When most anglers think of fly fishing Missoula, they think of remote, secluded fly fishing on any of our numerous rivers and streams. While you may long to adventure and explore the fabled waters outside of Missoula, sometimes time isn’t on your side. Many of our guests want to experience the world-class fly fishing in Missoula, but don’t think they have the time to do so. Fortunately, great fly fishing opportunities can be found in and around the Missoula city limits. 

Best Fishing Spots Near Missoula For a Full Day

Whether you’re squeezing in one day or one hour of fly fishing in Missoula, you can be on the water and catching fish without having to get hours out of town. These are our favorite close Missoula fly fishing spots to hit on a time crunch. 

Full Day Fishing Spots Near Missoula: Rock Creek

Fortunately, Missoula’s favorite small wading stream doesn’t require hours of driving and hiking to access. The mouth of Rock Creek, at its confluence with the Clark Fork River, is under a half hour drive from Missoula. Fly fishing Rock Creek is a must if you only have one day to fly fish in Missoula. Despite being so close to town, Rock Creek anglers leave any sign of Missoula behind them. Rock Creek Road is over 50 miles long and connects anglers to vast amounts of public water, where seeing other anglers is rare. Full days of fishing can be had throughout “the Creek,” where even the closest and most accessible water is worth spending hours in. Visiting Missoula for business rather than leisure? Or maybe you’re in town for family and can only sneak away for a day? Enjoy not only some of the best fishing in Montana, but also the amazing scenery and wildlife that is found in and along Rock Creek. Open all year, Rock Creek is a top contender for the best and closest trout stream around Missoula. 

Full Day Fishing Spots Near Missoula: Blackfoot River

Just outside of Missoula flows a river that needs no introduction– the Blackfoot River. First introduced to the fly fishing world in Norman McClain’s “A River Runs Through It,” the “Big Blackfoot” has and will continue to attract anglers from around the world, like moths to an enchanting, blue-ribbon trout flame! Fortunately, you can pull out of our shop and be on the Blackfoot in 20 minutes. Popular boat launches like Weigh Station and Johnsrud are an easy drive from Missoula and are perfect for a quick fishing session. Other quick wading options on the lower Blackfoot include Angevine, Wisherd Bridge and Marco Flats. Continue further upstream and the river will get smaller in size and become more wadeable. Some of our favorite remote, yet easily accessible, fishing is found in the Blackfoot Recreation Corridor. Continue past Johnsrud boat launch upstream towards Whitaker Bridge, and several campgrounds and fishing access sites will be found. While close to Missoula, this stretch is far off of Highway 200 and feels like you’ve been dropped into vast wilderness. You don’t need to venture off the beaten path to immerse yourself in the storied waters of the Blackfoot River. 

Best Missoula Fishing Spots For a Half Day

Need to squeeze in a quick fishing session into your busy schedule? Fortunately, there's plenty of Missoula fishing spots where you can sneak in a quick half day or even just an hour or two. Overlooked by many, fishing in and around downtown Missoula can provide some of the best fly fishing in Montana available.

Half Day Fishing Spots in Missoula: Rattlesnake Creek

Rattlesnake Creek is a charming small stream that begins in the vast Rattlesnake Wilderness, and flows through Missoula before its confluence with the Clark Fork River in downtown Missoula. Many locals regard it as a quickly accessible, productive stream that often receives little to no tourist pressure. As a quick evening or morning option, it’s perfect. Rattlesnake Creek is a small stream most effectively fished with dry flies like Purple Hazes, Parachute Adams or small foam stoneflies or terrestrials. Rattlesnake Creek is inhabited by mostly westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout. Fishing is closed, however, from the mouth of Beescove Creek to the former location of the Mountain Water Company Dam. Downstream of this location, however, is home to great small-water fishing. Fishing in and around Greenough Park can be a great option for a half-day fishing trip near Missoula. While you shouldn’t expect to break records on Rattlesnake Creek, it’s an excellent option to get on the water when time is of the essence.

That being said, the most popular Missoula fly fishing in Rattlesnake Creek is not found in the creek itself, but in its confluence with the Clark Fork River. Often referred to as the “Hollywood Hole” or the  “DoubleTree Hole,” this 200-yard run is a consistent place to bend the rod and arguably home to the best fishing in town. Here, great quantity and quality of trout can be caught on nymphs and streamers, as well as the occasional dry fly eater. Accessing this part of the river is tricky, at first. Give our Missoula fly shop a call and we will advise you on the best way to access it. 

Half Day Fishing Spots in Missoula: Kelly Island

On the west side of town lies another awesome fishing access site within Missoula city limits. Kelly Island is home to the confluence of the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers. This confluence is an angler’s dream. Both rivers flow wide and mighty before reaching Kelly Island, where the Clark Fork braids out into many small side channels that create excellent small water wade fishing. Picking apart these side channels or looking for pods of rising fish on the big, open water is equally effective depending on the time of year. Kelly Island can be accessed a few ways, but our favorite way to access this convenient fishing is via the Spurgin Rd fishing access site. This FAS is a popular place for locals to hike around and walk their dogs, yet also features a well-established boat launch and access for wade anglers to explore the area. Some of our favorite times to fish Kelly Island are in the spring and summer, where a variety of stonefly and mayfly hatches can be targeted in search of great fishing close to Missoula. 

Half Day Fishing Spots in Missoula: Jacobs Island

Fans of the University of Montana football team know and love Washington-Grizzly Stadium for many reasons, including the scenery and proximity to both Mt. Sentinel and the Clark Fork River. Lesser known is the great fishing that can be found literally in the shadows of Washington-Grizzly Stadium at Jacobs Island. Frequented by locals as a public dog park, Jacobs Island is also home to great fishing along the Clark Fork River. Access to Jacobs Island can simply be found by the Clark Fork River Pedestrian Bridge. Hiking along the river there is easy (if you don’t mind the occasional river pup running by) and there are great inside bends and riffles to find good fishing in. Although not remote by any means, those fishing at Jacobs Island and along the Kim Williams trail can appreciate the beautiful backdrop of Mount Sentinel and Washington-Grizzly Stadium. 

Here at the Grizzly Hackle, we are beyond proud of the amazing fly fishing found in Missoula’s back yard. In fact, that statement could not ring any truer at our downtown Missoula fly shop, where the mighty Clark Fork River runs right out our back door. Where else can you spin up a new pattern with coffee in the morning, and walk out back to try it out on your lunch break? With all of this visibly tantalizing water in and around Missoula, it begs the question: “why would you even leave Missoula to fish?” Next time you’re in Missuola and on a time crunch, don’t fret. Whether you can only sneak away for an hour or an afternoon, world-class fishing can be found in and around Missoula.