Fly Fishing Report On The Clark Fork River

Fly Fishing Clark Fork River This includes a Clark Fork River Montana Fly Fishing Report:

04/29/24 The stream is still in good shape flowing just a little below a normal level in most sections. We still recommend fishing the tailwater below the dam near Missoula. There are good hatches taking place – Cream Midges, Little Black Caddis, BWO’s and Skwala stonefly hatches are coming off throughout the river’s length.

The old fishing report archive is at the bottom of this page. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.

We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.

Type of Stream
Freestone/Tailwater

Species
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Bull Trout (Few)
(Wild Trout)

Size
Large

Location
Southwestern Montana

Nearest Towns
Missoula

Season
3rd Sat. May – Nov 30th (Open
year-round some areas)

Special Regulations
Clark Fork Special Regulations

Access:
Fair

Non-Resident License
State of Montana

Weather
National Weather Service Link

Stream Flow Data:
Real Time USGS Data (Deer Lodge)
Real Time USGS Data (Bonner)
Real Time USGS Data (below
Missoula)

Seasons:
Fly fishing the Clark Fork River is good from March through November.
Spring:
Springtime is the best time to fish the river except when runoff from its many tributary streams affects the clarity.
Summer:
The water can get warm in some areas but it is cooled by many of the streams that flow into it.

Fall:
This is a good season and the best time for the brown trout.
Winter:
Although it is possible to catch fish during the winter in some areas, it isn’t usually very productive. .

Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.

Options For Selecting Flies:
1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.

2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need.

3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip.

All orders are shipped free in the
U. S. Orders over $100 are shipped via Priority Mail.

Fly Fishing Report On The Clark Fork River In Montana
This 327 mile long river starts in the Highlands (Silver Bow) Mountains near Anaconda. Silver Bow and Warm Springs creeks form the river. Most of the river is bordered by Interstate 90. Its headwaters are bordered by the Garnet Mountain Range and the Flint Creek Mountain Range, and flows through the Deer Lodge Valley. The river is small until it picks up the water from the Blackfoot River. We update the Clark Fork River fishing report weekly, so be sure to check back with us.

Mining has taken its toll on the river and for its first many miles, the river has few trees and little vegetation along its banks. This helps control muddy runoff from surrounding land. During the past several years, there has been a tremendous improvement in the quality of the water and the fishing. Many areas of the river has good populations of trout.

Downstream of the Little Blackfoot River confluence, the river flows through a narrow canyon bordered mostly by Interstate 90 and a railroad. Below that section, the river has some streamside cover of trees and bushes.

There is another 25 mile long canyon section called the Bearmouth Canyon. From the canyon exit, the river slows down for a ways, picks up water from the Blackfoot River and flows into Milltown Reservoir. The river flows through the town of Missoula where fishing is good, especially from a drift boat.

On the west side of Missoula, it picks up more water from the Bitterroot River and becomes a big river. Fishing continues to be good down to the next reservoir. Below the Flathead River confluence, the water mostly supports only brown trout and the fishing becomes less productive.

Clark Fork River Fly Fishing Guide:
The Clark Fork is more of a streamer and nymph stream than it is a dry fly river. Of course trout can be caught on dry flies, especially during a hatch, but the most effective way to fish is usually with a nymph. There are plenty of sculpin and baitfish of several types and streamer fishing is usually very good.

The river can be very deceptive. In many areas it looks more like a large drainage ditch than it does a trout stream. You may not see the typical runs, riffles and pools you would normally see in a trout stream. The Clark Fork has many sections of water that are difficult to read or determine where the trout may be holding or feeding. Some sections look rather ugly, with little vegetation along the banks and few objects, rocks, boulders, etc., in the water to create pockets. Finding trout in these sections can be difficult and often requires the trail and error approach. Just don’t let that type of water fool you. What looks like fishless water may hold some large rainbow and brown trout. This river has some very nice size trout. Some sections of the river has brown trout that have been caught approaching thirty inches. Rainbows exceeding twenty inches are not uncommon. Often these trout are found in locations in the river that are almost featureless.

You can wade the upper parts of the Clark Fork above the confluence of the Blackfoot River fairly easy in most places. That isn’t necessarily true below the Blackfoot River confluence. There are many places the river is too deep to wade. Strong currents can also be a problem.

The biggest thing you must pay attention to is the streams that feed the river. Any one of them can drastically affect its water clarity and flow. For example, heavy thunderstorms in the headwaters of Rock Creek can create a lot of muddy water below its confluence with the Clark Fork. This is true of any of the other major streams that feed the river including Flint Creek, the Little Blackfoot, Blackfoot River, Bitterroot River, the Flat Head River and other smaller streams.

Getting good information on the flows and right direction. Each of the dams can also greatly influence the flow of the river.

Except for the fast water in the canyon sections, the Clark Fork River is made up of long, slow runs, and what the locals call scum lines. Scum lines are a lines or streaks of foam and bubbles that are common where there are current seams. These current seams carry most of the food the trout eat downstream on the surface and is where most dry fly action is going to take place. It is also where you can catch trout on streamers worked beneath the scum lines. The eddies are always good places to fish.

Undercut banks are another likely location for brown trout. You will also find an occasional deadfall that will hold the browns.

