Rock Creek Fishing Report, June 6, 2026

At a glance: Salmonflies are the whole show, and the bulk of the salmonfly hatch has now pushed into the upper half of the creek. Flows have dropped roughly 1,000 CFS off the early-week peak and keep trending down, fishing is good and improving, and Grizzly Hackle still has the creek at a 5/5. A cold, wet weekend is moving in, which favors nymphing and could fire the green drakes. Still high, off-color, and technical wading. Grizzly Hackle: 5/5 (6/4). MAngler: 3/5 (6/3). Best window: 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Float obstructions — conflicting reports, read both: Per Blackfoot River Outfitters (6/5), there is a tree down at Mile Marker 27 and a new obstruction between Upper Fire Ring and the Microburst — float cautiously. Per Kingfisher / Rock Creek Mercantile (as of 6/3), Lower Fire Ring to Elkhorn is woody and jammy — the corner is blocked by a fresh log, with everything else cleared in the last push. Treat all three as live until confirmed. It is still runoff season: wade carefully, watch for debris and sweepers, and remember one slip on a slick rock and the creek may want you 500 feet downriver. Studded boots and a wading staff.

Conditions

Last week's heavy rain and high temps bumped Rock Creek up hard; the creek has since dropped and the salmonfly fishing has come right back. Flows have fallen roughly 1,000 CFS over the last few days and continue to trend down, off the early-week peak near 2,020 CFS at the Clinton gauge (Lightweight, 5/31). There is still plenty of water in the creek, so wading should be done carefully, but it is becoming more manageable by the day. Water temperature runs from the upper 40s to mid 50s (47–52°F per Lightweight, ~54°F mid-day per Blackfoot River Outfitters), and clarity is off-color but improving.

Anglers are catching fish on salmonflies throughout the creek, but it fishes slower with the big bug on the lower water (downstream of Nortons). Per Grizzly Hackle and Kingfisher, leave the lower portions alone and head upstream — the strongest salmonfly bite is now in the upper sections, with bugs reported into the upper Fire Ring stretches. Work soft inside bends, bank cushions, side channels, boulder edges, willow lines, and protected pockets; fish the banks carefully before stepping in.

Hatches

The salmonflies are the story, and the bulk of the hatch has moved into the upper half of Rock Creek, with stragglers still on the lower miles. Golden stones are next as flows drop and temps warm, green drakes should start going off on the cooler, cloudier days now in the forecast, and yellow sallies, clouds of caddis, BWOs, and PMDs round out the weeks ahead.

Best Techniques

Nymphing is the most consistent producer right now, and the chilly weekend rain makes a deep rig the safe bet through the bright midday hours and the colder days. Blackfoot River Outfitters leans on a heavy TJ Hooker, a Sili-Leg Stone with a tungsten bead, or a classic Pat's Rubber Legs. Grizzly Hackle's subsurface box adds a Hot-Bead Double Bead Stone, Zirdle, San Juan Worms, Jig PTs, Hares Ears, Shuck-its, Duracells, and big Prince nymphs — fished through softer seams, inside bends, bank cushions, and pocket water rather than the fastest push.

Dries / dry-dropper improve as the creek keeps dropping. Grizzly Hackle's favorite salmonflies carry a lot of orange: Dancin' Ricky's, Supa-Dupa Stones, Stone Squatters, Juicy Stones, and Cat Pukes in foam for dry-dropper work, with natural-looking patterns — Norm Woods, Sofa Pillow, and Emma's Stone — for the dry-fly-only days. Blackfoot River Outfitters' dry-dropper picks: a Juicy Stone, Henry's Fork Salmonfly, or Fool's Gold Salmonfly up top, or a Chubby Chernobyl Salmonfly. 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). For the cloudy-day mayfly window, Blackfoot River Outfitters 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. Keep dry-fly placements pinned to willow lines and heavy boulder pockets, and fish early and late for the most aggressive fish on top.

Streamers stay effective with the water up. Dead-drifting a Sparkle Minnow, Woolly Bugger, or Bighorn Bugger has worked well; fish olive, black, brown, or lightly flashy patterns through slower buckets, undercut banks, and structure, early and late or wherever there is shade or color.

7-Day Outlook

Get in on the salmonfly madness now before it is too late — and if you miss it, plenty of great dry-fly fishing follows: golden stones, green drakes, sallies, PMDs, and clouds of caddis in the coming weeks. Flows continue to trend down. Weather, per Blackfoot River Outfitters (6/5), is a cold and wet weekend up the canyon, with highs lingering in the 40s and 50s, a chance of rain Sunday, and similar temperatures with scattered rain through the week — a cooler, cloudier stretch that favors nymphing and could push the green drakes. Missoulian Angler expects fishing to improve significantly over the next couple of weeks, with salmonflies, golden stones, green drakes, and yellow sallies all coming together for some of the best fishing of the year on Rock Creek.

The Fly Box

Nymphs: TJ Hooker, Sili-Leg Stone, Pat's Rubber Legs, Double Bead Stone, Zirdle, San Juan, Duracells, Iron Sally

Dries: Dancin' Ricky, Juicy Stones, Fool's Gold, 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