Is the Clark Fork River open to fishing?
Following its confluence with the Flathead River, access to the Clark Fork becomes more difficult, with only a handful of fishing access sites providing access to the river. The river continues on to a series of dams downstream from Thompson Falls, Montana. Ideal fishing raft for 1-2 anglers.
Can you eat fish from the Clark Fork River?
New state guidance recommends avoiding eating all species of fish on the Clark Fork River from the confluence with the Bitterroot up to the confluence with the Flathead River near Paradise due to the presence of “high levels of contaminants in the fish tissue.”
What size fish can you keep in Idaho?
Walleye – 6 or less. Cisco – 30 or less. Bull Trout and Sturgeon must be caught and released….Daily Bag Limits for the Salmon Region:
| Bass | No limit |
|---|---|
| Steelhead | Must be 20 inches or longer |
| Sturgeon | The daily limit is 0, must catch and release |
| Tiger Muskie | The daily limit is 2, none under 40 inches |
| Trout | The daily limit is 6 |
How big must a fish be to keep?
The minimum size limit is 24 inches fork length (PDF)(opens in new tab), except that up to five fish less than 24 inches fork length may be taken or possessed.
What kind of fish are in Clark Fork River?
Recommended Game Fish
- Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka)
- Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
- Walleye (Sander vitreus)
- Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
- Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)
- Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni)
- Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
Is it safe to float the Clark Fork River?
Floating past Silver Park on the Clark Fork is not advised. For a full rundown of all the ways to access and enjoy the Clark Fork River in Missoula, check out our Downtown River Map. When the river is high in the spring, floating in a tube is not recommended.
What kind of fish are in the Clark Fork River?
Is the Clark Fork River polluted?
Why one of the nation’s largest Superfund river sites can’t address pollution from abandoned mines. Cold, rapid and icy blue, the Clark Fork is Montana’s largest river. Arsenic, copper, zinc, lead and cadmium contaminated millions of tons of sediment along 120 miles of the river’s banks — all the way to Missoula.
What are the rules for fishing in Idaho?
All anglers in Idaho age 14 and over must purchase a fishing license. Idaho residents under age 14 do not need a fishing license. Non-residents under age 14 do not need a license if they are fishing with an adult who has a valid Idaho fishing license.
Is it illegal to fish with corn in Idaho?
Answer: Yes, except in no-bait fishing waters (only flies or lures can be used in no-bait waters).
How big do bluegills have to be to keep?
Given all that information, the best advice is to keep fish greater than 6 or so inches but less than 8. Or in more general terms, keep the mid to large size bluegill but throw back the largest ones you catch. This is best for several reasons.
Are bluegill good eating?
Yes, you can eat Bluegill. They are an abundant fish species found all over North America and are considered very good table quality by anglers. The meat is firm, mild-flavored, and best prepared fried or cooked whole.
Where to fly fish the Clark Fork River?
Clark Fork River Fly Fishing Guides Being one of the longest rivers in Montana, the Clark Fork is almost 300 miles from its Montana origin to just inside the Idaho panhandle, the river reaches its end at Lake Pend Oreille. The best fishing is found downstream of Missoula to its confluence with the Flathead River near Paradise, Montana.
Can you fish the Clark Fork in Montana?
Blue Ribbon trout stream Rock Creek is the first major drainage to come into the Clark Fork (sorry, Little Blackfoot!). From the confluence of Rock Creek to the confluence of the Bitterroot River, the Clark Fork is a mid-sized Montana river. As the Clark Fork runs downtown through Missoula, it braids up into very fishable side channels.
Is Clark Fork fly fishing worth the effort?
However, the fish are sizable from 14-20 inches long in some parts of the river, which makes a Clark Fork fishing trip completely worth the effort. The Clark Fork is an exceptional river for fly fishing large trout over its large and varied terrain.
How long is the Clark Fork River?
Over its 310-mile length, the Clark Fork River morphs from a tiny S-Shaped meadow stream to the biggest freestone river in Montana as it pours into Idaho. Clark Fork River fly fishing truly has something for everyone!