The Blackfoot River Fishing Report

Tip of the Week: With the cold, start your day later and let the water warm up. There is an obstruction below Harry Morgan on the North Fork of the Blackfoot that has caused a few boat accidents. We recommend either walking your boat around it or putting in at River Junction instead

7 Day Outlook: A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the upper Blackfoot from Saturday evening through early Monday. Near Ovando, Saturday starts with rain and a high near 52, turning to snow Saturday night with a low around 20. Sunday is snowy with a high near 41, and Sunday night drops to the upper teens. Expect 2–3 inches of total snow around Ovando. Monday clears out with a high in the upper 40s. Tuesday through Thursday look mostly sunny with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s, warming to the low 60s by Friday. Overnight lows stay in the teens and 20s all week.

Best Techniques Streamer fishing should be your best bet heading into the front, so strip a Sparkle Minnow or Sculpin through the deep pools and along the ledges. Once it's cold and gray, fish a BWO dry in the slower water or run a nymph rig with a Frenchie, Duracell, or Spanish Bullet through the deeper runs. On the warmer afternoons later in the week, an October Caddis dry-dropper can still move fish.

Conditions change fast! Call us at 406.542.7411 for the most recent updates on area rivers, fly selection, and gear recommendations. Local to Missoula? Swing through the shop to get dialed in with the best gear from Orvis, Patagonia, and Skwala, plus the exact bugs they're eating today.