6/12/2023 0 Comments Clark fork idahoWater ActivitiesĪlong with fishing, the Clark Fork lends itself to other water activities like rafting and kayaking. But after Missoula, it broadens into one of the state’s widest rivers.īoth ends make for a great fishing experience, depending on what your style of fishing is.Īnyone over 15 years old must obtain a Montana fishing license before fishing from the river. Rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout are abundant across many sections of the river.Īccording to Big Sky Fishing, the best place to fish is between the headwaters and the confluence with the Flathead River, near the community of Paradise, Sanders County.Īt its origin, the Clark Fork River is narrow enough to jump across without getting wet. The most popular activity along the Clark Fork River is fishing. There’s always something to do, in and around the river!įrom fishing and river rafting to playing golf and visiting historic sites, the Clark Fork is the center of endless recreational opportunities. ![]() The Clark Fork Valley is home to a variety of geological formations, picturesque landscapes, wildlife species, and thriving communities. What are the Activities and Attractions Around the Clark Fork? Provides community drinking water from ground and surface water sources.Sustains agricultural operations via irrigation water.Comprises 28,000 miles of rivers and streams.It is also a site of recreation, attracting outdoors enthusiasts and anglers to enjoy its serene waters. Throughout the Deer Lodge Valley, the river is used by ranchers and farmers for growing hay and watering livestock. Among other creatures, river otters, muskrats, beavers, geese, ducks, and kingfishers are often spotted in and around the river. It provides food and shelter for several wildlife species and serves as an integral part of the local ecosystem. The Clark Fork is one of the longest rivers in Montana and is thought of as the headwaters of the Columbia River Basin. The mountains and valleys surrounding the river are some of the most beautiful in the region, housing wildlife preserves, national forests, and the famous Glacier National Park. The most prominent tributaries of the Clark Fork are the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, St. The Clark Fork then becomes the Pen Oreille River until it reaches the Columbia River. It then travels north and northwest for around 310 miles before entering Idaho’s Pen Oreille Lake. The river begins near the town of Butte, Silver Bow County, at the convergence of Silver Bow Creek and Warm Springs Creek. The Clark Fork River is located in western Montana and northern Idaho. ![]() The river today is starkly different from what it once was and is nearly free of all heavy metals.Īs such, it’s a symbol of healing and restoration. To address the damage, the Anaconda Settling Ponds were set up to catch mining waste. In 1908, a flood washed millions of tons of toxic particles into the river, causing widespread pollution that affected the soil and groundwater for 12 miles. The damage from the pollution was so great that the river was nearly destroyed. This would later become the famous Grant-Kohrs National Ranch Historic Site.įrom the 1880s onwards, the Clark Fork became littered with heavy metal residue from the nearby towns of Butte and Anaconda, famous at the time for their industrial mining and smelting operations. Rancher and explorer John Francis Grant built his home near the river in the 1860s and built the first irrigation system, using water from the river in the running of his ranch. In the 19 th century, the Lewis and Clark Expedition trekked through the basin, eventually naming the river after explorer William Clark. The Clark Fork River has been vital to the existence of several Native American tribes in the area for hundreds of years. What Is the History of the Clark Fork River? ![]() It stretches across the state and into Idaho, running for approximately 310 miles along Interstate 90.īeginning near the historic town of Anaconda, the river has a fascinating history and marks one of Montana’s primary locations for trout fishing. The Clark Fork is one of the most treasured rivers in Montana.
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