FLYMASTERMontana · river
Bitterroot River
The Bitterroot River is a northward flowing 84-mile (135 km) river running through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner in southern Ravalli County to its confluence with the Clark Fork River near Missoula in Missoula County, in western Montana. The Clark Fork River is a tributary to the Columbia River and ultimately, the Pacific Ocean. From Wikipedia
- Length
- 47 mi
- Basin
- 2,814 sq mi
- Flows into
- Clark Fork
Flow
No live USGS gauge within 25 miles of this river.
Snowpack
0.4 in of water in the snow at Skalkaho Summit and 2 more stations, against a median 1.6 in for the date (26 % of normal).
The snowpack here usually builds from Oct 26, peaks Apr 20 and is gone by Jun 8; runoff follows the melt.
The season, November
Usually workable this week. Pick your window and fish it well.
- Midgessizes 18 to 22
- Small eggs and worms
- Pheasant tail and zebra midge nymphsunder an indicator
No live USGS gauge within range. Pick one if a nearby river is gauged.
Brown Trout are spawning (October to December). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.
Brook Trout are spawning (September to November). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.
Mountain Whitefish are spawning (October to December). The egg bite behind spawning whitefish is the best winter nymphing of the year: an egg pattern below the riffles.
- Egg patterns in the runs below the spawning gravel, never on it.
Written by the app's rules engine from the calendar, the gauge record and the snowpack, not by hand, so it says only what the data says. The weather for the week comes with the app.
Fly shops on this water
- Blackfoot River Outfitters MissoulaWebsiteFishing report, updated Oct 16
- Grizzly Hackle MissoulaWebsiteFishing report, updated Aug 25
Open Bitterroot River in FlyMaster for today's plan, the flies, and your own log here.
Flows from the U.S. Geological Survey, snowpack from the NRCS SNOTEL network, text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Built Nov 12.