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

Clark Fork River - MT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

71

Blackfoot River Outfitters's Tip of the Week

The Clark Fork has dropped into great summer shape! Trout are piled up along the bank lines, large eddies, and foamy riffles and are looking up for bugs. Bypass the deep, heavy mid-river current and hunt exclusively for the soft-water margins. Fishing in the morning and the evenings are the best times to go. Keep an eye on the water temps in the afternoon as it is starting to get hot! ***There are reports of a new tree down between Turah and Sha-Ron about half a mile above the confluence of Clark Fork and Blackfoot. Call the shop for more details 406.542.7411***

Directions open in app

Map of Clark Fork River

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Blue Damsel Lodge
Linehan Outfitting Company
Blackfoot River Outfitters
Bitterroot Fly Company

5-Day Outlook as of 7/17/26

In Missoula, it is going to be very warm this weekend with temps in the 80s and lots of sunshine. Looking into next week, temps look to be in the 80s and 90s with a mix of clouds and sunshine.

Techniques & Tips as of 7/17/26

Throw a Chubby Chernobyl or a hopper on top, and drop a PMD nymph or a general attractor nymph like a Duracell or Perdigon 3 to 4 feet below. PMD hatches in the mornings and evenings when it cools off are very consistent right now. Throw a Sparkle Dun, Corn Fed Caddis or a small Purple Haze to rising fish in the riffles and foam lines. Terrestials are becoming a great option as well. Throw a small hopper, ant or beetle pattern to entice a fish to rise.

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

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    Rainbows

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    cutthroats

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    cutbows

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    browns and white fish

Blackfoot River Outfitters's Recommended Fly Patterns

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

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Stimulator N/A #10-12
Big Sky Salmon Fly N/A #6-10
Elk Wing Caddis N/A #12-16
Bead Head Caddis Pupa N/A #12-14
TJ Hooker N/A #8-12
Rubberlegs N/A #8-12
Tunghead Pheasant Tail N/A #12-14
TH 20 Incher N/A #8-12
Spanish Bullet N/A #12-14
Duracell N/A #12-14

Stimulator

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Item #0928

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Blackfoot River Outfitters's Recommended Gear

Description: About Clark Fork River

This major fork of the Columbia River, named after Captain William Clark of the Corps of Discovery, is the mother of all our local rivers. In proving her maternal resolve, the Clark Fork today flows clean and vibrant despite the decades of mining abuses imposed upon her by a less than conservation-minded state. Often described locally as two distinct rivers, the Clark Fork provides decidedly different characteristics on its upper and lower reaches. In the snaking meanders upstream of Missoula, butter-bellied browns explode on baitfish darting from deadfall snags and hoppers haplessly bumping along grassy undercuts. Following her confluence of the Blackfoot and Bitterroot, the Clark Fork through and below town widens and slows. (A dam was recently removed from this location and the river should continue to get better for years to come!) This is the ultimate for anglers hunting line-ripping rainbows and cutthroats on light tippets. Here, the biggest fish sip little duns and chase swimming nymphs around over knee-deep gravel bars. No matter your passion – #20 trico spinners delicately placed in rise ring lanes, dangling a needle-thin phez tail under a big bushy hoppers, or chuck'n and duck'n streamers – the Clark Fork offers a season and section for you.

Nearest Airport:

Missoula

Hatches:

PMDs and Caddis

Best Time to Fish:

Morning and the Evening

Best Stretch:

The entire river is in play. Be wary of Beavertail-Kelly and the Alberton Gorge if floating.

Best Access:

Multiple access points all along the river