Interstate 90 East from Missoula towards Butte
Overview: Creeks and Lakes of the Upper Clark Fork (below)
Regional Fly Shops
Rock Creek is
probably the most famous creek in western Montana. It is a 20-minute drive from
Missoula, traveling east on Interstate 90. It is included in the River section, as it is floatable
in the spring and into early summer.
MM = Highway Mileage Marker Signs
Exit 126: Rock Creek - See Western Montana.
Exit 130: Beavertail State Campground. Twenty-six miles east of Missoula,
Beavertail State Campground includes a half-mile of river frontage on the upper
Clark Fork River under a canopy of tall cottonwoods. The campground has 26
camping sites with toilets, water and a hand-launch boat site.
MM 143: Rest area
Side Trip: Georgetown Lake Exit 153: Drummond, Montana
(Anaconda, Georgetown Lake, Phillipsburg) If you are not in an Interstate
hurry, the scenic route to Anaconda via Georgetown Lake provides spectacular
scenery as well as great fishing opportunities. Exiting Interstate 90 at
Drummond, the mileage markers begin with mileage marker 64 and work backwards
six miles north of Anaconda, where Highway 1 meets Interstate 90 again at
mileage marker 0. From the interstate at Drummond, Phillipsburg is 27 miles. If
you arrive in early June or in the fall, you may want to wet a line on Flint Creek.
At mile marker 63, turn left. Drive one mile and enter Drummond City Park and
Rodeo Grounds. The park offers a nice shaded picnic site right along the upper
Clark Fork River.
Camping is allowed for a daily fee of $10. At the back of
the park, you will see a train trestle. Walk under the trestle and follow the
Clark Fork River for a 10-minute walk to where Flint Creek enters the river.
This section fishes poorly during the heat of summer, but fair-sized browns
enter the creek during the fall.
Flint Creek fishing improves further towards
Phillipsburg. Look for county roads off Highway 1 that cross Flint Creek. Two
such access points are located at mileage marker 54.9 (Douglas Creek Road) and
at mileage marker 51.7 (Henderson Creek Road). A few miles from Phillipsburg,
Flint Creek travels through a narrow valley. The creek lazily cuts and winds
through willow-lined banks and produces good catches of 10- to 12-inch browns.
This section is mostly unposted and located between mileage markers 42 and 47.
A few miles past the old mining town of Phillipsburg, Highway 1 intersects with
Highway 38.
Highway 38 will take you over Skalkaho Pass and then on down
to Hamilton, Montana, to the Bitterroot River, or you may want to follow
Highway 38 a few miles to the upper end of Rock Creek. This loop will take you
around to Interstate 90 again at Exit 126, a few miles from Missoula. From
Phillipsburg, continuing on Highway 1, the highway passes by Flint Creek
Campground at mileage marker 30.3. The campground offers 16 camping sites, some
of which are just large parking areas for trailers. Some of the camping sites
lack tables. Although the campground is old and somewhat run-down, it is a good
place for older children who want to play in the creek, as Flint Creek at this
point is very small. From the campground, Highway 1 climbs up the mountain to
meet the reservoir dam for Georgetown Lake.
Georgetown Lake is a shallow, weed-infested meadow lake. A
little over four, square miles, the lake sits at an elevation of 6,350 feet.
Bordered by meadow grassland and alpine hillsides, Georgetown Lake is
picturesque by any standards. A popular recreation lake during the summer,
Georgetown Lake is renowned as a prolific aquatic lake in both insect
production and fish growth. Although whirling disease has impacted the native
runs of rainbows, stocking programs have minimized losses. Arlee rainbows and
Eagle Lake rainbows average 14 inches with impressive numbers of 16- to 18-
inchers.
Although less in numbers, brook trout grow to impressive
size, and, yes, trophy trout abound. Late spring and early summer bring about
heavy hatches of Callibaetis. By mid-summer, look for emerging damselflies
followed by prolific hatches of caddis fly. Because of the gradual gradient
along the shore, most fishermen prefer to fish from boats or float tubes.
Smaller tippets, heavy fish, and thick weed beds create a fun and challenging
fishing experience in a beautiful setting. The lake is easily accessed around
its entire length, and the immediate area offers numerous campgrounds, boat
launches, picnic sites and swimming.
Phillipsburg Bay Campground USFS. The campground has 69
campsites which accommodate trailers up to 32 feet. The boat launch is suitable
for trailers and two-wheel-drive vehicles. Piney Creek Campground USFS. The
campground has 49 campsites and can accommodate trailers up to 48 feet. The
boat launch is suitable for trailers and two-wheel-drive vehicles. MM 27.1:
Georgetown Lake picnic site. MM 24.8: Grassy Point boat launch. MM 19.5: Spring
Hill Campground Spring Hill Campground offers 15 campsites with 22-foot trailer
space. The campground is 11 miles northwest of Anaconda on Highway 1.
MM 8: Anaconda, Montana. MM 5: Lost Creek State Park Take
Route 273 north from Highway 1 and then follow the signs six miles to the
campground. Lost Creek tumbles over a 50-foot ledge, which makes this one of
the more scenic campgrounds in the area. The campsite provides 25 campsites
with water and toilets. Lost Creek is a small creek offering fair catches of smaller
brook trout and cutthroats. MM 4.4: Road to Wisdom, Montana (Big Hole River).
MM 0: I-90.
End of the scenic route from Drummond to Anaconda.
Return to Interstate 90 at Drummond
MM 169: Rest area.
Exit 171: Fishing access to the upper Clark Fork River.
Exit 174: Garrison Junction. The Little Blackfoot River is really no more than a creek, but it is well worth
fishing. Although no public access points are available, numerous pullout spots
may be seen from the highway on the way to Helena, a distance of 44 miles. Most
of the land is not posted, but permission to trespass is the law of the land
now. The creek runs parallel to railroad tracks for a number of miles north of
Garrison. Although some sections hold larger browns, a typical brown runs 8 to
12-inches.
Exit 179: Beck Hill Fishing Access.
Exit 184: Deerlodge, Montana.
Exit 187: Deerlodge Information Center.
Exit 197: Galen Fishing Access.
Exit 201: Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area / Warm Spring
Ponds
One of the largest Superfund clean-up sites in the country, has been
transformed into a wetlands management area for wildlife and trophy trout
management. After a century of copper mining and milling contamination, the
area became barren. ARCO and the Anaconda Company have spent millions of
dollars to prevent metal seepage from Silver Bow Creek. Today fly fishers stalk
trophy browns and rainbows in these ponds. The most popular method, however, is
fishing from a float tube. Brochures and fishing regulations are placed at the
entrance. Camping is non-designated camping, and you will need to bring your
own water (pack it in - pack it out). The trout average two pounds, and there
are still some monsters that cruise along the bottom. The problem, however, is
that they are satiated from an abundance of aquatic insects and great
populations of scuds and leeches.
I have fished it only once back in 1983 with Charlie Miller,
who at the time owned a fly shop in Hamilton. I have bittersweet memories of
that day. I broke a Sage rod on the first cast. Earlier in the morning I had
leaned my rod on the hood of the truck, and the wind had blown it down. Charlie
inadvertently stepped on it, but the only damage we could detect was a tiny
chip in the enamel. One cast and it exploded. I borrowed Charlie's spare rod,
and we fished all day in one pond. Finally, I landed a 24-inch brown. Just
before the end of the day, I landed another big fish. How hard are you willing
to work for a trophy trout? The best time to fish is in the spring and fall. Be
sure to read the special regulations.
