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Bitterroot River Fishing Report + Rating

2/5

January 8, 2025

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and received a plethora of new fly fishing gifts! Unfortunately, not the best fishing conditions to be breaking those gifts in. Winter is here in the Bitterroot Valley. Nights now dropping well below freezing. This will undoubtedly start to create shelf ice in those slower parts of the river. That ice will likely hang around with days barely creeping into the mid 30s. Lots of days not getting above freezing on the horizon, too (time to break out that vise!) That being said, there is fishing to be had by those willing to brave the conditions. This is the time where we sneak in those half-day wade fishing trips when the weather permits. Not the best time of year to be floating, obviously. No need to break dawn, as the best time of day to be fishing during the winter will be afternoon before dark.

Definitely a nymph and streamer heavy time of year. Our nymph selection gets much less diverse in the winter. Focus on heavy stonefly nymphs like Front St. Stones, TJ Hookers and DB Stones. San Juan Worms are always on the menu, too. Reach for those smaller midge patterns, also, as midge fishing becomes more consistent. Zebra Midges, Tailwater Tinies, and small dark perdigons will get the job done. Streamer fishing is most productive on the slow retrieval or dead-drift this time of year. Simple, heavy streamers like Jig Sparkle Yummies, Sir Sticks a Lots and Laser Legals swung through the deeper tail outs won’t produce a ton of fish, but might find the big one this time of year.

Not much midge activity reported just yet. That being said, carry a few midge dries for those short (yet sweet) dry fly windows in the afternoon. Don’t fret, friends! Spring will be here before we know it!

Lots of trees are down again this year and a few places are dangerous.  Give our Missoula fly shop a call for up-to-date information.

1/2 off Friday’s are still happening, every Friday all year long. (1/2 off your first dozen dries or nymphs)

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