ROCK CREEK FLY FISHING — Angler's Guide

Above Ghilles Bridge and below the west fork, the river valley opens up and Rock Creek runs through cottonwood groves and high prairie country. The river here is fast and shallow with many small braids and channels. 

While access in this area can be tough to access due to private property, for those who are willing to wade long distances below the high water mark can be rewarded by unpressured browns and cutthroat, and the abundant whitefish (if that's your thing). 

Further upstream lies some of the most storied water on Rock Creek. The nice, paved road turns to a windy gravel one at Norton Campground at mile 12, also indicating the start of the vast Forest Service land on Rock Creek. From there, the majority of the land on either side of Rock Creek Road is public. Anglers can access an overwhelming amount of fishing spots on Rock Creek this way.

As you drive upstream, you notice a change in the characteristics of the Creek. While lower Rock Creek has room to spread out and wind, the next 10 miles of this stream are much tighter. There, Rock Creek feels more condensed at the bottom of a narrow canyon. From Norton Campground to Harrys Flat Campground, you’ll notice several rapids and large boulder gardens. The deep pools and pocket water here are irresistible to passing anglers, and often hold fish looking for a big dry fly in the summer months. This stretch is not only fishy, but gorgeous, too. The famous Welcome Creek Footbridge takes visitors up and over this stretch of Rock Creek to get an amazing view from above. Anglers can use this to cross an otherwise deep and tricky section of Rock Creek, too. In addition to Norton and Harrys Flat, the Dalles Campground and Bitterroot Flat Campground are all in this area and are perfect camps to base your Rock Creek fly fishing trip out of.

Continue upstream, and you will notice upper Rock Creek return to the meandering, wadeable stream that we all know and love. A handful of famous access points are on upper Rock Creek, including the Microburst. This spot was given its name after a 1989 wind event that knocked down a large forested area, creating excellent fishing structure. As the name suggests, the Microburst is known for the woody debris and side channels that create perfect trout habitat.

Numerous pull offs and bridges can be found before and above the Microburst, where anglers eagerly park and walk into the Creek. This stretch of Rock Creek is known to be exceptionally good salmonfly and golden stone fishing in late May and early June, and continues to be great fishing into October. One thing is for sure, you’ll need days (even weeks) to see all that Rock Creek has to offer.

Lower Rock Creek, near its confluence with the Clark Fork, is popular because of its accessibility, fishing quality and convenience. Here, the first 12 miles of Rock Creek Road are paved. After exiting the interstate, you drive for less than a mile before the road meets Rock Creek and then follows it for the next 40-50 miles. On the first 12 miles of Rock Creek Road you will find several fishing access sites among some very obvious private land, including homes and fenced-off pastures. Intermittently, several established pull-offs along Rock Creek Road are also frequented by anglers who know their location. Here, Rock Creek is at its largest volume. However, it braids out into smaller side channels in spots to make access easier and create good fishing structure. Some of the biggest fish caught on Rock Creek are found here, as they swim upstream from the Clark Fork River to feed or spawn. A few great fishing access sites on lower Rock Creek include Valley of the Moon, Tamarack, Solomon and Sawmill.

Although anglers are nothing new to those that live in Rock Creek, it’s important to respect landowners, their property, and access Rock Creek at any of these public fishing access sites or established pull-offs. Montana public stream-access laws permit anglers to fish and recreate in all rivers and streams, as long as they remain within the original high-water mark. Being so convenient and close to Missoula, lower Rock creek can be busy at times. That being said, accessing the Creek via any of those fishing access points and then walking up or downstream within the high-water mark can result in less-trafficked and less-fished water. Some of the best fly fishing can be found on lower Rock Creek if you don’t mind getting off the beaten path.

Spring on Rock Creek is a local favorite. While weather can be unpredictable, the trout on Rock Creek are hungry and eager after the long, slow winter. Nymph, streamer and dry fly fishing can all excel this time of year— driven by our awesome spring hatches including the skwala stonefly hatch, March brown and blue-wing olive mayflies. Be prepared to be flexible while fishing Rock Creek in spring, as both road and fishing conditions can be unpredictable with colder weather and heavy precipitation still a possibility. That being said, magical days are had for those that can brave the conditions on Rock Creek in the spring.

• MARCH: Streamflow usually starts off low in early March, but then gradually picks up in volume as the days get longer and warmer.
• APRIL: While water conditions can vary in April and the weather can be moody, hatches can be plentiful and include skwala stoneflies, march browns, BWOs, grey drakes, and more. Nymphing will be more effective early in the day and when the weather lines up, the afternoons can be exceptional for dry fly fishing to rising fish and matching the hatch.
• MAY: It is always unpredictable in May due to run-off, but when conditions allow there will be good hatches of Skwalas and big-time caddis emergences that produce incredible fishing. This is a great time of year to catch larger fish as big trout from the Clark Fork are in the system to spawn.

