Belt Creek

Belt Creek flows from the Little Belt Mountains through the dramatic limestone canyon of Sluice Boxes State Park before joining the Missouri River near Great Falls. Named a blue-ribbon trout stream in the 1920s when railroads ran special Sunday fishing trains to the canyon, Belt Creek has recovered from historic mining impacts and now supports healthy populations of rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook trout along with mountain whitefish. Trophy browns exceeding 20 inches inhabit the deeper pools. The calcium-rich limestone geology enhances aquatic insect growth and supports excellent hatches including salmonflies, golden stones, and caddis. Sluice Boxes State Park provides access via an old railroad bed, though reaching the water requires scrambling down steep cliffs. The creek is open year-round from the Evans-Riceville Bridge downstream. This is adventurous fishing in a spectacular canyon setting with mining history around every bend.