Clark Fork River

Clark Fork River Overview

Access to the Clark Fork River

Tributary Creeks and Lakes of the Clark Fork

Float Trips

Camping Along the Clark Fork

Fly Shops and Outfitters

The Clark Fork River Overview

Above and Below Missoula

Like the famous Muhammad Ali match with George Foreman, the Clark Fork of the Columbia has been up against the ropes, pummeled and battered by powerful forces for over 100 years. Designated as one of the largest Superfund clean-up sites in the nation, the Clark Fork vies for the title of the comeback kid with the likes of Ali and Rocky Balboa. After a hundred years of mine waste discharge and heavy metal accumulation at the Milltown Dam, the river has yet to be declared champ, but the restoration and rejuvenation of the Upper Clark Fork has been stupendous. With fish counts at zero in the late '60s in the Warm Springs area and reaching over a 1,000 per mile 10 years later and almost doubling again, the brown trout population has attracted a great deal of angling pressure. From Warm Springs to Rock Creek the river varies considerably in the number of trout per mile due in part to thermal seepage, irrigation, years of drought, algae blooms and the insidious presence of whirling disease.

But the good news is that the Milltown Dam, just above Missoula, was removed in the spring of 2008, along with tons of toxic sediment.  A marked improvement of clarity and the removal of sediment on the gravel beds is noticeably apparent one year later.   For the past 100 years genetically programmed spawners have been blocked from reaching the Blackfoot River, Rock Creek and the upper river.  The return of prodigious hatches of insects below the dam has already begun and large fish counts will follow.  Missoula's Kelly Island to the confluence of the Flathead River continually improves. Fish, Wildlife and Parks Biologist Rod Berg estimates on average about 600 rainbows per mile with the larger 18- to 20-inch fish in the Superior and St. Regis area. Beware of the Alberton Gorge just below the town of Alberton and extending for approximately 18 miles to Forest Grove.

Lewis and Clark were warned, and if you haven't already heard of this section, consider it the playground of experienced whitewater rafters and kayakers. During my first year of guiding in 1981 for Grove Hull, he came back jubilant from a fishing adventure in the gorge with an experienced whitewater oarsman. Constantly trying to balance himself and cast without being thrown out, he had one of those great bragging days on the river. When he suggested I join him, I quickly responded, "Your boat!" No deal, he said. To this day I have never wanted to risk my raft or my life fishing the canyon. Those big rainbows would just be too distracting.

Since Interstate 90 follows the course of the Clark Fork River, I have covered Access to the River along with Tributary Creeks and Lakes.  Additionally, I have included Camping Along the Clark Fork River.  At the end of this article I have included popular Clark Fork Float Trips, but keep in mind that wading anglers have a superabundance of access points along the river, including the town section.  In this access section I have also included exits from Interstate 90 that do not necessarily lead to fishing, but they could be helpful as reference.