bridge upstream to Warm Springs): open all year; catch-and-release, artificial lures only; fishing from boats prohibited
  • Perkins Lane Bridge downstream to the Flathead River mouth: general season 3rd Sat May-Nov 30, combined trout 3 daily (only 1 over 14"), cutthroat released; extended season Dec 1-3rd Sat May is catch-and-release for trout
  • Flathead mouth to Thompson River mouth: open all year; cutthroat catch-and-release; bass 5 daily (special 1-daily/22" minimum June 15-July 15)
  • Westslope cutthroat and bull trout must be released; bull trout may not be intentionally targeted
  • Northern pike: no limit

Hoot-owl (2 p.m.-midnight) restrictions can be imposed on the upper river during hot, low-water summers — check FWP current restrictions before fishing in July-August. Regulations change annually; verify the current year before your trip.

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

Access & Logistics

Getting there, fly shops, and lodging

Getting There

Missoula, MT

Town stretch is in Missoula; Deer Lodge ~1 hr east on I-90; St. Regis ~1.25 hrs west

Fly Shops

Camping & Lodging

Beavertail Hill State Park near the Rock Creek area, numerous FWP fishing access sites with camping along I-90 and MT-135/MT-200, and plentiful Missoula lodging. Missoula Montana Airport (MSO) is minutes from the town stretch.

I-90 parallels the river from Deer Lodge to St. Regis with FWP access sites every few miles. Boat launches at Harper's Bridge, Petty Creek, Forest Grove, Tarkio, Cyr, Dry Creek/Superior, and St. Regis bracket the lower float water. Caution below McCormick Park in Missoula — diversion dams between there and Kelly Island are dangerous to floaters. The Alberton Gorge is a serious Class III+ whitewater run best left to experienced boaters. Shuttles: Four Rivers Shuttle, Sonja's, Superior Taxi.

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.

Blackfoot RiverMT

The freestone river Norman Maclean made famous, rebuilt over 30 years of restoration into a genuinely wild fishery for westslope cutthroat, browns, and rainbows east of Missoula. No dam on the mainstem, a legendary June salmonfly hatch, and a boulder-strewn canyon corridor that fishes best from a drift boat.

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

The premier Dillon-area tailwater below Clark Canyon Dam, famous for oversized, technical brown trout in tight, willow-lined water. Cold summer releases keep the upper river fishing all season, but heavy irrigation dewatering and repeated drought closures shape the lower river.

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.