Wilderness in good shape, Spotted Bear, South Fork rivers are actually fishable

Hungry Horse News

Despite all the rain, wilderness travel and fishing is in pretty good shape, said Spotted Bear District Ranger Deb Mucklow.

Small streams, she said, were fordable along Trail 80 and the west side trail and wilderness travelers can get to Big Prairie, provided they cross over at Black Bear.

The South Fork of the Flathead was high, but fishable, she said, though it's still too high to cross.

The White River is still too high to ford as well, she noted.

Mucklow said in the Middle Fork small streams could also be forded and the Middle Fork, while it is a river of mud outside the wilderness, was also shaping up to provide good fishing conditions inside the wilderness.

The Spotted Bear River was also fishing well, she said.

All three rivers have excellent fishing for westslope cutthroat trout. Mucklow urged motorists to use extreme caution on the East Side Reservoir Road if they are headed to the Spotted Bear area. The road has a lot of potholes and is in poor condition.