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The Flathead River is 219 miles of free-flowing water in northwest Montana that spans an area from the Canadian border to the heart of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The designated reaches of the Flathead includes the North, Middle, and South Forks of the river.
The North (aka Transboundary Flathead), South, and Middle Forks of the Flathead River drain approximately 4,464 square miles in northwestern Montana and southeastern British Columbia.
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The Flathead River begins at the confluence of the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Flathead River. Each of the three forks of the Flathead River (North, South, Middle) is discussed separately in their own sections, as each fork is a distinct river. Above the lake, the Flathead River flows through the upper Flathead Valley, home to such popular to...
The Flathead River is a large river. Draining a sizeable portion of Northwest Montana, including parts of Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the waters of the Flathead River flow swiftly through some of the most beautiful scenery Montana offers. The Flathead River is divided into two distinct rivers separated by Flathead...
The health of the Flathead River is largely determined by two dams (Hungry Horse Dam and Kerr Dam) that regulate river flows and temperatures, and not always to the benefit of the fisherman. And then theres the ecosystem of Flathead Lake, which has changes significantly from what it once was. To top it off, the Flathead River itself is fed primaril...
That said, all of this bad news has had one big upside: very low fishing pressure compared to many other Montana Rivers. Fly fishing the Flathead River does not require exact fly imitations nor does it require perfect technique. The fish in the Flathead River arent especially picky about what is thrown at them. While you may not pull 20 inch rainbo...
Due to the speed, depth and width of the river, wade fishing can be difficult except for later during the summer, and can be downright dangerous at high river flows. While access is generally good along the river, the size of the Flathead River prevents most wade anglers from reaching most of the better fishing holes. The best fly fishing on the lo...
The Flathead River holds a decent population of medium sized rainbow and cutthroat trout. The trick to finding them is to cut the river down to size, fishing obvious holes and pools behind rocks, fishing around the numerous forks in the river, and along bank cover, such as downed trees. A caddis fly (size 12-14) floated over prime territory is alwa...
During the day, trout can also be found down in the river depths. To get at them, use a prince nymph with a sink-tip line and weights, bouncing it along the bottom.
South of Kalispell, the Flathead River slows considerably and branches off into numerous sloughs. This is northern pike country. The best time to fish for these beasts is during the spring and fall when they cruise the shallows. A large streamer for the fly fisherman or a spoon such as a daredevil for the spin fisherman work well.
Access for floating is excellent. Tea Kettle FAS in Columbia Falls is an excellent site, complete with a nice boat launch. Other designated access sites on the Flathead River are Blakenship Bridge, Kokanee Bend (no boat ramp), Pressentine Bar, Old Steel Bridge in Kalispell, Foys Bend and Sportsmans Bridge (used mainly for access to Flathead Lake).
One of the nicest floats on this section of the Flathead River is between Columbia Falls at Tea Kettle FAS and Old Steel Bridge FAS in Kalispell. The scenery is wonderful, the current is steady and float trafficexcept on nice summer weekendsis fairly low. Float times for this section are about 4 hours or so, depending on how frequent your stop. Als...
The Flathead River, in the northwestern part of Montana, originates in the Rocky Mountains near Glacier National Park and flows southwest into Flathead Lake, then after a journey of 158 miles (254 km), empties into the Clark Fork.
- There are 3,771.1 total miles of river in the larger Flathead drainage, (excluding Glacier Park waters).
- The Flathead River begins with three branches, known as the North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork of the Flathead River. The three branches join together between Glacier National Park and Columbia Falls, MT, to form the larger Flathead River.
- Flathead River is over 158 miles long, from it’s northern most point to where it meets the Clark Fork River northwest of Missoula, MT.
- The Flathead River flows through Flathead Lake which is over 28 miles long.
UTC-6 ( MDT) Website. cskt.org. The Flathead Indian Reservation, located in western Montana on the Flathead River, is home to the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes – also known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation.
People also ask
How long is the Flathead River?
What river flows through Flathead Lake?
Where does the Flathead River drain?
Where does the North Fork of the Flathead River come from?
Find Out How. Where we are. Designated in 1976 as a Wild and Scenic River, Three Forks of the Flathead encompasses the North Fork of the Flathead from the Canadian border to its confluence with the Middle Fork, the entire Middle Fork, and the South Fork from its headwaters to Hungry Horse Reservoir.
