Hoot Owl Lifted | Fall Fishing

Bigfork, Whitefish, Kalispell Fly Fishing Guides Fishing Report

Rain and cool weather have prompted FWP to lift Hoot Owl Restrictions on all of our rivers. School starts back up soon and the fall hunting season is also approaching – the rivers are going to get quieter and the fishing is picking up. It’s an enjoyable time to be on the water…

The Blackfoot and Clark Fork are now clear of restrictions and water temps have dropped considerably. The fish have responded to the cooler temps and the fishing is improving. We are sure glad to be done with the 100 degree temps we had all of July. Fall fishing will start to trickle in with Hecuba(fall drake) mayflies and October caddis showing up soon. For now, the terrestrial fishing is the focus.

The Flathead River has still been hit and miss. Overall the fishing has been much better but still a bit challenging to pattern its moods. Morning is good one day and afternoon the next, hoppers are hot one day and not the next, droppers some days and small dries the next… As the crowds thin the fish should get a little less fussy. Also, the cold night time temps in the coming weeks will start to bring fish up from the lake and kick them down out of the Forks. Some bigger fish usually start to show up in late August through the rest of the season. It’s a good time of year to find one of our large lake dwelling cutties as they migrate up with the Superior whitefish run.

Ants, hoppers, beetles, and crane flies are the patterns of choice. Small traditional elk hairs, parachute mayflies, wulffs etc will still also work just fine.  All the usual droppers are also still working on days the dry fly drift isn’t in your favor. SJWs, tung turds, PTs, princes, hare’s ears, perdigons and the like will all work.