Home to 41 miles of excellent fishing, its blue ribbon designation is well-deserved. For the fly fisherman willing to wander away from obvious access spots (particularly in places where the road is well back from the river), an angler can fly fish in relative solitude. Those most familiar with Rock Creek say the best fishing can be found downstream in the early months of fall. Indeed, since no guided fishing floats are allowed, a floater on Rock Creek will rarely see another boat on the river. If you don’t know about them, you’re moving at such pace they can be a real problem. High in the Absaroka Mountains in the Beartooth Wilderness, the Rock Creek River springs to life and continues flowing for more than 55 miles until it reaches its confluence with the Clarks Fork River. buy Montana license online. Rock Creek in Western Montana is, above all else, a trout stream. As the fall hatches start in the afternoon, with Missoula’s fall weather sunny and pleasant, you know why you took the time to bump down the road to find these access spots that define the fly fishing Rock Creek Montana experience. While the Skwala fishing is good, the WMB’s can be excellent, from top to bottom. As run-off diminishes in mid to late June, Rock Creek’s world class Salmon Flies starts to happen. Montana fishing regulations include: The city of Missoula is within arms reach of Rock Creek, and is home to Missoula International Airport. Weather rcmerc. It’s the first place most locals go fishing, and it holds such a special place in the hearts of most Missoula fly fishers. The Salmonfly hatch occurs during the spring run-off in late May or early June. The microburst area of Rock Creek is very productive. The lowest eleven or so miles of the creek are the easiest to access from Missoula and do not require traveling on the dirt road. During the fall, brown trout move out of the Clark Fork in large numbers and head upstream. Good wading shoes are suggested. Anglers come from all over the world to experience fishing size 4 dry flies to slashing, hungry fish. Short leaders may also be used, and are suggested, when the river is turbid. As a result of Rock Creek’s original elevation, and that of the rivers that flow into it, the river maintains trout friendly, cool temperatures throughout most of the year. The latest news and information about fishing Rock Creek near Missoula, Montana. The fishing pressure is not nearly as high during the fall, so the fish tend to be somewhat less skittish and spooky. Click the map icons to get directions to fishing spots, boat ramps and real-time USGS stream flow data, Finding access points when we travel to new areas to fish can be an issue. Wade anglers will also enjoy the river’s relatively narrow width. There are several fishing accesses along the first twelve miles from I-90. Rock Creek’s high gradient is never more apparent as you go flying down that river in a boat, looking for wading anglers and keeping the boat in the correct fishing position. The river from the Morgan Case area downstream to the Dalles is what we consider the middle river. This detailed guide deciphers the mysterious world of fly lines and explains fly line weight, fly line color, the best fly lines to use and much more. March Browns, Grey Drake, Blue-Winged Olive, Golden Stoneflies, Little Yellow Sallies, Grasshoppers, Cinnamon Ants, Pale Morning Duns, Pale Evening Duns, Tricos, Small Caddis, Mahogany Dun, Blue-Winged Olives, October Caddis (large orange sedge), Catch-and-release for Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout over the entire watershed, Three Brown Trout permitted to keep, none exceeding 12 inches, Artificial flies and lures only, except anglers under 14 years of age. Lots of anglers have taken some spectacular falls on Rock Creek trying to balance on those slippery bowling balls. This section of river covers twenty-eight river miles. Huge boulders on one side and very fast moving water on the other usually surround the pools, creating very difficult fishing conditions for anglers who are after the large trout found in the pools. A microburst, or a very concentrated volume of sinking air, flattened the adjacent hillside. Tom Costa chronicles an 8-day father-and-son fishing trip on Rock Creek near Clinton, MT. The hatch can also be fished, with some success, on dry flies on the far upper reaches of the river where the river runs clear. When fly fishing with nymphs during the Salmonfly hatch, one technique that works well is to cast the nymph upstream and then crawl it along the bottom towards the bank. Just downstream of the Highway 348 Bridge, Rock Creek leaves the valley behind and starts to cut through the mountains for the rest of its journey to the Clark Fork. This particular area is not for the novice fly angler in search of larger trout, as the boulders and rapid currents make the fly approach to the deeper pools difficult to perfect. Moreover, restrictions limit the ability to fish while floating. 0. Rock Creek is, above all else, a trout stream. the rich, desert Columbia Basin soils flowing south, eventually intersecting the massive still water impoundment of Moses Lake. Go! The water is dropping, and more places to wade appear every day. As the water drops and gets a bit warmer through the summer, the fish start to seek a little deeper, faster water. Rock Creek becomes over-run with anglers during the hatch; so don’t come here with hopes of having the river to yourself. Unfortunately, the river often works against the angler in this regard. Rock Creek itself has “trout water” written all over it. Fishing on top with Elk Hair Caddis and Adams flies may not pull in the largest fish, which are found in the deep pools. Change…it’s a good thing. In this section, one can expect a wider river corridor, as a higher volume of water passes through this section, due in large part to the multiple secondary flows that influence Rock Creek. Go! Beginning just downstream from Henrys Flat, the whitewater portion of Rock Creek begins, and lasts for more than four miles, called the Dalles rapids. SNOW PACK INFO. The narrow valley feels like you’re engulfed by mountains, while the river bounces and bisects the canyon center as if its sole purpose is providing the perfect fly fishing Rock Creek Montana experience. Boulders can be found in and along the water. In higher water, floating the creek is a good option. The middle of June is when the Salmonfly hatch occurs on Rock Creek and it can last up to two weeks. If you fish there, and as a general rule of thumb for Rock Creek, the more you are willing to walk between vehicle pull-offs, the more success you will have, as the creek does tend to see a good bit of pressure from visiting anglers all summer long. This stretch is prime brown trout water. Rock Creek Fisherman's Mercantile. View detailed guide books on how to improve your fly fishing skills. And did I mention it has HUGE fish?!? Then you can get out your streamers and net in fish averaging 13” to 18” long. With Rock Creek located a short cast from I-90, any traveling angler who prefers to drive to the destination will have no difficulty. The wading may be non-existent but at least you’re fishing! The river moves extremely fast through this section and also becomes quite narrow. After a short distance of about 15 miles, the river passes by the town of Red Lodge where the landscape opens onto soft, hilly pastureland. On Montana's blue ribbon gem, Rock Creek, the fishing is as exhilarating as the scenery. The effect is much like the path of a tornado, and is quite the site to see. The easy access and beautiful, scenic valley combine to make fly fishing in Rock Creek Montana a favored destination for anglers near and far. Go! Using the technique described earlier works well. And the current around these pools is often quite fast. Believe us, the fish don’t ignore these food sources, and you shouldn’t either. Numerous feeder creeks found along this portion heighten the attention of anglers as they present unique fishing opportunities. Standard stonefly patterns, such as the Montana Stone and the Golden Stone, sized 4-8, work well. The high gradient has removed much of the silt from the river, which means it clears faster. Another bonus of the Rock Creek area is its close proximity to the great rivers of western Montana. Suggested flies include the March Brown Drake, Sparkle Dun and Pheasant Tail Nymph, sized 12-16. It takes the same 2 hours to get to the top traveling Rock Creek Road- a 52 mile drive. Access to the creek is at once spectacular and treacherous. Just only fish when on shore. Rock Creek is in the Western District, Region 2. The narrow canyon, smaller water that encourages wading and a classic pocket water fishery cascading down from the top of the Sapphire Mountains combines to make Rock Creek the gem of Missoula fly fishing. During the height of summer, fishing top water with standard dry flies starts to work well. The upper portion of this stretch of Rock Creek, in the Dalles area, has a distinct personality all its own. If you bring your raft to float and row Rock Creek for the Salmon Fly hatch, you need to bring your double A-game. However, if you plan on floating the river between July 1st and November 30th, plan on leaving your fishing gear in the truck. Keep your dry flies at home as there is no action on top. A mix of rainbow and cutthroat trout are found in the upper stretch of this section, while rainbow trout make up the bulk of the fish on the lower stretch. Riffles, pools, and glides make this creek very wadeable in normal water conditions.
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