Blackfoot River Fishing Report: April 24, 2026

Visibility 2–3 ft · Water temp 45°F · High and off-color · Quality 3/5

The Blackfoot has been the toughest of the three this past week. Flows near Bonner sat around 4,400 cfs and were dropping into the weekend, but the river remains high and pushy with just 2–3 feet of visibility, and water temps are still in the mid-40s. High water has shoved the holding lies tight into the willows on the banks — the soft seams you would normally float over are essentially gone. Upper sections (above the Blackfoot/Clearwater) are fishing better than the lower river. Forecasted highs into the low 70s by Tuesday will likely bump flows again before a midweek cold front cools things back into the 50s with rain and snow.

Techniques

• Nymphing. Heavy rigs, 4–6 ft of depth, into the willow margins and slow inside seams. Lead with a stonefly (Pat's Rubber Legs or TJ Hooker) and trail a smaller dark nymph (Jig PT) or an egg-color worm (red/pink San Juan Worm or Hot Bead Power Worm) — whitefish are spawning.
• Streamers. The off-color water is a streamer angler's friend. Big, dark, high-contrast patterns (sculpins, Woolly Bugger, Mini-Dungeon) worked slow and deep along banks and structure. Switch to gold/white as clarity improves and skies brighten.
• Dries. Limited. Save your March Brown and BWO patterns for warm afternoons and the rare midge sipper.

Hatches. Midges, BWOs, sporadic March Browns; not much Skwala expected this season.

Outlook. Should keep dropping into the weekend, then likely bump again Mon–Tue with the warm-up before the midweek cold front.