You do not need to be a master at the oars to float this stretch, but it does harbor some narrow slots and tricky turns. Those downed logs can wreak havoc, too. Just pay attention to the river and keep a sharp eye out when rounding every bend. There is a common misconception about Rattlesnake Creek - most fly fishers believe the river is closed to fishing from Beeskove Creek in the Rattlesnake Wilderness, all the way downstream to the creek's confluence with Clark Fork in Missoula. Actually, Rattlesnake Creek is open from its mouth, which pours into the Clark Fork just east of the Red Lion Inn, upstream to the Missoula water supply dam, which is about six or seven miles of water . . .
Fishing can be quite good in the open sections above and below the dam.
Look for seasonal runs of rainbows, cutthroats, and bull trout in the lower river. An inportant spawning stream with decent populations of resident trout, flows into the lower Clark Fork River just east of Alberton. On its lower end, the creek is bordered by much private property while its upper end offers access via the Lolo National Forest. Throughout, the creek offers good fly fishing and some meaty specimens, rainbows, cutthroats and a few bull trout, for such a small creek - in most places it's a medium cast wide, which makes it unapproachable to those who would prefer to float. As they should, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks patrols the creek hard and they are eager to hand out citations.