Montana Freestone
Bitterroot River Fishing Report, Flows and Hatches
The benchmark skwala river in Montana, fishing hard in March and April when most freestones are still asleep. Bugs come off nearly every month and the wading is forgiving.
Freestone
Montana
3,110 ft
Gauge 12352500
Right now
Live conditions
An expert read, in your pocket
Rivus knows your river right now. Live conditions, what’s hatching, and what to tie on, the moment you open it.
When the day turns and nothing’s working, ask Eddy and change the plan.
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The hatch chart
Bitterroot River hatch chart
The emergences that come off the Bitterroot by month, straight from the Rivus hatch model.
| Hatch | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Midge Midge, #20-28 | ||||||||||||
Skwala Stonefly, #8-12 | ||||||||||||
March Brown Mayfly, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Blue Winged Olive Mayfly, #16-20 | ||||||||||||
Grannom / Mother's Day Caddis Caddis, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Caddisfly Caddis, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Salmonfly Stonefly, #4-6 | ||||||||||||
Golden Stonefly Stonefly, #10-12 | ||||||||||||
Little Yellow Sally Stonefly, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Pale Morning Dun Mayfly, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
Grasshopper / Terrestrial Hopper, #8-12 | ||||||||||||
Trico Mayfly, #18-26 | ||||||||||||
October Caddis Caddis, #8-10 |
How it fishes
A Montana freestone
A freestone river runs free off snowmelt and rain, so it swings hard with the seasons. It blows out and browns up in spring runoff, then drops and warms into summer. The hatches track the water temperature more than the calendar, so you time your trip to the flow and the thermometer.
Flow and gauge
Reading the flows
The Bitterroot is metered at USGS gauge 12352500. Watch the trend as much as the number: a river that is dropping and clearing fishes very differently from one that is coming up.
Access and regulations
Before you fish
Access and the right to fish are the angler’s responsibility, every time. Public access, private water, and seasonal closures vary along the river, so confirm where you can legally stand and wade before you go. We do not point you to a specific spot.
Read the current rules, license requirements, and any special-regulation water before you go. Regulations change season to season, so check them fresh.
Flow and water temperature from USGS, weather from NWS and NOAA, refreshed hourly. Real-time USGS readings are provisional and subject to revision. The hatch chart and river read are Rivus model output.