*From the Idaho Border towards Missoula
St. Regis
River: I
recommend using Woolly Buggers and Bitch Creeks in the spring along the lower
St. Regis River, as the browns follow the spring spawners to feed on the egg
deposits. The opening day for the St. Regis River is the third Saturday in May.
When I asked about the St. Regis River in general, one of the local guides said
that the river gets scoured every year. The best fishing is in the first two
miles, and he wouldn't fish any further up than four miles, except during
spring and fall spawning runs. Preseason flies include Skwala stonefly from
March 15-May 15; Gray Drakes (Amoletus), April 1-June 15; Blue-Wing Olives,
April 1-June 1; Nemoura stonefly, March 1-April 30; and March Brown, March
25-April 30.
Hazel Lake:
Follow Ward Creek Road (Road #889). The road is a single lane road with very
few turnouts. The creek is very small and almost impenetrable, although it does
hold small brookies. From the I-90 exit to the Hazel Lake trailhead is 6.6
miles, and the trail to Hazel Lake is 3.2 miles for small cutthroats.
Moore Lake and Little Joe Creek: Moore Lake, Little Joe Creek
Follow the main
street in St. Regis a half-mile west. Turn left when you see the sign South
Fork Little Joe Creek and Moore Lake. The mileage to Moore Lake is 14 miles,
and this is the only sign to Moore Lake you will see again until you are
zig-zagging up Road #221. (If you miss Road #221 you will wander like I did to
the top of the pass and the Idaho State Line.) Turning at the sign just outside
of St. Regis, the road will cross over the Interstate and St. Regis River. The
road turns to gravel, but it is well maintained. At 3.3 miles there is a
camping spot and an access to Road #221. Turn left on Road #221. The road
follows the creek and is one lane and bumpy at times, although you don't need a
4X4. Follow this road 6.9 miles until the road makes a turn to the right, at
the second Moore Lake sign. The lake is 3.4 miles from the sign. Moore Lake has
a turn-around and an outhouse. The lake is 200 yards from the parking area and
does not have any campsites. Nestled in a tight bowl, this 13-acre sub-alpine
lake offers good fishing for 8- to 12-inch brook trout.
Little Joe Creek
Little Joe Creek
is a very small creek, but up in the canyon on the way to Moore Lake the creek
is backed up by many downfalls, providing little pools for small brook trout
and cutthroats.
Diamond Lake
and Cliff Lake: Heading
eastbound, take Exit 43 off Interstate 90. Turn right at the stop sign and
proceed over the railroad tracks. Continue seven-tenths of a mile and turn
right on Road #342. The lake is 13 miles. Four miles from the lake, you will
make a left turn at a T-intersection. Diamond Lake Campground is suitable only
for tent camping. The road is a one lane, steep climb suitable for cars.
Diamond Lake is a popular spot, as it is one of only a few lakes reached by
road in the area. It is a 17-acre, deep lake in heavily timbered country, and
it is full of small brookies. To define small, I fished the lake with a father
and son from Maine. We dragged and carried three of my one-man boats about 200
yards before we could launch them. (The campsite end of the lake is jammed with
logs so if you plan on launching a canoe, plan on a portage.) In the space of
two hours, Tom, Lincoln and I managed to catch only 15 fish between us. Not one
measured over 9 inches.
Much larger
than Diamond Lake, Cliff Lake is reached 1.5 miles up the trail from Diamond
Lake. The lake reportedly has 14-inch cutthroats. I spoke to two fishermen
coming down the trail, and they said they couldn't even cast from the shore
because of the cliffs and the debris and half-sunken logs surrounding the lake.
Eager to float the Clark Fork that same day, we passed up the hike.
Fish Creek: Fish Creek empties into
the Clark Fork. From the Reserve Street on-ramp, Fish Creek is 35 miles due
west. Take Exit 66 off Interstate 90. Take a right turn to Rivulet if you want
to fish the creek from the confluence upstream. Spin fishers and fly fishers
heavily fish this section. Deep pools and heavy pressure keep the trout very
wary and shy. Nonetheless, what it lacks in numbers, it can make up for in the
size of the fish. In the first half-mile of the creek, I caught only three fish
on a hot August day, but one of the fish measured 16 inches and jumped eye
level to me three times.
Further up the
creek the water is flat and shallow and heavily fished as the road parallels
the creek. Years ago I used to take my sons to Fish Creek early in the summer
for good catches of 8- to 10-inch trout. Having talked to three high school
students from Huson, not much has changed, with the exception of some crafty
bull trout, which makes Fish Creek very fishy!
If you fish the
lower section, you might as well make a day of it and fish the Clark Fork as
well. Continue the four miles to Rivulet, which is a railroad spur with two
houses. Just above the two houses the river offers a half-mile of riffles with
large side pools. You will have to slide on your butt down to the river through
a lot of brush. Take a lunch and keep an eye on the pools.
Rattle Snake
Creek: Here
is a great creek right outside the city limits, but you need to be prepared to
walk about six miles before you can wet a line in the catch-and-release
section. The creek is closed to fishing from the city water supply dam of
Mountain Water Company up the creek to the mouth of Beeskove Creek, which is a
distance of about six miles from the parking lot to Beeskove Creek. But what a
spectacular hike! The trail is a popular trail for both hikers and mountain
bikers entering the Rattlesnake Wilderness. Wait until at least mid-July if you
plan on fishing for pure strain Western cutthroat. From Beeskove Creek all the
way up to the headwaters is catch-and-release fishing. If you have a bike, go
all the way to the footbridge and fish above and below the bridge for 7- to
12-inch beauties. Van Buren changes to Rattlesnake Drive. Follow the
Rattlesnake Wilderness signs. (The lower section of Rattlesnake Creek below the
city water supply site to the mouth is open to fishing. Be sure to check the
regulations.)
