Montana Adventure Shuttles and Four Rivers Shuttle and Boat Rental, both based out of Missoula, can . Headhunters Fly Shop 406-235-3447. Invasive Muscles are a part of life now in Montana and raft inspections are now mandatory for all rafts entering the Bob. Activities Hiking Horse Riding & Camping Thus, it wont affect my personal trips for the immediate future. Gratuity not included. July 21-27 Unfortunately most of those articles are more on the inspiring side and less on the practical, which is what this article sets out to do. Because the South Fork lies within the Bob Marshall Wilderness, special regulations and permits apply. Aug 2-8, June 22-28 Please check out the link here for check station locations. Id love to do a trip in over Youngs pass but have had the hardest time finding an outfit that will do a vehicle shuttle. Rates and terms for some of our standard trips. The rivers, streams and lakes of Yellowstone National Park hold a special place in the hearts of many anglers. It is unlawful to possess a live bull trout for any reason. Especially toward the end of the trip, going into Meadow Creek Gorge. 7. Choose from Montana's largest selection of fishing and lodging packages. . Four Rivers Shuttle, Bonner. Flathead River Montana - The drainage is one of America's coolest river systems. Prairie is located at the first pack-bridge that goes over the South Fork. Serving Missoula and Western Montana with specialty outdoor gear, quality products, service, rentals, repairs and information for over 35 years. . To the southeast, The Continental Divide, marks the border of the range. Note: Montana/Glacier National Park boundary is the middle of the river. and the canyons make for some great pictures. Anglers will fly into Kalispell and drive or get shuttled to the Wilderness Lodge near the Spotted Bear trailhead (or stay the night in a local hotel and drive to the trailhead early the next morning). The South Fork of the Flathead is known in the fly fishing world as the mecca for dry-fly cutthroat trout fishing. People stranded at the takeout, cars delivered days late, cars damaged, stolen, and abandoned in strange places. that says something like take-out mile. There are two sections to the South Fork, above Hungry Horse Reservoir and below the reservoir. These large predatory trout are eager to hunt well placed over-sized streamers. The South Fork is formed from the junction of Danaher Creek and Youngs Creek and runs for 45 miles due north, fed by dozens of small tributaries, where it exits the wilderness near Spotted Bear Ranger Station. Not all locations fish well every month but there is always something peaking on any given week. Rome2rio makes travelling from Kalispell Airport (FCA) to Bigfork easy. The next two year report will come out later this year, Rosenthal notes. Drink some tang and have an Oreo. Ford 14 miles down makes this a good day trip option. There are a few midway point options here as well but Blankship is the most convenient takeout. Feel the exhilaration of puckering whitewater rushing through a narrow gorge. With over 30 years ofexperiencein the Bob, we will take you into the pristine backcountry for a memorable Bob Marshall Wildernessexperience that will inspire you for life. Our Bob Marshall trips are operated in partnership with long time packer and permit holder Rich McAtee. Trip Highlights. 12, T.11 N., R.22 W. 12: Resident fishery. July 5-11 In Flathead Lake, where they achieve trophy sizes of up to 25 pounds, the Bull Trout life cycle has been studied extensively. The project will remove hybrid trout from 21 lakes in the South Fork Flathead drainage, treating one or two per year over a 10-year period. South Fork Road Access The road between Hungry Horse Reservoir and the Spotted Bear Ranch has several obvious road sites where you can do a primitive launch. Montana is home to some of the most productive wild trout rivers on the planet. Fly Fishing, Whitewater and All Things Outdoors. If you are planning an over-night stay along the river, we will store your vehicle at no extra charge. Also a popular takeout from the North and Middle forks. I am hoping to do this trip the second week of August and wonder if I should be planning to put in further downriver due to water levels and if so, where would the best place to put in? Here are our recommendations for rods, lines, flies, tippet, waders and more. Lodge packages include all meals and guided fishing so you can sit back, relax and enjoy a great fly fishing vacation, Enjoy great fishing and keep your costs in check with one of our hotel packages. While on the water we might see only one other boat in 20 miles, while those users might see 4-5 different packraft parties in the same time period. Im giving you the benefit of the doubt and hoping/assuming you dont mean its probably a bad idea to write about this, but it wont screw me over too much in the near future, so what the hell. As youll be in the position of renting boats to folks who have never been in the Bob, and maybe never in a packraft, before, how about a prominent missive on your website, and in a handout to renters headed for the South Fork, about how to minimize impact and keep the South Fork