Montana · river

Clark Fork

The Clark Fork, or the Clark Fork of the Columbia River, is a river in the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho, approximately 310 miles (500 km) long. It is named after William Clark of the 1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. From Wikipedia

Length
310 mi
Basin
22,905 sq mi
Flows into
Lake Pend Oreille

Flow now

Nf Coeur D Alene R Ab Shoshone Ck Nr Prichard ID, 18 mi from the river.

109cfsat build, Nov 12, 11 AM MT

0123246Oct 12Nov 11

The typical week here, from 10 years of record: 103 cfs to 246 cfs, around 156 cfs.

Also gauged at Prospect Creek at Thompson Falls MT: 33 cfs, Nov 12.

Snowpack

0.4 in of water in the snow at Chicago Ridge and 2 more stations, against a median 1.4 in for the date (26 % of normal).

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

Typical for the week over 10 years: 103 to 246 cfs. Running 109 cfs today, inside that range. Flows are not forecast; check the gauge the day before.

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.

  • Flows swing a lot this week most years. Carry both a heavy nymph rig and a dry-dropper and let the gauge decide.
  • 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

Open Clark Fork in FlyMaster for today's plan, the flies, and your own log here.

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Flows from the U.S. Geological Survey, snowpack from the NRCS SNOTEL network, text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Built Nov 12.