The Bitterroot is shaping up beautifully as we move through mid-June. Thanks to the higher elevations in the Bitterroot Range holding onto snow a bit longer, water temps have stayed cooler than some neighboring rivers—but that’s changing fast. With fewer boats on the water post-runoff, now’s the ideal time to find some solitude and fresh fish.

PMDs are popping river-wide, with larger green drakes making appearances mid-morning and again in the late afternoon. A well-placed Parachute PMD or Extended Body Green Drake is drawing confident eats. Fish have been rising in a variety of water types—from quick riffles to the slow edges undercut by the bank—so don’t be afraid to mix things up. Caddis are also hatching in big numbers, and if you’re looking for some topwater fun, a dry-dropper or double dry rig pairing a stonefly with a caddis can be a blast.

In the cooler early hours, trout are feeding aggressively subsurface. They’re stacked in the deeper pools, happy to chow down before the surface activity begins. A large Pat’s Rubber Legs or a well-presented brown Perdigon can easily coax out that big brown you've been hunting.

The streamer fishing has been great. These fish are more than ready to crush anything that moves. Focus on undercut banks, log jams, and bouldery structure. Copper Kreelex streamers and olive or black sculpin patterns are great choices to trigger those explosive takes.

Post-runoff, the Bitterroot is now flowing at a much more manageable pace—and it’s absolutely worth prioritizing over the next few weeks.