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Flathead River Fishing Report

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

Montana’s big clear river: the Flathead runs glacier-fed water past Glacier Park, holding westslope cutthroat and bull trout.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
4,570 cfs
Air / High
59 / 64 F
Wind
SSW 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12363000, 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Flathead River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 4,570 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSW around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 64. 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: Warmer at 72 F. 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 Flathead River at Columbia Falls.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 12363000.

4,6525,1755,6984,570 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp59 F
High / Low64 / 47 F
WindSSW 5-9 mph
Pressure1013.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain77% cloud, 48%
Sunrise / Sunset06:58 / 20:11
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 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 64/47 F, wind 6 mph, rain 48%

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 Flathead 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 Flathead 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 Flathead 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 63 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 76 F, wind to 18 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 85 F, wind to 8 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. Bull trout are protected with very limited, permit-based opportunities: check current FWP regulations carefully before fishing.

Access

Blankenship, Teakettle, Presentine Bar, Old Steel Bridge and other FWP fishing access sites near Columbia Falls and Kalispell.

About this water

A large glacier-fed river from Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness to Flathead Lake, Flathead County, Montana.

Fishing Flathead River: the full guide

Three forks and a valley

The Flathead River gathers the North, Middle and South forks: the first two draining Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness: and runs as a big, clear, cobble-bottomed river past Columbia Falls and Kalispell to Flathead Lake. It is native-fish water: westslope cutthroat trout are the primary target, with bull trout (protected, catch-and-release with special rules), mountain whitefish in numbers, and northern pike in the slower lower reaches.

Cutthroat on big water

Westslope cutthroat rise willingly to dry flies from July through September once runoff clears: attractor patterns, hoppers and caddis drifted along the seams and gravel-bar drops. The river is wide and shallow in places, and float fishing covers water far better than wading: classic runs include Blankenship to Teakettle and the reaches near Columbia Falls. Fish average 10-14 inches with better ones in the deeper runs.

Bull trout and whitefish

Bull trout are the river’s great native predator and are strictly protected: seasons and permits are limited and specific, and most anglers release them incidentally. Mountain whitefish provide steady winter action on small nymphs when the trout fishing slows: a legitimately good cold-weather fishery. Northern pike inhabit the slower lower river and sloughs toward the lake.

Glacier-country logistics

Access is generous: fishing access sites at Blankenship, Teakettle, Presentine Bar, Old Steel Bridge and others serve floaters and waders. Runoff typically holds the river high into late June: the Columbia Falls gauge dropping and clearing signals the season. Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls supply shops, guides and shuttles, with Glacier National Park framing every cast.

Common questions

What is the main target species?

Westslope cutthroat trout: native, willing on dry flies and the reason most anglers fish this river in summer.

Can I keep bull trout?

Almost never: they are protected with narrow permit-based exceptions. Release them immediately and check current FWP rules.

When does runoff end?

Usually late June to mid-July depending on snowpack: watch for the Columbia Falls gauge to drop and the water to clear.

Is fishing good at Flathead River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Flathead Lake33 miKootenai River52 miNoxon Rapids Reservoir74 miBitterroot River104 miClark Fork River (Missoula)104 miLake Pend Oreille105 mi
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