Well, you wouldn't believe it. I went up to the Bitterroot last night to dry and catch a fish, as you do, and I was able to see some of the river rocks at the bottom of the river! I thought holy moly there's visibility in this river after all! I'd say if you like fishing, floating, or recreating the Bitterroot valley is not a bad place to be right now!

The Bitterroot is still carrying strong early-summer flows, but the river is slowly moving in a better direction. The upper and middle river have been holding fairly steady to slightly down, while the lower Bitterroot still has a lot of water moving through it. Fishing is improving in the right places, especially where the river has a little more clarity and softer holding water. It is not fully easy yet, but the trend is better than it was during the bigger runoff push.

The best fishing right now is going to be in the soft water. Focus on inside bends, bank seams, side channels, foam lines, eddies, and slower buckets where trout can get out of the main current. With flows still elevated, fish do not need to sit far from the bank. Work the edges carefully before stepping in, because a lot of trout will be tucked close to shore in surprisingly soft water.

Nymphing remains the most dependable way to fish the Bitterroot. Stonefly nymphs, Pat’s Rubber Legs, TJ Hookers, worms, jig-style attractors, caddis pupa, PMD nymphs, Green Drake nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, and Perdigons are all good options. Use enough weight to get the flies down, but keep your drifts in the slower lanes where fish can actually move to eat.

Dry-dropper fishing is becoming more realistic as the river settles. A Chubby Chernobyl, Water Walker, Golden Stone dry, Salmonfly dry, or larger attractor with a nymph underneath is a good way to cover banks, soft seams, and side-channel water. Full dry-fly fishing is still hit-or-miss with the higher flows, but the window is improving each day the river drops and clears.

Bug activity is picking up. Salmonflies and Golden Stones are in the mix, with Yellow Sallies, Green Drakes, PMDs, and caddis also becoming more important. Watch for adults near the banks, fluttering caddis in the evenings, and mayfly activity during softer light or cloud cover. Bright sun can make the fish a little more cautious, but clouds or light showers could help bring fish into the softer seams to feed.

Streamers are still worth fishing, especially on the lower-light edges of the day or anywhere the water has color. Olive, black, brown, white, and lightly flashy patterns can all work. Sparkle Minnows, Sculpzillas, Mini Dungeons, Buggers, Peanut Envy-style flies, and smaller articulated streamers are all worth rotating through. Focus on flooded structure, slow banks, and buckets where trout can ambush without fighting the heavy current.

The next few days look mixed but encouraging. Warmer weather today will give way to thundershowers Tuesday and a cooler shower chance Wednesday, followed by a better weather window Thursday and Friday. If flows continue to hold or drop, the Bitterroot should keep improving. Stay careful while wading, keep an eye on the gauges, and focus on soft water, edges, and bug activity as the river settles.

Top Patterns:

• Pat's Rubber Legs (#6-8)
• TJ Hooker Stone (#6-8)
• San Juan Worms (#10-12)
• Wire Worms
• Frenchies (#14-16)
• Perdigons (#14-18)

Dry Flies:

• Chubbies (Yellow, purple, royal, black & Tan anywhere from #6-14)
• PMD's (#12-14)
• Corn Fed Caddis (#12)
• Elk Hair Caddis (#12-14)
• Parachutes (#10-#16)

Streamers

Higher flows create good opportunities for anglers willing to cover water with larger flies.

• Mini Dungeon
• Sparkle Minnow
• Peanut Envy
• Thin Mint
• Sculpzilla