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River guide · Montana

Fly Fishing the Blackfoot River

Made famous by Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It, the Blackfoot is a classic Montana freestone, with immense stonefly hatches, strong summer terrestrial fishing, and wild cutthroat and brown trout holding in gin-clear water east of Missoula.

  • 20 shops nearby
  • freestone
  • April–October
  • Montana
  • 6 key hatches
See fly shops ↓

The best time to fly fish the Blackfoot River is April–October. Key hatches include Skwala Stonefly, Salmonfly, Golden Stonefly, Pale Morning Dun / Caddis. 20 fly shops near the Blackfoot River can outfit your trip.

Fly shops near the Blackfoot River

Shops and guides that fish the Blackfoot River. See all 93 Montana shops →

Kingfisher Fly ShopMt Flyfishing Connection LLCGrizzly Hackle Fly ShopThe Missoulian Angler Fly ShopWestern Montana FlyfishingMissoula Fly Fishing OutfittersMissoula Guided Fly FishingBlackfoot River OutfittersR. R. 406 Fly Fishing GuidesMissoula on the Fly | Missoula, Montana - Guided Fly Fishing TripsWolf Creek Angler, LLCMontana Fly Goods Co
12 fly shops shown

Species on this water

BassCarpPanfishPikeTrout

Nearby towns

MissoulaWyeNagos

Rivers nearby

Clark Fork RiverBitterroot RiverMissouri RiverBig Hole River
Hatches & seasons

When & what to fish on the Blackfoot River

River typefreestone
Best seasonApril–October; prime mid-June through mid-September
AccessHighway 200 follows the river from Missoula east toward Lincoln, with Montana FWP fishing access sites at Roundup, Johnsrud, Russell Gates, and Scotty Brown Bridge. Canyon sections are most productively fished by drift boat; wade fishing available in open sections.
Key hatches
  • Skwala Stonefly (late March–April)
  • Salmonfly (mid-June)
  • Golden Stonefly (late June–July)
  • Pale Morning Dun / Caddis (July–August)
  • Hoppers / Terrestrials (August–September)
  • Blue-winged Olive / Baetis (September–October)
From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Blackfoot River

Step-by-step tying recipes & videos for these patterns.

Browse all 880+ patterns at The Fly Bench
Gear up

Gear up on the Blackfoot River

Everything you need before the next trip — rods, lines, leaders, and fly-tying materials.

Shop the gear Flies that work

The flies that work on the Blackfoot River

Find the most effective patterns for where you're fishing — and learn to tie them yourself, step by step.

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Updated June 2026