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Bitterroot River at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge The Bitterroot River is a tributary of the Clark Fork River in southwestern Montana , United States. It runs for about 75 miles (121 km) south-to-north through the Bitterroot Valley , from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner to the Clark Fork near Missoula .
Ravalli County and Missoula County along with the towns along the Bitterroot River, including Hamilton , Stevensville , Missoula , and Darby are popular destinations for fly fishing , with rainbow trout being fairly prevalent and with smaller populations of brown trout and westslope cutthroat trout . Although the Bitterroot River passes close by to many residential areas, it is an excellent place for wildlife viewing. Many species of ducks and waterfowl are common along with osprey , bald eagles and heron . Both white-tailed deer and mule deer frequent the river as a source of water and to graze near its banks. The most notable wildlife viewing locale along the river is the famous Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge .
The Bitterroot is a Class I river from the confluence of the East and West forks to its confluence with the Clark Fork River for public access for recreational purposes.[1]
In popular culture The song "Bitterroot" by the Indigo Girls is about the Bitterroot River. See also Additional reading Sullivan, Gordon (2008). Saving Homewaters-The Story of Montana’s Streams and Rivers . Woodstock, VT: The Countryman Press. ISBN 9780881506792 Notes External links
