Middle Fork Flathead River
The Middle Fork of the Flathead River is known more for its whitewater rapids than its fishing. There is very little pressure from anglers on this river making solitude an attractive feature. The Middle Fork is fed primarily from snowmelt and runs mainly over argillite, a nutrient lacking rock, resulting in cold water that lacks nutrients for fish.
Middle Fork Flathead River Listings: (add your listing)
Glacier Anglers Center - fly fishing guided trips
Let our courtesous and family-friendly fishing guides escort your group to fish the Middle Fork of the Flathead. Available in 1/2 and full-day trips, and multi-day.
(406) 888-5454
Spend a day yelling "fish on" on flathead river
These waters support native West Slope Cutthroat along with Rainbow and some Brook trout. You'll be fishing from a dory which can accommodate 2 people.
Glacier Guides - Montana Raft Company
We are adventure travel experts having guided families on raft trips for over 20 years. Select from 1/2-day, full-day, horseback/raft and dinner BBQ & raft combo trips.
(406) 387-5555
Because the waters of the Middle Fork do not contain a lot of essential nutrients, its fish do not grow to large sizes. Fish in the Middle Fork average 8-12 inches. However, the fish here are not picky eaters and will bite at most flies. Also, the westslope cutthroat and bull trout migrate from Flathead Lake to spawn. If you are at the Middle Fork at the right time, you may be able to catch a larger migrating fish.
Most anglers have found dry and bushy flies to be successful. You might also want to try a weighted sink tip line so that you can drag a wet fly through deep sections and pools of the river.
The Middle Fork of the Flathead River is home to westslope cutthroat, bull trout, mountain whitefish, and rainbow trout. You might also find kokanee salmon. The food web of the Middle Fork is constantly changing, thus fish populations are changing. Opossum shrimp were planted in upstream lakes in the late 1960s. Eventually, these shrimp came to make up a majority of the zooplankton that inhabit the waters of the area. Non-native rainbow trout and whitefish have thrived in these conditions while other species, such as the westslope cutthroat and bull trout, have declined.
Fishing season of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River is open from the third Saturday in May through November. There is also an extended catch and release season for trout and a 50 daily limit for whitefish during the rest of the year. You can catch and release cutthroat trout while you are limed to 2 rainbow trout per day. Before you head out on tributary streams, make sure you check with regulations as some tributaries may be closed due to spawning. Also, remember that it is illegal to catch any bull trout.
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