Bitterroot River Fishing Report
Best Flies for June
Top patterns for the Bitterroot's biggest hatches this month — shop and add to cart.
The Bitterroot River is one of the most popular and productive fly fishing rivers in western Montana. Flowing north through the Bitterroot Valley before joining the Clark Fork near Missoula, it offers a wide variety of water types and hatches throughout the season. Conditions can change quickly depending on snowmelt, rain events, and seasonal flows, so staying current with the report is key to a successful trip.
This Bitterroot River fly fishing report is updated regularly by our guides and staff to reflect current conditions, hatches, and techniques that are producing fish. Whether you're planning a float or a wade trip, this report will help you know what to expect on the water.
Last Updated: June 3, 2026
How's the Fishing?: 3/5
Like the rest of the streams in the Missoula area, flows bumped up and made the river unfishable through the latter part of last week and into early this week. Over the last couple days it's been dropping fast and coming back into fishable conditions. Clarity is improving, and there's some decent fishing to be had, mostly nymphing and streamer fishing with a little dry fly mixed in.
It's still pretty high, so be careful what stretches you're floating. After a flush like this, log jams and debris can shift around.
What Hatches are Going?
Salmonfly, golden stones, green drakes, and yellow sallies.
How's it going to be in a couple weeks?
We expect it to start fishing much better on top. The main stem should start seeing decent numbers of golden stones, and the upper river has already seen some decent numbers of salmonflies with more expected over the next few weeks.
Gear Up for the Bitterroot
Bitterroot River Stream Conditions
Stream Flow (CFS)
Water Temperature (F)
Seasonal Data Notice: These temperature gauges are operational from late spring through fall. If a graph shows a data not available warning, the sensor is likely blocked by ice or inactive for the winter season. Check back as temperatures warm up - the gauges will resume delivering live data automatically.
June Hatches on the Bitterroot River
June brings some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. Here are the top fly patterns to have in your box this month.
Important Resources
Fishing Reports for Other Rivers Near Missoula
Fish With The Best Fly Fishing Guides in Missoula Montana