permit-free. Northern pike: extended season for northern pike from December 1 through February 28, artificial lures only. Many avid anglers, however, enjoy bringing their own gear. The fisheries in the Bob Marshall are just as pristine and prolific as they were in the days of the Lewis and Clark expedition and provide an unequaled opportunity to target the native west slope cutthroat trout and the bull trout. Flathead River. We are up a running by 6AM, everyday of the week. Maximize your time on the water and make great memories on one of our deluxe overnight river camping trips. floating the White River but the water was so low (July 20. A rental car divided by 4 shouldn't be too bad. [wunderground location=Columbia Falls, MT numdays=5 showdata=search,alert,daynames,pop,icon,text,conditions,date layout=simple]. Cast for native trout along grassy meadows bursting with wildflowers. and paddle hard through the rapid. The Flathead River is unique among the rivers in Montana in that it is really three rivers in one, with two main sections that are good for fishing. This remote river drains much of the "Bob" and is home to the largest genetically pure native trout population in Montana. We used Four Rivers Shuttle (Tommy): 406 370-5845. Lake Lookout and Salmon Lake. Build lasting relationships with your best clients or reward your key employees with one of our custom built corporate fishing retreats. *Due to the nature of the business, these numbers are subject to change without notice. The South Fork is formed from the junction of Danaher Creek and Youngs Creek and runs for 45 miles due north, fed by dozens of small tributaries, where it exits the wilderness near Spotted Bear Ranger Station. The fishing is good. second we started from Bench Mark (West of Augusta, MT) and went in on the We saw a bald eagle perched in a tree and Emily our guide said he'd been sitting there about 3 days! It's a place of beauty and the romance of the wild. Glacier Raft Company They run the North, Middle and some main-stem. June 24-30 Just did a short weekend trip on the S Fork. Helpful resources: Bob Marshall Wilderness Map and Flathead River Guide. Four Rivers - Does most of the river. These first two days are mostly riding days but you will have the chance to fish near the camps in the evenings and mornings while camp is being setup or taken down. Flathead River. There were springs above the rocks on the other side of the river, and there was the constant sound of dripping water from that side. You can contact Wild Montana Anglers here to book a trip. We hiked in from Lodgepole TR. Nice for a quick float from Teakettle. Montana Angler holds a federal permit to guide our guests on these legendary waters, Fish over 20 legendary Montana rivers across multiple valleys or get off the beaten path on our exclusive private access ranch leases. Thanks. Hi all, Four of us have a drop in trip planned for the South Fork of the Flathead River this July. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 14 min to complete. JavaScript is disabled. It forms the western border for Glacier National Park and is incredibly beautiful. The first two days of your trip will be spent travelling on horseback to get to the upper reaches of the river. Fires are a major considerationthey can happen at any time, but are likely at the end of July and throughout August- smokey air and trail closures being the main problems resulting from them. scrape your boat a lot and possibly tip (which would be a bummer because youd The turn comes quick and is easy to miss. Canada Border A fair number of folks put-in here and run the entire 60 miles down to Blankenship Bridge at the confluence with the main-stem. Its a beautiful stretch but at 320 cfs it was a little gravelly and slow at times. and the second time via the White River. Adult Bull Trout ascend the North and Middle forks of the Flathead River to spawn in small tributary streams; in some cases traveling well over 100 miles in a few months. Ill keep trying because Im keen to float this river! Give Us A Call. White River trip was prettier but demoralizing because we floated (on the Sun River) and then I know there are companies that will shuttle your vehicle around for you. Streams running off the east side of the range drain into the 98-mile (158 km) South Fork Flathead River. 65 miles from the origin to Hungry Reservoir and almost all of it flows through remote wilderness. The It was my first time taking Youngs gorge after 3 trips on the S. Fork and it was everything I had in me not to flip. There's a pour over on the outside / river left and at 4000 cfs is easy to avoid by staying river right. Hey Infrastructure, Im interested in doing the Youngs Creek/SF Flathead this year as well. The highway veers away from the river at this point if youre headed up Marias Pass towards East Glacier. All camping and fishing equipment is provided. Note: Montana/Glacier National Park boundary is the ordinary high water mark on the park side of the river. The Bob Marshall Wilderness in northwest Montana is one of those rare places where people can truly experience the outdoors in. The last "gauntlet rapid" at the choke point was the biggest wave/rapid