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Blackfoot River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The river that ran through it: Norman Maclean's home water, restored to wild-trout health, floating brown-and-cutthroat canyons northeast of Missoula.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
627 cfs
Air / High
56 / 59 F
Wind
WNW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12340000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Blackfoot River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 627 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 59. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 61 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Blackfoot River near Bonner.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 12340000.

645704763627 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp56 F
High / Low59 / 46 F
WindWNW 9-17 mph
Pressure1011.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain2% cloud, 57%
Sunrise / Sunset06:59 / 20:08
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 59/46 F, wind 20 mph, rain 57%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Blackfoot River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Blackfoot River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Blackfoot River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 60 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 25 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 59 F, wind to 25 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 16 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Montana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Montana license + AIS pass. Bull trout: mandatory release, no targeting. Hoot-owl afternoon closures possible July-August: check FWP.

Access

Corridor accesses along Hwy 200: Johnsrud, Whitaker Bridge, Roundup, Weigh Station launches.

About this water

130 miles from the Continental Divide to the Clark Fork at Bonner. The restored classic of Missoula's backyard.

Fishing Blackfoot River: the full guide

The literary river, recovered

The Blackfoot of 'A River Runs Through It' nearly died of mining and dewatering: three decades of restoration brought it back to wild-trout standing. Today it fishes as Montana's comeback story: westslope cutthroat and browns in the canyon pools, bull trout ghosting the depths (release on sight), and a corridor protected by one of the state's great conservation partnerships.

Canyon floats and pocket water

The river braids personality by reach: the upper meadows fish intimate, the Box Canyon and the lower river's ledge-rock pools run big and dramatic. Floats from Roundup to Weigh Station cover the famous water; wade anglers work the fishing-access pullouts along Highway 200. Salmonflies in June, golden stones after, hoppers through the heat: a freestone calendar with a canyon accent.

The recreation corridor

The Blackfoot's access model is unique: a cooperative corridor where ranches open banks under shared rules. Respect the signage and the system keeps working: it is Montana's proof that private land and public fishing can share a river.

Timing the Blackfoot

Pre-runoff (April) offers skwalas and quiet; runoff blows it out May-June; July-August is prime dry-fly float season (mornings beat the afternoon heat in low years); September-October turns the browns aggressive and the cottonwoods gold. Hoot-owl restrictions can close afternoons in hot summers: check FWP.

Common questions

Is the Blackfoot really the movie river?

It is the book's river: the film shot mostly on the Gallatin. The real Blackfoot's recovery since then means today's angler fishes better water than Maclean's ghosts did.

When are salmonflies on the Blackfoot?

Mid-June into early July as runoff recedes: the canyon reaches hatch first. Big foam and short casts to the banks: the year's most violent eats.

Is fishing good at Blackfoot River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Clark Fork River (Missoula)11 miRock Creek14 miBitterroot River17 miGeorgetown Lake53 miFlathead Lake72 miMissouri River (Craig)85 mi
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