Fishes Rock Creek
Creek · Granite and Missoula counties, Montana, the Sapphire and John Long mountain country southeast of Missoula · Montana
Rock Creek Fishing Guides
A blue ribbon freestone creek running fifty miles down a roadless-feeling canyon to the Clark Fork, famous for its salmonfly hatch and for holding four trout species in one drainage.
Gauge location. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Guides on the Rock Creek
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
About the Rock Creek
Rock Creek runs roughly fifty miles north out of the Sapphire and John Long ranges to meet the Clark Fork east of Missoula, and despite the modest name it is one of the best known trout streams in Montana. The state classifies it as a blue ribbon fishery, and the designation is earned rather than promotional. It is a true freestone creek, cold and fast, with a bottom of cobble and boulder and a gradient that keeps the water broken and oxygenated nearly the whole way down.
What sets it apart is the species mix. Rainbow and brown trout are the fish most anglers catch, westslope cutthroat hold in the upper drainage and the tributaries, and the creek supports bull trout, a threatened native char that requires genuinely cold, clean, connected water to persist. Mountain whitefish are abundant throughout and are a reliable indicator of the creek’s health. Few streams this size hold that range.
The salmonfly hatch is what the creek is famous for. In late spring these very large stoneflies emerge in numbers, and for a week or two the biggest trout in the drainage feed on the surface in a way they do not for the rest of the year. The timing moves with runoff and temperature and it draws a crowd, but the hatch is genuine and the fishing during it can be exceptional.
A gravel road follows the creek for most of its length through the canyon, and the corridor is largely Lolo National Forest, so access is unusually good for water of this quality. There are campgrounds, fishing accesses and long stretches of public bank. Floating is allowed with seasonal restrictions intended to protect wading anglers and spawning fish, and those rules change, so checking the current regulations before launching matters.
Runoff dominates the calendar. The creek is high, cold and off colour through the melt, drops into shape in early summer and then fishes well into the fall as flows settle and water clears. Late summer can run low and warm enough that ethical anglers quit in the afternoon heat. Fall brings brown trout movement and the quietest conditions of the year.
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Access
Rock Creek Road - the gravel road following the creek up the canyon from the interstate.
Clinton - the small town at the mouth of the canyon and the reference point for the gauge.
Missoula - the nearest city, with guides, fly shops and full services to the northwest.
Lolo National Forest - the public land covering most of the creek corridor.
Clark Fork - the larger river the creek enters at the canyon mouth.
Philipsburg - the town near the upper drainage to the south.
Forest Service campgrounds along the canyon - the developed public camping and access points.
Seasons
Spring: high cold runoff, clearing late in the season into the salmonfly hatch.
Summer: prime dry fly conditions early, with low warm afternoons calling for restraint in late summer.
Fall: settled flows, cooling water, moving brown trout and the fewest anglers.
Winter: cold and largely iced in the upper canyon, with limited fishing on the lower creek.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Rock Creek?
As of Sep 17, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge Rock Creek near Clinton MT reads 281 cfs, with water temperature 52 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Rock Creek?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Bull Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout on the Rock Creek in Montana.
Are there fishing guides on the Rock Creek?
GuidedFloats lists 3 guides and outfitters on the Rock Creek. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the Rock Creek?
Rock Creek Road - the gravel road following the creek up the canyon from the interstate. Clinton - the small town at the mouth of the canyon and the reference point for the gauge. Missoula - the nearest city, with guides, fly shops and full services to the northwest. Lolo National Forest - the public land covering most of the creek corridor. Clark Fork - the larger river the creek enters at the canyon mouth. Philipsburg - the town near the upper drainage to the south. Forest Service campgrounds along the canyon - the developed public camping and access points.
When is the best time to fish the Rock Creek?
Spring: high cold runoff, clearing late in the season into the salmonfly hatch. Summer: prime dry fly conditions early, with low warm afternoons calling for restraint in late summer. Fall: settled flows, cooling water, moving brown trout and the fewest anglers. Winter: cold and largely iced in the upper canyon, with limited fishing on the lower creek.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Rock Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Montana agency site: https://fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations