Flooding concerns grow in western Montana as rivers affect fishing

HELENA, Mont. — Rising water and heavy rain affected some rivers across Montana while anglers and charter operators watched conditions closely.

In Bigfork, a fishing charter reported the storm had already cut into business as the Flathead River changed quickly.

"The main seam of the Flathead river is totally blown out. It’s chocolate milk brown, not fishable for probably a couple of days," said Libby Stultz, Bent Fly Fishing co-owner.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, places including Vaughn, Kalispell and Beaverhead County are seeing extremely above-normal discharge, gage height and depth to water level.

Across the rest of Montana, water conditions are looking normal after the rainy weather.

NonStop Local went out to speak with fishing anglers in Lewis and Clark County about river conditions there. Some locals said the rain system had added moisture along the Missouri River, but they had no concerns about rising water levels.

"Barometric pressure has a lot to do with the fishing and this change of the higher water and now it’s dropping a little bit. But the river has been quite low so this bump of precipitation has helped out a lot," said Scott Cornell, a Cascade County resident.

Temperatures are expected to warm through the week as crews continue monitoring imminent and active flooding across western Montana.