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On the Lewis and Clark Trail Fishing Guide: Bitterroot River click here to find another fishing spot
Bitterroot River

Photo: Big fish in the Bitterroot hide under downed trees. Courtesy Drew Winterer.

Lewis and Clark came upon and explored the Bitterroot River, after deciding the Salmon River was too dicey to navigate. Looking for calmer waters, they hiked north over Lost Trail Pass in the southwest corner of Montana and found the headwaters of the Bitterroot River. Exploring and fishing the Bitterroot starting from these pristine headwaters remains the best way to experience this remarkable Montana trout stream today.

The two crystal-clear forks that form the headwaters of the Bitterroot mirror the untouched mountains from which they spring. The East Fork winds and meanders out of the mellow Sapphire Range, while the West Fork busts out of the rocky-peaked Bitterroots. Between the two ranges live ospreys, herons, eagles, hawks, beaver, moose, black bears, and deer. The occasional elk even wanders down to the river from the mountains. This wild area, heavy with trees, was very difficult to travel over 200 years ago, but scenic Highway 93 makes the journey much easier for today's explorers.

taking a closer look

Conservation Update

The largest post-fire logging project in U.S. Forest Service history proposed for the Bitterroot National Forest was averted recently when the Sierra Club and other environmental groups negotiated a settlement that will save 27,000 acres from the chainsaw. Activists had filed suit after U.S. Forest Service officials circumvented the public-appeals process and approved logging on 46,000 acres in the name of restoration and fire protection.

In the burned areas where logging will still occur, the Sierra Club is helping organize volunteers to monitor the cuts and minimize damage to soils and wildlife.The land spared from the saw by the final agreement includes key watersheds, 20,000 acres of roadless forest, and sensitive habitat for bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.

Who to contact:
Bob Clark
Missoula, Montana Sierra Club Office
E-mail: sierrabob@wildrockies.org
P.O. Box 9283
Missoula, Montana 59807
P: (406) 549-1142

Find out more:

  • Westslope cutthroat trout
  • Bitterroot Mountains
  • Lemhi Mountains
  • Montana Chapter of Sierra Club
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    Other resources:
    Fishing Reports provided by the Grizzly Hackle Fishing Company.