the Clark Fork River
Montana’s Overlooked Gem
A River Returned to Fly Fishing Greatness
The Clark Fork has a checkered environmental story which builds to our current triumphant crescendo. We have turned the corner as a society, caring about the river enough to invest in its rebirth. Thanks to work by conservation groups the fishery improves each season. Our lodge is on the banks of the Lower Clark Fork where we see people and the river at their best together. The trajectory is only upward as she is still a sleeping giant in the realm of fly fishing. With a rapidly increasing aquatic insect population, projects to reconnect habitat, and more access to spawning streams the future is bright. The pods alongs our property rise feet from the bank, a daily reminder we have returned to healthy populations of trout. The Clark Fork Rivers’s rise continues to amaze us.
Some of my finest moments as an outfitter happened on the Clark Fork, and we look forward to sharing more with you.
– Joe Cummings
Montana Outfitter, Missoula River Lodge
Montana’s Big Freestone, Voracious
Brown Trout, Wild Rainbow Trout
All conversations about the Clark Fork River start in the early 20th century when the copper mines in Anaconda Montana and Butte Montana used the Upper Clark Fork River as a dumping ground for toxic mining waste . In 1910 the largest flood in history displaced tons upon tons of toxic heavy metal sediment throughout the Clark Fork River ushering in a dark time.
Montana started to take the environmental high ground and began source cleanup in the 1980s with the work in Warm Springs, Montana, but the sweeping paradigm shift gained momentum with a 150 million dollar removal of the Milltown Dam. Currently, the recovery inertia carries farther for the Clark Fork River’s spawning and rearing tributaries. This is environmental rebirth at its finest, and while this Montana river has fished well due to its incredible durability, the explosion of wild trout and aquatic insects is nothing short of awe inspiring.
The Clark Fork River’s Path
The headwaters of the Clark Fork River are created by the confluence of Warm Springs Creek and Silverbow Creek near Anaconda, Montana. Beginning 90 miles upstream from Missoula Montana, it flows to the west, eventually gathering the rich waters of the Rock Creek, the Blackfoot River, and Bitterroot River. At its headwaters is a wade fly fishing only size, but quickly turns into a floatable, meandering brown trout fishery. The banks present a tight arena of willows, meadows, and deep undercuts floated primarily by our rafts on guided float trips. By the time it flows through Missoula it has gathered all its water and becomes a large freestone river with slow gliding currents populated by primarily adult rainbows. Skiff style drift boats rule the water downstream of Missoula. It is a classic brown trout stream with all its quirks of loving the streamer and the hopper in its upper reaches . At her full strength west of Missoula she becomes a glossy, wide rainbow trout fishery that lives on mayflies, stoneflies, and grasshoppers.
The Clark Fork River’s Path
The headwaters of the Clark Fork River are created by the confluence of Warm Springs Creek and Silverbow Creek near Anaconda, Montana. Beginning 90 miles upstream from Missoula Montana, it flows to the west, eventually gathering the rich waters of the Rock Creek, the Blackfoot River, and Bitterroot River. At its headwaters is a wade fly fishing only size, but quickly turns into a floatable, meandering brown trout fishery. The banks present a tight arena of willows, meadows, and deep undercuts floated primarily by our rafts on guided float trips. By the time it flows through Missoula it has gathered all its water and becomes a large freestone river with slow gliding currents populated by primarily adult rainbows. Skiff style drift boats rule the water downstream of Missoula. It is a classic brown trout stream with all its quirks of loving the streamer and the hopper in its upper reaches . At her full strength west of Missoula she becomes a glossy, wide rainbow trout fishery that lives on mayflies, stoneflies, and grasshoppers.
Clark Fork River Dry Fly Hatches
April – May : Skwalas, March Browns, Blue Wing Olives
The Lower Clark Fork has the most dense springtime hatch population of fluttering Skwalas in our area, however it doesn’t turn on until early in April. If our water sits right this will be some of the easiest guided dry fly fishing of the whole season.
Weather : Highs in the 50-60s, lows in the 30s
May- June: Mother’s Day Caddis and Early Summer Caddis
The heart of this river’s hatch cycle are caddis of all species. We see more caddis hatches here than any of our water. It is the last river to drop into shape and warm, so some guide seasons we continuously put float trips on the Clark Fork river in early summer, and other years we have to wait until after the 4th of July.
Weather :Highs 60s-70s, lows in the 40s
July: Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns, Caddis
Giant Golden Stones hatch heavily in the Lower Clark Fork River, and now we will get the right water conditions for Pale Morning Duns and Caddis in the mornings and evenings. This change to mid sized hatches produces more true rising fish pods and rewards the longer caster that likes to stalk big fish on rhythm to dries.
Weather: Highs 70s-80s, lows in the 50s
August: Tricos, Hoppers, Streamers
The Clark Fork is rich in windswept, grassy banks which create excellent conditions for hopper fishing. Incredibly reliable in both the Upper and Lower River, hopper fishing the Clark Fork should be on every angler’s bucket list. After the Milltown Dam removal was completed in 2008, the Trico hatch charged back to cloud like proportions. With such large numbers of spent Trico spinners present even the most shy brown trout will sip in the mornings. August marks the beginning of the pre-spawn brown trout bite in the upper river. It can be a tough choice in the morning – brown trout on streamers and hoppers in the upper River or heavy rainbow trout sipping Tricos in the lower river.
Weather: Highs 70s-80s, lows in the 50s
September – October: Mahoganies, Blue Wing Olives, Streamers
Fall focuses on afternoon hatching mayflies as they pile back in across the drainage. Mayflies provide afternoon pods of trout feeding on medium size dries in the lower river. We also enjoy the peak of the streamer bite as the fever pitch of the brown trout pre-spawn aggression kicks in. The Clark Fork River could be the best float trip in Montana during the fall. Peak Autumn changing leaves, active brown trout, elk bugling in the river bottom, and rainbows trout on the rise.
Weather: Highs 60s-70s, lows in the 40s