Today
48°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 5 mph · 4% precip
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Today’s verdict
Current River Conditions
As of (13 days ago)
This intel is a couple of weeks old — conditions may have shifted.
As of ~2 weeks ago, the river was fishing well.
The Blackfoot is fishing beautifully right now — one report rates it a 4 out of 5. Water is clear and at a normal level for this time of year. Cold overnight temps mean fish are tucked into slower, deeper buckets in the morning, so sleeping in a bit and starting later in the day is a smart move.
By midday they push into the riffles and drop-offs, and the whole river is worth fishing.
Mahoganies, BWOs, and October Caddis are all on the menu. The mayfly hatches are day-to-day and favor overcast skies — bright sun shuts them down. When conditions cooperate, pods of big fish come up to sip, and picky risers are responding to cripple and dun patterns in smaller sizes.
October Caddis are still moving fish in the afternoons, and twitching one on the surface can trigger aggressive takes.
676 CFS is right around its typical level for October — this stretch typically runs 527–707 CFS.
Wading tends to be more manageable at typical flows, but beds shift and cold water saps strength fast — read the water, stay within your limits, and check conditions on-site. You remain responsible for your own safety.
At 42°F, the water is in the prime range for trout — cold enough to fish and to handle fish safely.
Weather
43°FMostly Clear
Wind WNW 5 mph
Sunrise 8:14 AM · Sunset 6:22 PM
Observed (1 hour ago)
NWS / weather.gov · fetched 15:00
Today
48°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 5 mph · 4% precip
Tonight
37°F
Light Rain Likely then Mostly Cloudy
E 2 mph · 59% precip
Tomorrow
50°F
Partly Sunny
ENE 2 mph · 2% precip
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Conditions are estimates from USGS data. Always assess on-site conditions and use your own judgment.
The gauge near Bonner sits at the lower end of the Blackfoot, just above the Clark Fork confluence outside Missoula — the freestone canyon water anglers fish on a run up from town. It carries both flow and water temperature, so the conditions here reflect the water you'll actually fish.
Location
© OpenStreetMap contributors · © Geoapify
Helpful Links
Montana fishing resources
Other Montana rivers with live conditions
Cold, boulder-strewn Montana freestone with fast pocket water, deep runs and forested canyon scenery. Target species include Rainbow, brown, cutthroat and bull trout, plus whitefish. Public sites are good, but floating is the preferred way to cover the river. Productive timing is Late June through October, with a useful pre-runoff spring window. Major hatches and foods include Salmonflies, golden stones, caddis, PMDs, spruce moths, hoppers and October caddis. Common approaches are Large attractor dries, dry-droppers, nymphs and streamers along banks and boulders. Regulations, access rules and water conditions vary by reach, so anglers should review current agency information and the linked local reports before fishing.
Hatches
Tactics
676 CFSFlow
42°F−1°Water temp
48° / 37°WeatherSize #18
Size #4/6
Size #4/6