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

Flint Creek - MT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

34

Blackfoot River Outfitters's Tip of the Week

It’s late winter on a small meadow stream, which means the water is low, clear, and frigid. Stealth is absolutely critical right now. Approach those deep, slow bends softly, keep a low profile, and keep your shadow off the water. The brown trout are going to be podded up in the deepest, slowest winter buckets they can find to conserve energy. If you hook into one, don't move on too quickly—there are likely half a dozen more sitting right next to it. Also, keep in mind that Flint Creek flows through a lot of private agricultural land, so be sure to stay below the high-water mark and respect the posted signs near the bridge access points!

Directions open in app

Map of Flint Creek

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Blackfoot River Outfitters

5-Day Outlook as of 3/11/26

Over in the Philipsburg valley, expect a cool and breezy start to the week with snow showers, transitioning to sunny skies and highs in the upper 40s by Friday. Overnight lows will still plummet into the low 20s, keeping the water temperatures barely above freezing through the mornings. The creek is running at standard winter lows, so be prepared to navigate around stubborn shelf ice on the edges of the deeper runs.

Techniques & Tips as of 3/11/26

Low and slow is the name of the game right now. You're going to want to focus almost entirely on nymphing the deepest pools and the dark water under the cut banks. Run a double-nymph rig under a small indicator—start with a larger attractor like a #10-12 Pat's Rubberlegs, a pink San Juan Worm, or a #12 TJ Hooker, and trail it with something tiny like a #18-20 Zebra Midge, Pheasant Tail, or Jig Frenchie. Make sure you're getting right down to the bottom; if you aren't ticking rocks or occasionally snagging up, you aren't fishing deep enough. You can also try slowly swinging a small, flashy streamer like a Kreelex or a black Sculpzilla through the tail-outs, but keep your retrieves painfully slow so they don't have to work hard to chase it.

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

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    Brown Trout

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    Mountain Whitefish

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    Cutthroat Trout

Blackfoot River Outfitters's Recommended Fly Patterns

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

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Griffith's Gnat N/A #16-18
Midge N/A #18-20
Birchell's Hatching Midge N/A #18-20
Bead Head Prince N/A #12-14
TJ Hooker tan 10-12
Perdigon black, red 14-16
Vernille San Juan Worm N/A #8-12
Lightning Bug N/A #14-16
Sparkle Minnow yellow and brown 12
Kreelex copper and brown 6

Griffith's Gnat

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Blackfoot River Outfitters's Recommended Gear

Description: About Flint Creek

Flint Creek winds down out the Pintler Mountains, back and forth across the hay fields near Philipsburg. The meanders are so tight at times you could virtually fish two sides of a button hook at the same time. The miles of undercut grassy banks are home to wild brown trout that eagerly eat hoppers all summer long. Most of Flint Creek is private so please respect that and ask first before entering someone's ranch.

Nearest Airport:

Missoula International Airport (MSO)

Hatches:

Midges.

Best Time to Fish:

The warmest hours of the day

Best Stretch:

Just north of Philipsburg but ask before you fish - very little public access so please secure permission from landowners.

Best Access:

Just north of Philipsburg but ask before you fish - very little public access so please secure permission from landowners.