| Bitterroot River St. Mary's River | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ice fog hanging over Bitterroot River at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge | |
| Native name |
|
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| Region | Missoula and Ravalli County, Montana |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Confluence of |
| • coordinates | 45°56′24″N 114°07′38″W / 45.94000°N 114.12722°W[1] |
| Mouth | Confluence with Clark Fork River |
• location | Missoula, Montana |
• coordinates | 46°51′42″N 114°07′09″W / 46.86167°N 114.11917°W[1] |
• elevation | 3,104 ft (946 m)[1] |
| Length | 75 mi (121 km), South-north |
| Basin size | 2,814 sq mi (7,290 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Missoula |
| • average | 2,370 cu ft/s (67 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 270 cu ft/s (7.6 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 38,300 cu ft/s (1,080 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Columbia Basin |
The Bitterroot River is a northward flowing 84-mile (135 km)[2] river running through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner in southern Ravalli County to its confluence with the Clark Fork River near Missoula in Missoula County, in western Montana. The Clark Fork River is a tributary to the Columbia River and ultimately, the Pacific Ocean. The Bitterroot River is a Blue Ribbon trout fishery with a healthy population of native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout. It is the third most fly fished river in Montana behind the Madison and Big Horn Rivers.[2]
- ^ a b c "Bitterroot River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b Bitterroot River Strategy (PDF) (Report). Clark Fork Coalition. 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.