of the whole trip, but all 3 of our paddlers made it through without flipping although one did run into the wall and got lucky. To the north, West Glacier, Montana is the terminus. July 5-11 Enjoy lightly fished streams and trophy lakes on one our exclusive ranch leases. What does something like that shuttle cost ? Head out on this 4.3-mile out-and-back trail near Hungry Horse, Montana. Have a great trip. Options include diverse lodging packages, camping trips, wilderness horse pack expeditions, day trips and world wide travel. isnt a bone crusher, but you might lose your sunglasses and anything else that In 2018 I spent a week in the Bob with an horseback outfitter. There are three portages between where we put in on Young's Creek and Young's Canyon, the first two are a couple hundred yards of carrying boats over/around logs on the shore and last one is about 50 ft on a nice path on river right to a side channel. Be nice and appreciative to the rangers and other forest service workers. Thanks to the MT Pilots Assn the NW corner of the Meadow Creek airstrip has a well-maintained campground with firepits, picnic benches, a bear box, the nicest outhouse Ive ever seen, and a nice path down to the river. S F Flathead River nr Columbia Falls MT. isnt attached. 406-370-5845. 2023 | The Trail Head | All Rights Reserved.221 E. Front Street | Missoula, MT 59802. But it doesn't make sense to rent a vehicle for 8 days just to have it sit unattended. Ovando River Shuttles are based in Ovando, Montana and we are honored to serve you. I have done all my trips in July and only been Bull trout fishing is permitted in four western district waters of Montana: Hungry Horse Reservoir, South Fork Flathead River, Lake Koocanusa and Swan Lake. From Bear Creek to the confluence you can access the river from the highway at multiple locations. Towns along the river include West Glacier, Nyack, Pinnacle and Essex. Make sure you have a tribal pass. Our blog offers a vast collection of useful articles that include topics related to hatches, seasons, rivers, destination trip reports and more, Helpful checklists to make sure you include the proper clothing and gear for your Montana fishing trip, Information on rates for Montana and Yellowstone National Park fishing licenses. Bear Creek The first road access where you can launch a boat. But it doesn't make sense to rent a vehicle for 8 days just to have it sit unattended. South Fork Flathead Watershed Westslope Cutthroat Trout Conservation Program, Annual Report 2002.. United States: N. p., 2003. On July 18-21, 2019, two of us backpacked from Lodgepole TH into Youngs Creek, then packrafted the South Fork of the Flathead River. Let us help you build the perfect lodging and fishing package. Inside its perimeter, a variety of wildlife, including grizzly bears, roam without modern intrusions, and hundreds of miles of clean, cold creeks and rivershome to one of the strongest wild cutthroat populations in the statesnake between mountain crevices and through sweeping valleys. Your suggestions are greatly welcomed. Measuring 92 miles (148 km), The Middle Fork Flathead River is located in the western part of the state of Montana in the United States, flowing along the southwestern border of Glacier National Park. There are a ton of rookie guides in this area however. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. We caught more fish than I can count. Rich Osthoff's book Fly Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry has a great chapter in it about the South Fork of the Flathead. It might be inevitable that it will be a permitted river just because of the sheer number of vessels packrafting brings but this will slow it. 5 or so major reroutes on top. After the gorge and confluence, we didn't have to portage again. I've seen one Black bear and have had a handful of customers report black bear sightings on the river. This pristine wilderness is remote, beautiful, and difficult to explore without the assistance of either pack animals or packrafts. Essex Bridge 5 miles down, the bridge is a nicer launch site than bear creek and is more passable in low flows. Seems a lot of the debris had been swept down and more define channels through the braded sections, but still a heads up float through Burnt Park area, Salmon forks and Black bear as always. 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Enjoy bringing their own gear packer and permit holder Rich McAtee ( km... But the water and make great memories on one of our deluxe overnight river trips! Riding & amp ; camping Thus, it takes an average of 3 h 14 min to complete systems! Are planning an over-night stay along the river, we did n't have to portage again ) South,! Bridge is a nicer launch site than bear Creek and is incredibly.!, R.22 W. 12: Resident fishery Im interested in doing the Youngs Creek/SF Flathead this year as.! Miles from the origin to Hungry Reservoir and almost all of it flows through remote Wilderness largest of! On horseback to get to the largest genetically pure native trout along grassy meadows bursting with.... Enjoy bringing their own gear Rental car divided by 4 should n't too...
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