Camping/Fishing near Big Hole, MT

[kmcintyre]

We're headed towards Red Lodge, MT and are thinking we'll stop around Big Hole for a night. As a fly fisherman, the though of fishing Big Hole seems too good to pass up so looking for recommendations on where to camp where I can fish a bit. Ideally it'd be easy access and I'll be fishing from the shore/bank.

I know if the salmonfly hatch is on, it may be crowded and the water levels right now are pretty high.

Any suggestions, etc.?

Thanks!

 

[Rob in MT]

Near Melrose, there's Maidenrock Campground. If you go to this campground, go beyond it, over the steep hill, and there are some nice sites at the bottom, along the river (not sure if these are part of the campground). Continue down the road for more dispersed sites and river access. In Melrose there's also Salmon Fly campground which is okay. Exit 99 off I-15 (Moose Creek?), head towards the river has dispersed sites and river access, although busier than Maidenrock.

Off Rt 43, North of Wisdom, there's a road that goes to Pintler Lake, which has campground (okay) and dispersed sites along the road. The lake can be okay fishing, and there is access to river near where the road leaves 43. A short distance up the road there's some block management access.

Can be lots of mosquitoes.

As you said the river's high, so who knows.

Big Hole Battlefield is surely worth a visit.

 

[kmcintyre]

Near Melrose, there's Maidenrock Campground. If you go to this campground, go beyond it, over the steep hill, and there are some nice sites at the bottom, along the river (not sure if these are part of the campground). Continue down the road for more dispersed sites and river access. In Melrose there's also Salmon Fly campground which is okay. Exit 99 off I-15 (Moose Creek?), head towards the river has dispersed sites and river access, although busier than Maidenrock.

Off Rt 43, North of Wisdom, there's a road that goes to Pintler Lake, which has campground (okay) and dispersed sites along the road. The lake can be okay fishing, and there is access to river near where the road leaves 43. A short distance up the road there's some block management access.

Can be lots of mosquitoes.

As you said the river's high, so who knows.

Big Hole Battlefield is surely worth a visit.

Thanks!

 

[kmcintyre]

Since we're coming from Boise, thorugh Dillion towards Red Lodge, MT I'm not sure if I'll get "permission" to divert to Maidenrock but that spot looks awesome on google earth.... any other recommendations that takes me/us up towards White Hall or Three Forks?

 

[Foy]

Upriver from Melrose, close to the village of Wise River, are some public access points (boat/raft launch and recovery points), one of which, I believe, is called Greenwood Bottoms. I suspect Rob's Maiden Rock is a similar facility. I am not familiar with how good, or not good, wade/bank fishing access may be at these boat launch facilities, nor am I aware that camping is permitted. .

Just a handful of miles upriver from Wise River, and directly on the Big Hole, is Dickie Bridge CG. I believe it's a BLM CG and I know it's just on the Wise River side of the junction of MT 569 (which comes over from Anaconda) and MT 43. Google Maps shows an East Bank CG and a Fishcreek CG a short distance upriver from the Dickie Bridge CG and accessed from it. I know nothing about East Bank or Fishcreek.

I distinctly recall seeing the Sportsman's Campground, aka Anaconda Sportsman's Park, directly on the river in July 2015, just a short distance upriver from the MT 569 junction. Google hits imply Sportsman's is open to the public on a donation basis.

Passing downriver from Melrose, the Big Hole crosses to the east side of I-15 near Glen. From Glen to Twin Bridges the Burma Road follows the river with access points at Glen and at Pennington Bridge. There may be others. One listing I saw refers to camping being allowed at the Glen access point, "one of 12 FWP-managed sites on the Big Hole River", so perhaps some homework on the MT FWP site will clarify which access sites have camping available.

Just upriver from Pennington Bridge is the location of the late Charles Kuralt's Montana retreat. For some fascinating reading on the subject of holographic wills and Federal estate tax outcomes where assets of considerable value were transferred without reference to what party should pay the estate tax, look up Charles Kuralt's estate/Big Hole/Montana.

From everything I've read, the salmonflies are just now being risen to over on the Missoula area's Rock Creek. Its mouth is down around 4,000', so it might still be a few days or more before they're hitting up on the Big Hole. Also reading the waters are seriously high in much of the region.

If camping near rather then on the river is OK, within a short distance south of Wise River are several nice NF CGs right on the Wise River itself. Paved access back to MT 43 via the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Parkway.

Foy (wishing he was headed to Montana this year!)


EDIT: Just seeing your followup re Three Forks/Whitehall: Pennington Bridge/Burma Road joins MT 41 immediately on the Dillon side of Twin Bridges. Pennington Bridge is maybe 5 miles out of the way, with Kuralt's love shack maybe another 3 miles, and Glen all the way up closer to I-15. Simply staying on I-15 north of Dillon to Glen would allow you to "loop" back over to MT 41 without much in the way of extra miles. Oh, and be sure to enjoy some great Mexican food at the Dillon Taco Bus, and fuel the truck at Rocky Mountain Supply at the MT 41 north exit off of I-15 in Dillon.

 

[Taku]

Ditto on Foy for the Burma Road. For a more or less straight shot it works. Although Maidenrock is not that far out of the way. Likely gonna be lot's of bugs.

 

[kmcintyre]

Great info as always and very much appreciated!

 

[kmcintyre]

Oh, why is the Rocky Mountain Supply a stop for fuel? Last stop, cheap, etc.?

 

[Foy]

Oh, why is the Rocky Mountain Supply a stop for fuel? Last stop, cheap, etc.?

RMS is just a quintessential Rockies kind of place. Feed store, fuel plaza, western wear, sporting goods, camping supplies, convenience store, RV fuel, water, and sewage dump. Always busy with everybody from ranchers, miners, townsfolk, and tourists. Those of us from Back East, we eat that stuff up.

The Dillon Taco Bus has some of the best Mexican food we've ever had, served with Mexican soft drinks made with cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. I drink very few carbonated drinks each year, easily less than a dozen and a half, but I very much enjoy the cane sugar sweetened ones when I can find them.

Oh, and speaking of good grub, you're passing right through the I-90 & US 287 junction at Three Forks. At the interchange is the grain mill complex and retail establishment known as Wheat, Montana. Mighty fine baked goods, flours and batters of all types, home-made sammiches, and good coffee. Eat-in or take-out. Another "must stop" for we Easterners.

Foy

 

[JimBow]

Try to float the river if you can. Bring a raft or pontoon boat. The only tricky water is in the canyon section. You might want to avoid floating that section if you don't have some experience. Out of state people can only float during the week, unless the regs have changed.

I've stayed at Sportsman's Campground. They asked me to pay what I wanted to. I payed $10 a night. They have water and pit toilets. Nice people there.

There's a public trash dump near Wise River. That's the only place I've found to get rid of your trash around there. None of the campgrounds have dumpsters that I've seen.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Since we're coming from Boise, thorugh Dillion towards Red Lodge, MT I'm not sure if I'll get "permission" to divert to Maidenrock but that spot looks awesome on google earth.... any other recommendations that takes me/us up towards White Hall or Three Forks?

A couple years ago on a Glacier/Yellowstone trip when I got my MT license I also picked up the MT state wide fishing access
paper. It broke down the state areas with public access and I think camping also.
You might pick one up ,free is a good price for that info.
Have fun. Sounds great.
Frank