Montana
Blackfoot River fishing guide
Montana's Blackfoot River holds Northern Pike, Brook Trout, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Cutthroat Trout, and Mountain Whitefish. Anglers can access the river via 16 boat launches or public bank access at several points, including locations near Wisherd Bridge, Monture Creek, Russell Gates Memorial, Three Stall, and Angevine.
Current conditions
As of September 3, 2026, Blackfoot River is running around 181 cfs. The nearest streamgage reports flow but not water temperature, so no temp is shown. Conditions look good for fishing right now.
- State
- Montana
- Public access
- Yes
- Access points
- 12
- Species recorded
- 6
These conditions are read from our data about once a day and may not reflect the current moment. For real-time conditions, open Guidepole Fish.
Public access & launches
- Aspen Grove Group Use Area (Helena-Lewis and Clark NF, MT)Boat launch
- AngevineMontana FWPBoat launch
- RoundupMontana FWPBoat launch
- Weigh StationMontana FWPBoat launch
- Clearwater CrossingMontana FWPBoat launch
- Johnsrud ParkMontana FWPBoat launch
- River JunctionMontana FWPBoat launch
- Harry MorganMontana FWPBoat launch
- Cedar MeadowMontana FWPBoat launch
- Corrick's River BendMontana FWPBoat launch
- Scotty Brown BridgeMontana FWPBoat launch
- Marco FlatsMontana FWPBoat launch
Regulations
- Western Fishing District
Mainstem and all tributaries except the Clearwater River. During the General Season (third Saturday in May throughNovember 30) Catch-and-release for Cutthroat Trout. Combined trout: 3 daily and in possession, only 1 Rainbow Trout over 14 inches long, any size Brown Trout. (See Clearwater RiverDrainage for exception.) Artificial lures only within 100-yard radius of the mouths of Belmont Creek, Copper Creek, Gold Creek, Monture Creek andNorth Fork Blackfoot River. Mainstem only during the Extended Season (December 1 to the third Saturday in May) Extended season for Mountain Whitefish and catch-and-release for trout open December 1 to third Saturday in May. Tributariesare closed to fishing during the extended season. Artificial lures and/or maggots only. All other live/dead bait prohibited. Mainstem from Landers Fork mouth downstream to the confluence with the Clark Fork River Catch-and-release for Brook Trout. (This regulation is a result of Bull Trout being misidentified and harvested as Brook Trout. BrookTrout are very rare in this section of river whereas Bull Trout are common.) BLANCHARD LAKE (near Whitefish) Northern Pike: 5 daily and in possession, 4 less than 28 inches and 1 greater than 36 inches. Bass: 1 daily and in possession, must be over 22 inches. BOOTJACK LAKE (near Whitefish) Open April 1 through November 30. Combined trout: 1 daily and in possession, 22 inch minimum. Artificial lures only.
- mountain whitefish
- Season
- Extended Season (Dec. 1 to the third Saturday in May)
Extended season open for mountain whitefish.
- trout
- Season
- Extended Season (Dec. 1 to the third Saturday in May)
- Gear
- Artificial lures and/or maggots only; all other live/dead bait prohibited.
Catch-and-release for trout. Tributaries closed to fishing during extended season.
- cutthroat trout
- Season
- General Season (third Saturday in May through Nov. 30)
Catch-and-release for cutthroat trout.
- trout (combined: rainbow, brown)
- Season
- General Season (third Saturday in May through Nov. 30)
- Bag
- 3 daily and in possession
- Size
- Only 1 rainbow trout over 14 inches long; any size brown trout
Combined trout limit. See Clearwater River Drainage for exception.
- brook trout
Catch-and-release for brook trout due to misidentification of bull trout as brook trout; bull trout are common in this section.
- All species
- Season
- Closed during Extended Season (Dec. 1 to third Saturday in May)
Tributaries are closed to fishing during the extended season.
- Combined trout
- Bag
- 3 daily and in possession, only 1 rainbow trout over 14 inches, any size brown trout.
- Cutthroat trout
- Bag
- Catch-and-release
- All species
- Gear
- Artificial lures only, including within 100-yards of the mouth.
As of 2026-08-28.Guidance, not legal advice — always confirm current rules with the state.Official Montana regulations
What’s in it
Recorded in/near this water. Occurrence-based unless a higher-confidence source is shown — see it per-species in the app.
More Montana fishing
Montana field notes
Bozeman, MT
Bozeman Built a Trail System Out of Handshakes and Easements
Nearly 100 miles of trail start inside Bozeman and run to the mountains, and most of it exists because a land trust spent thirty-five years negotiating easements across private ranchland one landowner at a time. The M and Drinking Horse are the famous pair. The system behind them is the actual story.
Missoula, MT
Missoula Hikes You Can Walk To From Downtown
A university town of 78,000 people sits where five valleys meet, with a mountain rising straight off the campus and a 61,000-acre wilderness up the road behind the houses. The famous hike takes forty minutes and most of the town has done it drunk at least once.
West Glacier, MT
The Highline Trail's Hand Cable Is the Least Frightening Part
Every photograph of this trail shows the same thing: a narrow ledge, a garden hose of steel cable bolted to the rock, and a very long way down. In practice that section takes four minutes and the tread is excellent. The parts worth thinking about come later: the shuttle you must book, the parking cap, and the grizzlies.
Babb, MT
Grinnell Glacier Before It's Gone: The Boat Shortcut, the Bears, and the Best Light
A trail cut into a cliff above two turquoise lakes, ending at a glacier that has been measured shrinking for a century. There is a boat that removes 3.4 miles of it, a mid-July opening date that catches people out, and enough grizzly activity that bear spray is standard equipment rather than a precaution.
West Yellowstone, MT
Fly Fishing Yellowstone National Park: Cutthroat in the Meadows, Wolves on the Ridge, and the Strangest Trout Stream on Earth
Yellowstone holds the largest concentration of wild cutthroat trout in the world, a river that flows past erupting geysers, and backcountry meadow streams where you fish with bison grazing behind you and wolves howling at dusk. It's not just fly fishing. It's fly fishing inside the world's first national park.
West Glacier, MT
Fly Fishing Glacier National Park: Native Cutthroat, Wild Rivers, and Backcountry Water That Hasn't Changed in a Thousand Years
Glacier National Park holds 700 miles of streams and over 130 named lakes, most of them holding native westslope cutthroat trout that have never seen a hatchery. The fishing is wild, the setting is the most dramatic in North America, and the native fish are counting on you to handle them with care.
Blackfoot River fishing — FAQ
Can you fish the Blackfoot River?
Yes — the Blackfoot River in Montana has public access (12 public access point(s)). Open the guide to see the public access, launches, and current regulations.
Do you need a license to fish the Blackfoot River?
Yes — Montana requires a valid fishing license for most fishing. The current official state regulations are linked on this page.
What fish are in the Blackfoot River?
Species recorded in the Blackfoot River include Northern Pike, Seatrout (Freshwater), Brook Trout, Yellow Perch, White Sucker. The full list is on this page.
Where can you access the Blackfoot River?
Access points include Aspen Grove Group Use Area (Helena-Lewis and Clark NF, MT), Angevine, Roundup. See every launch and access site on this page.
Get detailed fishing conditions for the Blackfoot River on your phone
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