2021 Snowpack is 102% in the Bitterroot – summer fishing bodes well


Snow pack in the Bitterroot is 82% of normal as of today, Feb 25, 2013. Right now, a winter snow storm just blew in and there is a white-out outside my office window. That is GREAT news!
Here are the tables showing the data. See the links below the photos for the NRCS site.
| http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/cgibin/snowup-graph.pl?state=MT |
ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/mt_swepctnormal_update.pdf |
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| The top of the climb |
Winter in Montana is a wonderful time to explore the Bitterroots. Mark, Skip and Jack skinned up the Bitterroots in the Gash Creek and Peak area in mid-February. Here are a few photos taken by Mark. Enjoy.
Here is the slideshow
Here are photos of the Bitterroot near Bell Crossing on February 26, 2012. The cubic feet per second (CFS) was about 570. Temperature was in the low 30 degree range. Beautiful day. We like to give the fish a break in the winter while they are struggling to survive the cold, low water but I do like to chronicle the river in photos. Interesting to look back from year to year and compare winter conditions with spring, summer, and fall fishing observations. We love our rivers and all that lives in and on them. It is exciting to watch them as they change through the seasons.
All the river photos are taken from Bell Crossing Bridge looking north.
Finally after a pretty dry winter, we are getting more snow. Most of Montana was below 100% snow water equivalent, but that has changed and is forecasted to improve. A wet weather pattern is expected for early March. That is GREAT news for our rivers.Click the image for a larger view.