Clark Fork River Fishing Report: April 28, 2026

Western Montana is in classic late-April spring transition: high but generally fishable flows, water temps still cold (41–48F), and the dry-fly window opening up day-by-day on the Bitterroot, Clark Fork, and Rock Creek behind Skwalas, March Browns, and BWOs. The Blackfoot remains the coldest and pushiest of the four — nymphing and streamers are still the right call there. A warm-up early next week (highs into the 70s) is likely to bump flows again before a cold front and rain/snow Wednesday.

Conditions: High and pushy but dropping into shape · Mid-day water temp 42–46F · Flows above Missoula ~6,240 cfs and improving in clarity. Lower river is generally clearer than the upper.

The Clark Fork has dropped into good fishing shape. It's still higher than typical for late April, but clarity is improving and bug life is out. Fish are escaping the high flows in slower inside seams, drop-offs, and back eddies — that's where to focus. Dry-fly action is day-to-day; dry-droppers are the most consistent rig right now.

Best techniques

• Dry-dropper is the go-to: a Chubby or Water Walker up top with a TJ Hooker, Prince, or Jig PT below. True Skwala, Blackout Stone, or Dancin' Ricky in #10–12 also work.
• Subsurface to start: dark perdigons, Pheasant Tail, Frenchie under a Skwala dry. Pat's Rubber Legs and San Juans (red and pink) when nothing else moves.
• Streamers between hatches: white and gold patterns mimic spawning whitefish — Goldie, Silk Kitty in white. Dark when water is dark — Black Gonga, Sex Dungeon (black/purple), Sparring Partner (black), Woolly-Headed Sculpin. Sparkle Minnow and Sir Sticks-A-Lot swung through riffles.

Hatches: Skwalas any day now, March Browns, BWOs, Nemouras, Gray Drakes, Midges. March Browns most likely to bring heads up midday.

Featured flies

• Dries: Carlson's Purple Haze, Stranahan's Brindle Chute, On Point Para Wulff (BWO), CDC Midge Adult, Bucky's Klinkhammer-Zebra, Hi-Vis Micro Chubby, Last Chance Cripple (BWO), D&D Cripple, Ms. Tickle.
• Nymphs: Double Bead Stone (MFC Speckled), 20-Incher (MFC Tungsten), TJ Hooker, Pat's Rubber Legs, MFC Jig Wonky Worm, MFC Jake's Depth Charge Jig Worm.
• Streamers: Chicago Overcoat, Coffey's Conehead Sparkle Minnow, Lil' Kim, Kreelex, Rio Thin Mint Bugger, Goldie, Silk Kitty, Sir Sticks-A-Lot.

Outlook: Saturday 57F → Tuesday 73F partly sunny. Watch the gauges early next week — that warm-up could trigger another push of snowmelt and impact viz. Wednesday system brings rain/snow back into the 50s.