Clark Fork Fishing Report: Strong Mayfly Activity

Had a great early-May day on the Clark Fork yesterday, one of those days where everything seems to line up just enough.

Flows were around 11.6k when we put in and have since bumped to 11.8k, so it looks like the river may have been right at that turning point from dropping to rising. The water had a little bit of color, but nothing that kept fish from getting active. Air temps started in the 50s and climbed well into the 70s by the time we pulled out in the early evening.

We intentionally got on the water later in the day, and by about 2:00 the river really started to come to life. Mayflies began showing in a range of sizes, and fish followed right along with them.

We spent some time mixing it up—stripped streamers for a bit and picked up a big pike minnow, ran a nymph through a few spots and found a trout—but the story of the day was dry flies. Large mayfly patterns accounted for the vast majority of our action, probably close to 90 percent.

The highlight was a first dry fly fish for one of the anglers, a moment that’s hard to beat and a good reminder of why these days matter beyond just the numbers.

Water temps hovered right around that 50-degree mark, which likely had a lot to do with the level of activity we saw.

Overall, just one of those days where the Clark Fork felt like it was doing what it’s supposed to do.

Tight lines.