Fishing Conditions Rating: 6/10
Current Stream Flows: Above Missoula: 888 CFS, 1360 CFS Below Missoula
HOOT OWL has been lifted on the Clark Fork River below Rock Creek.
Restrictions from Mt FWP:
Hoot owl restrictions (2:00 p.m. to midnight) are in effect for the Clark Fork River from the mouth of Warm Springs Creek to the mouth of Rock Creek (near Clinton, MT) beginning July 10
Temperatures throughout the reach have exceeded 73F each of the past two days (starting 7/7/2024) and are expected to exceed 73F for a third day today (7/9/2024), with generally warmer temperatures further downstream in the reach. Water temperature measured at USGS Clark Fork at Deer Lodge 12324200 peaked over 73F each day, and FWP temperature sensor data from Bearmouth has shown water temperatures peaking over 73F each of the past three days.
Temperatures have exceeded the 73F Hoot-Owl criteria for the past two days and are expected to for a third day today at multiple USGS and FWP monitoring sites and are generally trending higher. Longer term forecasts are calling for local temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s for the foreseeable future, this is likely to keep temperatures warm and stressful for fish. Additionally, flows in this reach continue to drop, and are currently well lower than median values. Angling pressure on the Clark Fork is generally low, however anglers were observed at multiple access points near Deer Lodge over the past several days in the late afternoon. Considering historically low fish numbers on parts of the Upper Clark Fork any angling pressure in the late afternoon at current temperatures could be detrimental to the fishery.
