Clark Fork River Fishing Report: May 16, 2026

Runoff is in full swing across western Montana, with a cold, wet weekend pushing flows higher and snow showers in the forecast through Sunday before things dry out and warm into the 60s by midweek. Reminder: tributaries open today, 5/16. The Bitterroot is currently the most fishable of the four — better edge structure and side channels — but it is still big, off-color, and demands disciplined water selection.

At-a-glance: High and off-color · 51°F mid-day · ~7,490 CFS above Missoula / ~16,000 CFS below · Grizzly Hackle: 1/5 · Best window: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Conditions

The lower Clark Fork below town is at serious volume (~16,000 CFS, still muddy). Upper river above Rock Creek confluence has fine clarity but is loaded with weeds, detritus, and green goop on the river bed — fishable, just messy. Blackfoot River Outfitters calls clarity "fishable but not optimal," with conditions best above the Blackfoot confluence and improving as flows drop over the weekend.

Best Techniques

• Dry fly fishing is day-to-day — general attractors like Carlson's Purple Haze or caddis are the best bet on softer water in the evening or under cloud cover.
• Dry-dropper is the go-to rig: Chubby or Water Walker up top, TJ, Prince, or Jig PT underneath.
• Nymph deep in soft edge water; streamers tight to banks and current breaks.

Hatches & Fly Recommendations

• Hatches stirring: last of the March Browns, BWOs, Mother's Day caddis, and the beginning of fluttering stones; a few Grey Drakes and stragglers of Skwalas up high.
• Dries: Purple Haze, BWO Comparadun, Last Chance Cripple, Parachute Adams, X-Caddis, Corn-Fed Caddis, Hi-Vis Micro Chubby, Stranahan's Brindle Chute, Elk Hair Caddis, Plan B — Black/Purple.
• Nymphs: Pat's RLs, DBL Bead Stones, Front St. Stones, Zirdles, Blow Torches, Duracells, Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Frenchies, dark perdigons, San Juan Worms (red and pink), Wire Worms, Squirms.
• Streamers: Dungeons (black/purple/olive), Gongas, Woolly Buggers, Sparkle Minnows, Masked Avengers, Mini Dungeons, Goldies, Butchers, Foxy Cleopatras, Kreelex Minnows.

Outlook

Wet and cool weekend in Missoula with highs dropping from near 60 into the mid-40s through Sunday, then clearing Monday with steady warming back into the low-to-mid 60s for the rest of the week. Clarity should continue to improve as flows drop. Salmonflies are around the corner.