Daily River Forecast

Blackfoot River

Ovando to Bonner, Montana

Blackfoot River | Ovando to Bonner, Montana | Updated June 15, 2026 | Station: Blackfoot River near Bonner

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How To Fish It

  • Start by checking clarity. If you cannot get away with a standard nymph rig, fish bigger profiles or streamers with slower strips.
  • Target the inside bend, the protected edge below structure, and any slower side seam beside the main tongue.
  • If you find a clear, buggy stretch in the afternoon, swap to a mayfly dry only after you see actual rises.

Bugs & Best Matches

What's active
Fish this
Blue-winged olives, size 18-20, sporadic midday
BWO Comparadun, size 18-20, dry; Zirdle Bug olive or black, size 6-8, streamer
March Browns, size 12-14, warmer afternoons
Pat's Rubber Legs, size 6-8, nymph
Midges, size 18-22, slower water in the morning
Hare's Ear, size 14-16, nymph
General subsurface
Prince Nymph, size 12-16, nymph; Parachute Adams, size 14-18, dry

Current Conditions

FlowThe Blackfoot can change quickly in spring, so clarity and side-channel volume matter as much as raw flow.
Water TempCold spring water usually keeps fish near softer edges and deeper buckets until the afternoon.
WeatherA stable, cool day helps. Sudden heat pushes the river toward runoff behavior fast.
Rating5/10

Today's Feeding Pattern

Blackfoot trout in late April are usually opportunistic rather than selective. Fish hold close to soft banks, side seams, and woody structure where current breaks give them a stable lie. If the river is clear enough, nymphing remains the highest-percentage play, but a stripped streamer can move fish along undercut banks and darker slots.

About The Blackfoot River

The Blackfoot flows northeast of Missoula and is known for classic freestone structure: boulders, wood, deep bends, and long riffle-to-run transitions. It is a river that fishes on mood and clarity more than on a rigid tailwater schedule.

Westslope cutthroat, rainbow, brown, and bull trout all occur in the system, though regulations and seasonal considerations matter depending on the reach. Many anglers think of it as a streamer and attractor river, but there are real hatch windows when conditions stay stable.

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