Wade · Best fit4/100
Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
All Montana reports
Fly fishing report · West
Flint Creek
Is Flint Creek worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Montana before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Generated artwork: BlueStreamFly · Regional illustration; not the exact location.
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Poor
Not today. Make another plan.
39
Best option: Wade. Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callHighA verified hard stop is active, so the avoid-or-wait decision is clearer than the fishing score itself.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 8:45 PM MDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best access methodWade
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Bank / edgeNot recommended
This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Red Flag Warning issued August 22 at 9:08AM MDT until August 23 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Your plan
Today's Flint Creek plan.
Flint Creek can be a worthwhile small brown-trout stream, but public access is not as simple as a famous blue-ribbon river. Check the Maxville flow, confirm legal access, and fish lightly.
- Check first
- Use the Maxville gauge for trend, then verify the exact bridge, campground, or public-land access.
- Try
- Scout legal access before rigging. Do not rely on informal trails across private land.
- Leave when
- Skip or pivot when public access is not clear, the creek is low and warm, recent storms have muddied the water, or fences and private fields would control the route more than the fishing.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 83 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 70°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 79.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 17%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Wind
- 3 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Flint Creek near Maxville
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Flint Creek at Maxville
How to fish it
How to fish Flint Creek today.
Fish Flint Creek when flows are stable, the water is cool, and legal access is clear. If the creek is low, warm, or muddy, move to Rock Creek, the Bitterroot, or another better-supported option.
Clear and stable
Use small nymphs, caddis, terrestrials, and careful bank approaches.
Low summer water
Fish early, downsize, stay back from banks, and check temperature.
Light stain
Try a small dark streamer or larger nymph close to cover.
Muddy or hot
Wait it out or choose a larger colder river.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
Why this call
Why this score
Public alertHurts
An active alert is in effect: Red Flag Warning issued August 22 at 9:08AM MDT until August 23 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Missoula MT. Check public safety sources before going.
Best mode nowHurts
Wade: Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
Short-term weatherUse caution
The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.
FlowHelps
USGS shows 83 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1942-2024, 83 readings) show a typical middle range of 74 cfs to 124 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
SeasonHelps
Late summer: Only fish cool mornings or shaded reaches when temperatures allow.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use RiverReports and USGS 12329500 at Maxville together. Stable cool water supports small-stream tactics. Low warm water, sudden mud, or unclear access should push the day to a larger and better-supported river.
Skip or pivot when public access is not clear, the creek is low and warm, recent storms have muddied the water, or fences and private fields would control the route more than the fishing.
Start with the Maxville flow and one legal access option. Fish upstream with compact gear, rest spooked pools, and keep the session short if temperature or access uncertainty builds.
If Flint Creek is low, warm, muddy, or access-limited, compare Rock Creek for a stronger public-access creek plan, the Clark Fork for larger valley water, or the Bitterroot for more established access.
What to try
Flint Creek flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
April to May
What to look forMidges, BWOs, March Browns, early caddis, small stoneflies
June
What to look forCaddis, PMDs, yellow sallies, small golden stones
Flies to try
July to AugustCurrent
What to look forHoppers, ants, beetles, evening caddis, sparse mayflies
Fall
What to look forBWOs, midges, small streamers, cooling-water brown trout movement
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Flint Creek access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Montana FWP rules apply, and nearby smaller streams may have their own exceptions. Check current rules and restrictions before fishing.
Maxville gauge reach
Primary flow context and a useful check before picking a small-stream plan.
Flint Creek Campground context
USFS campground information helps with public-land planning near the drainage.
Drummond and Philipsburg area
Use official maps and posted access. Private ranchland is common.
Flint Creek has limited public access compared with Montana's larger publicized fisheries.
Use official public land, bridges where legal, and posted access. Do not cross private fields or fences without permission.
Small water warms fast. If the creek is low and hot, choose a different trout plan.
River sources
Official Flint Creek sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This Flint Creek report is maintained from RiverReports and USGS Maxville flow data, Montana FWP fishing regulations, current closure and restriction sources, stream-access law, Forest Service campground access context, weather, generated-image disclosure, and small-stream trout planning sources.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 7 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Quick answers
Quick Flint Creek answers.
What should I check first before fishing Flint Creek?
Check Maxville flow, legal access, FWP rules, recent rain, and water temperature before choosing a reach.
Are there special fishing rules on Flint Creek?
Default Montana rules apply unless a current FWP exception or closure says otherwise, so check the latest rules.
What flies should I bring for Flint Creek?
Bring the hatch-chart flies, a few confidence nymphs, and a streamer box. Then adjust for water temperature, clarity, and the insects you actually see.
Can I wade Flint Creek?
Yes only where legal public access exists. Treat private land as off-limits unless you have permission.
When should I skip Flint Creek?
Skip it when flows are unsafe, temperatures stress trout, wildfire or emergency closures are active, or legal access for the reach is not clear.