Rock Creek Fishing Report, June 4, 2026
At a glance: Improving fast. Flows have dropped roughly 1,000 CFS over the last few days and are still trending down, and the salmonfly hatch is pushing upstream — anglers are reporting fish on top in the upper Fire Ring sections. Still high, off-color, and technical wading, but the trend is good. Grizzly Hackle: 4/5. MAngler: 3/5. Best window: 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Obstruction update (Kingfisher / Rock Creek Mercantile, 6/3): Lower Fire Ring to Elkhorn is woody and jammy — the corner is blocked by a fresh log. Everything else has cleared in this last push, including the earlier Mile Marker 27 tree and the Upper Fire Ring–Microburst sweeper reported by Blackfoot River Outfitters on 5/29. Wading is still serious business at these flows — one slip on a slick rock and the creek may want you 500 feet downriver. Studded boots and a wading staff.
Conditions
Rock Creek is shaping up in a much better direction. Flows have dropped about 1,000 CFS in the last few days and continue to trend down — exactly what the creek needs this time of year. The Clinton gauge was around 2,020 CFS at the start of the week (Lightweight, 5/31) and falling. Water temperature is in the upper 40s to mid 50s (47–52°F per Lightweight, ~55°F mid-day per Blackfoot River Outfitters), with clarity still off-color but improving. There's plenty of water in the creek, and the river is becoming more manageable each day.
With bright sun overhead, expect fish to be cautious mid-day — early and late windows offer the best shots at aggressive fish, especially on top. Work soft inside bends, bank cushions, side channels, boulder edges, protected pockets, and slower tailouts; fish the banks carefully before stepping in, because plenty of trout are still holding tight to the edges.
Hatches
The salmonflies are the story, and the hatch is on the move: the strongest activity is shifting from the lower creek into the higher sections, with reports of fish eating them up around the upper Fire Ring water and stragglers in the lower miles. Golden stones are next in line as flows drop and temps warm, green drakes should start going off on cloudy days, and yellow sallies, caddis, BWOs, and PMDs round out the early-summer mix.
Best Techniques
Nymphing remains the most consistent producer, especially through the bright midday hours. Run a big stonefly nymph — TJ Hooker, Sili-Leg Stone with the orange tungsten bead, Pat's Rubber Legs (tungsten/heavy), Hot-Bead Double Bead Stone, or Zirdle — through softer seams, inside bends, bank cushions, and pocket water rather than the fastest push. Under a salmonfly dry, drop a San Juan Worm, Jig PT, Hare's Ear, Shuck-it, Duracell, or a big Prince Nymph; caddis pupa and PMD nymphs are also picking up fish.
Dries / dry-dropper get better every day the creek drops. A foam salmonfly over a stonefly nymph is the way to cover water — Juicy Stone, Chubby Chernobyl Salmonfly, Henry's Fork Salmonfly, or Fools Gold Salmonfly up top. Grizzly Hackle's favorites run heavy on orange: Rogue Stones, Stone Squatters, Juicy Stones, and Cat Pukes for foam, with natural-looking patterns — Norm Woods, Emma's Stone, and Fluttering Stone — for the dry-fly-only days. Missoulian Angler's June box leans the same way: True Salmon Fly, Super Gee Salmon Fly, Rogue Salmon Fly, Half Down Salmon Fly, and Morning Wood Salmon Fly for the big bugs; Plan B Golden, Fluttering Stone Golden, Rastaman Golden, Dancing Ricky Golden, and Henry's Fork Golden as the golden stones build; plus Hairwing Green Drake and the sally patterns (MAngler Yellow Sally, Iron Sally Jig Morrish, Beadhead Yellow Sally). Blackfoot River Outfitters' dry-fly case for the creek adds MFC Hot Spot Para-Wulff – Brindle, Flash Cripple – Green Drake/Grey, Jake's Green Drake, Carlson's Purple Haze, and Stranahan's Brindle Chute for the mayfly windows ahead. Focus dry-fly efforts on soft water against the willows and structure.
Streamers are still effective with the water up — fish olive, black, brown, or lightly flashy patterns through slower buckets, undercut banks, and structure, early, late, or wherever there's shade or color. Dead-drifting a Sparkle Minnow, Woolly Bugger, or Bighorn Bugger has been working, though the fish are starting to key on salmonflies over streamers. Keep the fly moving naturally — don't rip it through the heavy water.
7-Day Outlook
Everything points toward stronger fishing in the coming days: dropping flows, active salmonflies moving upstream, and a better weather window. Expect more salmonflies followed by golden stones as temps warm, with green drakes joining on cloudy days. The next couple of weeks shape up as some of the best fishing of the year on Rock Creek — salmonflies, golden stones, green drakes, and yellow sallies all coming together. It's not fully easy yet: stay careful wading, keep an eye on the gauges, and be ready for the creek to fish better as it settles.
The Fly Box
Nymphs: TJ Hooker, Sili-Leg Stone, Pat's Rubber Legs, Double Bead Stone, Zirdle, San Juan Worm, Hare's Ear, Duracell, Prince Nymph, Iron Sally
Dries: Juicy Stone, Chubby Chernobyl, Plan B, Hot Spot Para-Wulff, Flash Cripple, Jake's Green Drake, Purple Haze, Brindle Chute
Streamers: Sparkle Minnow, Woolly Bugger, Bighorn Bugger
