In this 5-part series we will share our knowledge and insights on the five rivers we fish in Montana
Rock Creek is the quintessential western trout stream. It originates high in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness of Southwest Montana in three different forks. These forks converge near the small mountain of Philipsburg creating the famous Rock Creek. We fish and guide the upper part of Rock Creek, where the forks come together, floating down to what is known as “concrete bridge”. Below that is specially permitted Forest Service water, so our days on the creek revolve around being up top. Fortunately, the upper creek is arguably the best fishing, scenery, and most diverse water structure. Rock Creek boasts an insane fish count per mile for a small river its size: upwards of 3,000-4000 fish per mile. Primarily cutthroats and browns make up a day here, with some rainbows mixed in.
You will be hard pressed to find many floats more beautiful than Upper Rock Creek on a June day. At first, you’ll float through tall pines and cottonwoods that line the swift water banks, and then start to come through magnificent sprawling cattle ranches. The hillsides on either side of you in early Summer are so lush green, it looks like out of a movie. Keep your eyes out for a Moose spotting around here, as we regularly see them in this section.
You’ll fish phenomenal riffles, cutbanks, and pockets as you meander down the most braided section towards Ghillies Bridge, where massive cliff walls will tower on each side of the creek. As you enter the canyon here, the stoneflies really are prolific in numbers, as it’s not uncommon to see hundreds and hundreds of stoneflies in the air at one time. The fishing can be nothing short of stupid good in these hatch conditions, as browns, rainbows and cutthroats are eager to snatch up their favorite stonefly snacks.
Rock Creek is only really floatable during the month of June, as May is often too high, and fishing from a boat is legally closed at the start of July. Many of our guests in June love to throw in a day on the creek during their trip, as many describe it as “the perfect day of flyfishing” . It’s not uncommon to see over 100 dry fly eats on the creek when conditions are right. Primetime for hatches and flows is June 12-30th here.
Later in summer, we also offer wade fishing trips on Rock Creek. Low, late summer flows offer great wade access all along the creek, and opportunities are ample for hitting tons of great spots by foot. For the angler looking to learn Rock Creek to be able to fish by foot, this is a great trip.
If you haven’t fished Rock Creek in Montana yet, be sure to request a day here on your next trip.
Don’t forget to buy a fishing license!
-Trevor Anderson
Owner/Outfitter, Montana Guiding Company