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The Blackfoot east of Missoula. The 'A River Runs Through It' freestone, with wild rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. The river tops out around 8 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 2,354 acres wrapped in 108.8 miles of bank. An index of 16 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 27.5 mi end to end and 7.2 mi across at its widest. Powell County claims this one. Browns Lake sits 6 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 2 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 2 to 8 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 6.2). It's a current seam holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 1 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 1 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Current seam (mile 6.2), a current seam in the 4 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Raymond Number 2 Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Raymond Number 2 Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | Raymond Number 2 Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Current seam (mile 6.2), a current seam in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 6.2) (4 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Fall lake whitefish concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 0.6), a prime-rated rock pile around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 27.0) (4 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Riffle & run (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 27.0) (4 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
The chart marks 27 structure features on Blackfoot River; the deepest is Raymond Number 2 Dam tailrace at about 7 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Montana waters are set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Blackfoot River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Blackfoot River is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, lake whitefish on Blackfoot River.
Current seam (mile 6.2) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Blackfoot River is regulated by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Montana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Browns Lake 6 mi · Upsata Lake 9 mi · Harpers Lake 12 mi · Coopers Lake 13 mi · Salmon Lake 16 mi · Lake Otatsy 16 mi · Camp Lake (Lewis and Clark) 16 mi · Canyon Lake (Lewis and Clark) 17 mi · Cottonwood Lake, Middle 17 mi · Nevada Reservoir 20 mi · Placid Lake 21 mi · Tuppers Lake 23 mi
See how Blackfoot River stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best brown trout lakes in Montana · best lake whitefish lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana
More water nearby: Powell County fishing maps (8 charts). Browse all Montana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.