Rock Creek
Near Laurel, Montana
Rock Creek near Red Lodge originates high in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and flows over 55 miles to join the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River near Silesia. Not to be confused with the famous Rock Creek near Missoula, this scenic stream passes through Red Lodge on its way from alpine meadows to cottonwood-lined prairie valleys. The upper reaches below the Beartooth Highway offer fishing for rainbow trout, brook trout, and occasional cutthroat in a stunning mountain setting, while the lower sections hold brown trout in deeper pools along willow-choked banks. This intimate freestone stream receives light fishing pressure as most visitors are simply passing through on their way to Yellowstone National Park via the Beartooth Highway. Summer and early fall provide the best conditions after spring runoff clears, with standard Rocky Mountain hatches of caddis, mayflies, and stoneflies drawing trout to the surface. The creek is ideal for wade fishing throughout its length.