With a forecast like that we can expect our sunscreen stock portfolio to shoot up along with the flows on some of our rivers as the remaining mountain snowpack continues to melt out. It's the overnight lows pushing the 60 degree range that make a big difference, and 90 degrees in the afternoon is real warm by Montana standards for early June.
Looking at the streamflow graphs this morning it appears rivers like the Yellowstone and Gallatin are trending upward, but many of our watersheds are holding steady and pretty fishable, for now. It shouldn't last too long, but expect to see a bump in your favorite freestone river or creek by Monday. Tailwaters like the Missouri should be largely unaffected flow wise, but the heat should kick the caddis and pmd hatches into full swing soon.
One of our longtime local anglers, who happens to be a retired USGS hydrologist, contacted me yesterday wanting to set up a trip to fish the Blackfoot on June 15th. I asked him if he really thought it would be ready by then, and he said, "I believe the Blackfoot and NF Blackfoot have peaked and should be clear water mid-June". There's only one way to find out if he's right, so we'll wait and watch. And tie up some golden stone patterns while we do.