Clark Fork River Hatches and Trout Flies:
Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Clarke Fork River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726

The hatches on the Clark Fork River varies with the different sections of the river. Some of the insects are only found in certain types of water, so keep that in mind. You want find Trico mayflies in the fast water of the headwater sections, for example.

The Blue-winged Olives are among the most important hatches. The BWOs start hatching about the middle of March. It can last until the end of April. A second hatch takes place starting about near the end of September. It can last until the first of November, depending on the weather.

Another important mayfly is the Pale Morning Dun. They hatch starting about the middle of June and lasting until as late as the first of August. There is a March Brown hatch that takes place about the last week of March and through the month of April but only in the fast water areas. The only other substantial hatch of mayflies are the Tricos. These hatch on the slower, smoother sections of water during August and September.

Caddisflies can be the most important insects at times. Spotted Sedges are the most plentiful species. They start hatching around the first of July and can last through the month of August. There is a Little Black Caddis hatch, called the Mother’s Day Hatch, that starts in mid April and last through the month of May, depending on the section.

The big October Caddis hatch from about the middle of September through October. There are several other species of caddisflies in the Clarke Fork River but they usually don’t exist in plentiful quantities.

Stoneflies are plentiful in most sections of the Clark Fork. About the first of March you will find two species of stoneflies on the Clark Fork River. The Winter Stoneflies hatch until about the middle of April. Skwala Stoneflies start abut the middle of March and last through the middle of April. The Salmonflies usually start about the first of June and last through July, depending on the section of the river. About the first of June the Golden Stoneflies start hatching. They hatch through the month of July, depending on the section of the river. Yellow Sallies, or Little Yellow Stoneflies, hatch from the middle of May all the way through the middle of August, again, depending on the section of the river.

Make sure you have a good selection of streamer flies. The river has plenty of minnows, baitfish species and sculpin. Streamers work great early and late in the day, and when the water is stained from heavy rains.

Terrestrials become very important during the months of July, August and September. Imitations of ants, beetles, and grasshoppers work great at times.

Midges hatch throughout the year but are most important during the months of March and October.

We recommend Perfect Flies. You can get specific imitations of every aquatic insect that hatches in the Clark Fork River. If you haven’t done so already, we hope you will give the flies a chance to work for you. We feel confident that you will be more than satisfied with them. Be sure to check our Clark Fork River fishing report as we update it often.

Clark Fork River Fly Fishing Report:

02/22/2020 We are resuming the fishing reports. Stream levels are near normal but much of the river has some bank and a little shelf ice. Fish the tailwater near Missoula, where the water is about 39 degrees. Midges, winter stoneflies and little BWOs are hatching. Our sculpin streamers
should work good. Shoot us an email for a fly list. sales@perfectflystore.com
03/19/2020 Stream levels range from low to normal. The tailwater near Missoula is turning out some good fish.
04/03/2020 The river is in good shape in all sections but the freestone section has some very cold water in the higher elevations. Fish the tailwater near Missoula.
94/18/20 The tailwater is still the best opportunity. Midges, little BWO, and Skwala stoneflies are hatching.
05/04/20 The river is flowiing very high (blown out). Fish when it drops back down.
05/30/20 The river is in full runoff mode with very high levels. Now is the time to get your flies and gear in order. Shoot us an
email and let us help you. sales@perfectflystore.com
06/15/20 Runoff is still underway.
07/07/20 The river is still very high and muddy to dingy from runoff. It shouldn’t be much longer.
07/18/20 The river level is still too high for wading most every way. It is mostly clear and should be in good shape very soon.
08/01/20 The stream level is down in all sections of the river. The upper section is turning out a lot of trout but all areas are producting good.
08/19/20 All sections of the river are turning out good catches for our
customers. Good hatches and stream levels a little above the normal flows.
09/15/20 The river is in good shape with flows near normal and trout being caught in all sections. We continue to get good reports from customers.
12/04/20 The river is cold everywhere but below the dam at Missoula. Midge, little BWOs, aquatic worms, and our sculpin streamers are working there.
12/25/20 Our customers have reported some good catches in the braided area in Missoula at Kelly Island. Midges and winter stoneflies are hatching.
01/21/2021 You can still catch trout in the braided area in Missoula at Kelly Island, for example. Midges and winter stoneflies are hatching.
02/24/21 We haven’t received any reports lately but you still should be
able to catch trout near the discharge from the dam.
03/18/21 Get ready for the new Spring hatches. Shoot us an email for a fly and gear list.

04/18/21 The river is still running below an normal level and the water is still very cold. There are some trout being caught below the dam near Missoula.

05/01/21 The water is still cold, around 45 degrees most places and runoff yet to come. We are not getting any reports but trout fishing should be fine below the dam near Missoula.

05/09/21 The water is a little warmer but it hasn’t changed the hatches which is mostly all midges. It should be good below the dam in Missoula but we still haven’t received any reports.

05/17/21 The river is already high and stained from runoff. We don’t recommend fishing it until the runoff ends.

05/26/21 The river is very high from runoff. You will have to wait until it drops and clears. Keep in touch and we will keep you updated.

06/02/21 The river is still in runoff and not worth fishing.

06/11/21 The river is still in runoff too high to fish. Keep in touch and we will keep you informed.

06/15/21 Conditions remain the same. It is in runoff.

06/20/21 The river is still high but should be in good shape very soon.