Today
52°F
Mostly Cloudy
ESE 3 mph · 4% precip
Loading…
Loading…
Today’s verdict
Current River Conditions
As of (10 days ago)
This intel is a couple of weeks old — conditions may have shifted.
As of ~1 week ago, the river was fishing well.
Fall fishing on the Clark Fork is rolling along nicely, rated a solid 4 out of 5 right now. The action is day-to-day and stretch-to-stretch, with the best dry fly opportunities concentrated on the lower river around Missoula and downstream. Afternoon mayfly hatches are producing well when conditions cooperate, and the weather window ahead looks favorable with highs in the 60s and a mix of sun and clouds through the weekend.
Water is clear and dropping, which is setting up well for both dry fly and subsurface fishing. The river is running low across most sections, which is typical for this time of year. There are also two newly reported downed trees — one between Clinton and Turah, and another between Turah and Sha-Ron near the Clark Fork/Blackfoot confluence — worth knowing about before you head out.
BWOs and Mahogany duns are the dry fly story right now — fish the slow foam lines with a single dry on a long, light leader and nail those drag-free drifts. If nothing's rising, nymph the deeper slower runs with stonefly patterns, Frenchies, or jig-style nymphs, focusing on eddies and deep buckets. Streamer fishing has been excellent too, with yellow, olive, and white flashy patterns fished deep along cut banks and soft seams producing well — Sparkle Minnows and similar articulated patterns are the go-to.
1,680 CFS is right around its typical level for October — this stretch typically runs 1,310–1,770 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 8:15 AM · Sunset 6:23 PM
Observed (1 hour ago)
NWS / weather.gov · fetched 15:00
Today
52°F
Mostly Cloudy
ESE 3 mph · 4% precip
Tonight
36°F
Light Rain Likely then Patchy Fog
E 2 mph · 62% precip
Tomorrow
53°F
Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
NNW 1 mph · 2% precip
Affiliate disclosure — RiverUpdate earns a commission when you buy through these links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosures.
Size #16-20
Size #16-20
Conditions are estimates from USGS data. Always assess on-site conditions and use your own judgment.
The gauge above Missoula sits on the lower Clark Fork — the big western-Montana freestone river anglers fish out of Missoula. 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
Montana’s largest river, changing from an upper freestone near Missoula to broad lower reaches and reservoirs. Target species include Rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout, plus whitefish. Roadside and public access is scattered; boats are most efficient on broad sections. Productive timing is Spring before runoff and July through fall. Major hatches and foods include Skwalas, caddis, PMDs, golden stones, hoppers, tricos and olives. Common approaches are Dry-dropper fishing, nymphing and streamers; technical dry-fly fishing on lower flats. 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
1,680 CFSFlow
42°F−1°Water temp
52° / 36°Weather