Fishing Season: Year round; some tributaries closed December 1-third week of May. Check regulations before fishing.

Bitterroot River - MT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

58

Blackfoot River Outfitters's Tip of the Week

Fish the Hatch Progression Salmonflies usually hatch first, followed by Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies. Have a mix of patterns ready. If fish get picky, downsize your dry to a smaller golden stone pattern.

Directions open in app

Map of Bitterroot River

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Blackfoot River Outfitters
Blue Damsel Lodge
Montana Hunting and Fishing Adventures
Triple Creek Ranch

5-Day Outlook as of 6/6/25

The Bitterroot River corridor between Florence and Darby is expected to experience warm and mostly sunny conditions over the next week. Daytime highs will range from the upper 70s to low 90s°F, with cooler mornings in the upper 40s to low 50s°F. Fishing should continue to improve over the next week. If you are floating please use extreme caution. This river changes rapidly and is known for producing fatal log jams. Give us a call for an updated obstruction report. If you see any issues be sure to call us or send pics so we can share the same. Thanks. *There are currently MANY obstructions on the Bitterroot. Hannon-Wally: Several tight spots, but clear. Wally-Anglers: flows over Sleeping Child dam are always dicey! Don’t consider running after a scout unless you are highly skilled. The channel around the left side is too low to consider. Vets-Woodside: More wood down between New Bridge and Blodgett Park. The river right channel will require careful scouting and likely boat dragging. Woodside-Tucker: Tree down in the right channel at the split 1/4mi above the diversion channel. You can sneak through, but not recommended for less experienced rowers. Very high consequence! Tucker-Bell: Multiple trees down below Victor that require walking the boat or portaging. Bell-Stevi: Mostly clear. Follow the water. Stevi-Florence: Clear. Follow the water at any splits. As the river fluctuates it is smart to pull over and check for any potential changes.

Techniques & Tips as of 6/6/25

Single dry baby! If they aren't committing to the dry, tie on a dropper - 3ft to a rubber leg can be deadly. Nymphing can be productive as well and streamer fishing will continue to be good bet. Come ready for salmonflies, golden stones. Dries: Salmonflies- Christensen's Salmonfly, Emma Stone, Kyle's King Kong Salmonfly Golden Stones- HF Stone, Rogue Stone, Plan B Streamers: Dungeon, Envy, Lil Kim, Sparkle Minnow, Kreelex Nymphs: Worms, Hot Bead Stone, TJ Hooker, Girdle Bugs, Duracell, Blowtorch, Jig Mini Bugger

Local Species Available Year round; some tributaries closed December 1-third week of May. Check regulations before fishing.

  • Fish Icon

    Trout - rainbows

  • Fish Icon

    browns and cutties - whitefish

Blackfoot River Outfitters's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Vernille San Juan Worm N/A #6-10
Bead Head Prince N/A #8-10
Tunghead Stonefly N/A #6-10
Gee's Supafly Stone Dry N/A #4-6
TJ Hooker N/A #08-12
Sparkle Minnow N/A #04-08
TH 20 Incher N/A #8-12
Larson's Legend Golden Stone Dry N/A #8
Plan B N/A #8-10
Kreelex N/A #6

Vernille San Juan Worm

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Blackfoot River Outfitters's Recommended Gear

Description: About Bitterroot River

The panoramic mountains of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness towering above this river make for an unforgettable setting. The Bitterroot affords anglers over 80 miles of varied freestone trout water ranging from riffles and runs to undercuts and deadfalls. This river's largest fish often rise to dry flies even in non-hatch conditions. One of our guides claims that "If you catch a fish on the Bitterroot, you could have caught it with a dry fly!" This probably isn't far from the truth in light of our fishing dries here 90% of the time (often with an additional bead head dropper). Renowned hatches of stone and may flies are in full force by March, providing the state's best early season surface action and Bitterroot river fish tend to look up for the rest of the season. Expect to catch native westslope cutthroat, rainbows and browns on any outing.

Nearest Airport:

Missoula International Airport (MSO)

Hatches:

Salmonflies, golden stones, sallies.

Best Time to Fish:

All day

Best Stretch:

Most of the river is looking good. Keep an eye out for potential jams and portages.

Best Access:

Multiple fishing access sites throughout the river.