Bigfork Montana Fly Fishing – River Report

Overnight Scattered Showers Lo 52 °F

Friday Breezy    Hi 67 °F

Friday Night Clear Lo 44 °F

Saturday Sunny    Hi 74 °F

Saturday Night Mostly Clear Lo 45 °F

Sunday Sunny    Hi 78 °F

Sunday Night Mostly Clear Lo 47 °F

Monday Sunny    Hi 83 °F

Monday Night Mostly Clear Lo 49 °F

 General Outlook.  The rivers all continue to drop and visibility is getting better on the upper reaches of our drainages. What a CRAZY run-off we are experiencing.  Wade fishing is going to be very difficult this year on all our rivers and streams even into August. I know one thing for sure, there are a bunch of fish that haven’t been seeing any flies for a while.  

Blackfoot River:  The Blackfoot is ripe with bugs right now. As of yesterday it still wasn’t fishing well but it should happen any day.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Salmon flies, goldens, sallies, PMDs, Green Drakes, Caddis

Lower Clark Fork River: Still huge and out of shape.
Bugs / Fly Patterns:

Flathead River: The Flathead is starting to turn. I think once it gets under 30k we are going to give it a go. If it turns green it should fish regardless of flow.
Bugs / Fly Patterns:

Swan River: The upper Swan is starting to fish but it’s NOT amateur hour out there right now. A good angler should be able to put a handful of fish in the boat and maybe a big one. The upper river is 5.7′ at Piper and greenish. There was a pretty hefty downpoor down there tonight that could effect vis for a day or so. The Bridge at Piper is pretty low to get under rigt now so have a look first. Things should improve daily.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Big black / olive / white streamers, large g-bugs in golden/salmon/black/brown, large prince nymphs, SJWs in all flavors, tungsten 20 inchers, DB poxy rubberleg stones