Streamflow – 1650 CFS
Water Temp – 52-58°F
Rock Creek Fishing Report – May 29, 2025
On Memorial Day weekend, our old friend the salmon fly finally hatched on Rock Creek! These past few days, they were most heavily concentrated in the lower ten miles of the creek, but with this hot weather we’ve had, they are quickly working their way into the mid to upper sections of the creek.
Early on in salmon fly season, fishing can ironically be difficult with salmon fly dries. I’ve never really figured out why this is the case; perhaps the fish don’t focus on them until the bulk of the hatch arrives, or maybe the rising water prevents them from looking up as often. Whatever the case, when those trout are rejecting your big salmon fly pattern, there are a couple ways to approach it. For one, try smaller, skinnier salmon flies that sit lower in the water instead of high-riding foam patterns. Orange and red stimulators are great options, and adding a small dropper like a Perdigon or a Pheasant Tail will improve your odds. If you’re still not receiving much interest on top, then it could be time to ditch the dry fly completely and use a double-nymph rig. That feels blasphemous to say when salmon flies are flying, but it is sometimes the better option. The TJ Hooker with a Pink San Juan worm is a productive nymphing combo on Rock Creek during the runoff season, and big Kaufmann stones or double-beaded patterns work well for the large stonefly nymphs.
With all that being said, once the main hatch appears in each section of the creek, it’s game on for big dry fly fishing! You don’t have to be delicate with these patterns; slap them on the water and give them twitches as they float downstream. The more action, the better chance of catching a fish’s attention. With the upcoming hot days, the water is going to rise for our next big runoff surge, so keep an eye on the USGS chart for the latest updates on Rock Creek’s streamflow and try to come fish when that line on the chart stays steady.
The combination of rising water and increasing numbers of salmon flies in the bushes will drive trout to the river’s edges, so focus most of your dry fly fishing there. That’s a tough ask for a lot of wade fishermen as they will have to cover more ground to find accessible spots, but it is possible, especially in sections where the water splits and braids (Microburst, Norton Campground, Valley of the Moon, etc).
Soon enough, June will be here and we will start to see other hatches like the golden stone, the yellow sally and the green drake. Combined with the tail end of the salmon fly hatch, this is some of the best fishing we’ll see on Rock Creek until the fall! It’s about to get really good, fisher friends, so gear up and get ready for some great summer fishing!
The Mercantile is back to full-time hours and days, 7 AM to 7 PM for the rest of the summer, so stop in on your way up the Creek!
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
- FLOATING – From now until the end of June, expect to see lots of rafts on the water. Float fishing salmon fly and golden stone dries on Rock Creek feels like an almost religious experience, and a lot of anglers come out to enjoy it. So be ready for a more crowded stream than normal and to see boats and rafts frequently. I say it every year, and I’ll say it again; if you are going out on a raft make sure whoever is rowing is skilled on the oars and ideally knowledgeable about Rock Creek. This stream is technical and not an easy one to manage for beginning rowers. When in doubt, pull the raft over and scout things out, or pick the brains of guides or locals about potential hazards. Fortunately, the majority of Rock Creek is navigable this year. The only portage I have heard of at this point is on what we call the lower float, which goes from Lower Fire Ring (below Dalles) to the Tamarack Fishing Access near the Elkhorn Ranch. We recently took a raft down this float to see what we had to deal with. Besides the takeout itself (hug hard right and squeeze between the bank and a log), the portage around the log jam wasn’t bad at all. Below, I posted a video of what to expect:
Keep in mind, this video was taken at 1100 cfs and conditions may start to change with rising water.
- SHUTTLES – For the second year in a row there is no official shuttle service here on Rock Creek. If you are planning on floating up here, try to set up your own shuttle if possible. There are shuttle services running out of Missoula that MIGHT be able to help you out, but there are no guarantees on that. For your best chance, the earlier you can plan your shuttle, the better. At some point, we here at the fly shop would like to take over the the shuttles for Rock Creek, but we are still some time out from being able to secure that for the future. Stay tuned on this one…
- THE ROAD – Last summer, the dirt portion of Rock Creek Road was resurfaced; they added a lot of fresh gravel and dirt to areas that have been notoriously pot-holed and rutted for years. Although the winter reclaimed some of it (especially in between Norton Campground and the Dalles), the vast majority of the dirt road held up and is in the best shape it’s been in in a long time. The one downside to this is that people are going to speed up and down the dirt road, so use caution up there especially in some of those blind corners. Expect faster traffic this year.
- FOOD TRUCKS – We finally have a food option back on lower Rock Creek! We are excited to announce that we will have a food truck next to our fly shop and motel for the rest of the season. Ron’s Food Wagon will be open from 8 AM to 5 PM Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). If you want to phone in your order, you can have it waiting for you upon arrival. I highly recommend the breakfast burrito!
Also, 35 miles up from the fly shop at the put-in called Concrete Bridge, you will find Alaina’s Grub. The food truck is at this location typically until the end of the floating season, and then you can find it in Philipsburg for the rest of the summer. Alaina crafts some truly amazing food up there, so give her food truck a try if you are up that way!
Finally, I always like to end these reports with a fish pic, so here’s a great one of Cameron and his dog Harley at the Valley of the Moon. There are more beauties like this one to be caught out there, so if you catch one and get a pic, send us an e-mail at rcmerc@blackfoot.net and we’ll show off your catch! Until next time, anglers, stay safe out there and tight lines.