Summer on Rock Creek starts fast and furious. Because it’s a freestone stream, mother nature dictates spring runoff on Rock Creek. Generally, you can expect Rock Creek and our other rivers to be high and unwadeable in some capacity during the month of May into early June. That being said, Rock Creek’s famous Salmonfly hatch typically begins around Memorial Day, kickstarting the amazing summer hatches that follow. While this is the most popular time to fish Rock Creek, wading conditions are difficult. It’s also the start of the short float season on Rock Creek, which ends on July 1. It’s important for wade anglers and float anglers to be careful this time of year, as the Creek is high, fast and riddled with woody debris that can be very dangerous for inexperienced rowers. As the flows start to clear up and drop, however, so begins Rock Creek’s “bug soup.” Along with salmonflies, golden stoneflies, green drakes, caddis, PMDs and yellow sallies all hatch subsequently, if not simultaneously with each other. Come prepared with a wide selection of flies this time of year, as there are a lot of bugs on the menu and the trout are hungry.

• JUNE: The most prolific Salmonfly hatch in the area. The sky is literally clouded by flying Salmonflies in the afternoon during the peak of the hatch. The opportunity to hook a ridiculously large amount of fish is a reality on Rock Creek during June. Not to be outdone, Golden stones and Green Drakes join the party by mid-month and many of the larger fish are taken on these patterns since most anglers are still casting big orange flies and big fish seem to know this.
• JULY: By July the Creek is a wade fishing stream again and there is no shortage of bugs to keep the fish looking up. On most days a yellow Stimulator and parachute PMD is all you will need, but early in the month trout will still be looking for the bigger Golden stones and Drakes. The evening caddis blitzes are a sight to see with more risers than you can throw a fly at.
• AUGUST: Rock Creek is another great Hopper/attractor river and all kinds of large patterns will move trout to the surface. PMDs will linger early in the month until Trico hatches take over, and the mayfly activity is fairly spot specific on the Creek. However, the Spruce moth hatch in unrivaled and it will occur river-wide. Lasting a little longer here than on the Blackfoot, there will be a 2-3 week period where anglers may not need another pattern in their box. The Spruce moth hatch on Rock Creek is that good.

Fall on Rock Creek is magical. By September, the summer crowds have dwindled on Rock Creek. Kids are back in school, and many locals are hunting. After a long summer of being heavily trafficked, Rock Creek begins to quiet down and the fishing heats up. Late summer conditions are dry and hot. But as the days get shorter and cooler weather moves into western Montana, fishing conditions improve. Unlike early summer on Rock Creek, fall is synonymous with low wadeable flows. Fall fishing on Rock Creek is a combination of late-season terrestrial fishing, coupled with several prolific fall hatches. Fall mayflies including mahoganies, hecubas, tricos and BWO’s hatch thick from September through October. Additionally, October caddis flutter around in late fall, giving the potential for explosive eats on skated or twitched dry flies. The fly fishing options on Rock Creek in fall are so diverse, it’s not uncommon to hopper fish, streamer fish and cast small mayflies to picky risers all in the same day. Rock Creek is also known to draw big brown trout up from the Clark Fork River in the fall to spawn. Big browns are caught frequently on streamers in the fall as they begin and end their journey up Rock Creek. In October, fall colors take hold on the Creek and the resident wildlife, including deer, elk, bighorn sheep, moose and the occasional bear, become more active. Fall on Rock Creek is truly a sight to behold for anglers that long for great scenery, fishing and solitude.

• SEPTEMBER: Hopper fishing will remain good until the first hard frosts of mid-October, and good hatches of October caddis offer a big bug alternative and the chance to witness some truly violent strikes. By the second week of September reliable hatches of Mahognies and Blue-wings will have fish looking up each afternoon as well.
• OCTOBER: Magoganies and Blue-wings will motivate the fish to the surface as well during this last push to feed before winter. Fall is another great time to fish streamers for large, aggressive browns that are running up from the Clark Fork to spawn.
• NOVEMBER: While most of the bugs are gone for the season and the weather starts to get cold, the Blackfoot can fish well into November although it's mostly a subsurface approach.

Winter on Rock Creek can be cold and bitter, yet fishing can be consistent when conditions permit. While it’s certainly an unpredictable season, a warm, ice-free day on Rock Creek can make for good nymphing and streamer fishing, with the occasional riser looking for small midges. The remote stretches of Rock Creek are sometimes inaccessible due to snow and infrequent plowing impacting road conditions. That being said, an afternoon nymphing on lower Rock Creek in the winter can provide that much needed scratch to the never-ending fly fishing itch!

• DECEMBER: If winter has been mild, fishing can be good along most of the lower river, especially around Valley of the Moon and the several springs that keep the water a more consistent temperature. 
• JANUARY: While January can be a challenging month in regards to fly fishing Rock Creek, if the weather cooperates, anglers can find OK fishing on the lower river using nymphing techniques. 
• FEBRUARY: Much like the rest of winter, February can be a challenging month to fly fish Rock Creek, but it can certainly be done and when the weather is right, anglers can catch a few fish and shake off cabin fever.