Fly fishing · Blackfoot River · Ovando, MT
The river that ran through it
This is the water Norman Maclean wrote into A River Runs Through It — the North Fork of the Blackfoot, just outside Ovando. We've guided anglers down it for close to forty years, and our guides know every seam and riffle of it.
The lodge sits on the riverbank in the Blackfoot Valley, remote and lush, holding strong populations of native West Slope cutthroat. Our tent cabins were built to keep the intimacy of camping without giving up comfort: wood floors, custom feather beds, heat, electricity, and a private bathhouse. The main lodge opens onto a lounge and dining room overlooking five artesian-fed ponds — stocked, and perfect for an evening cast before dinner.
Crisp, bright mornings that dissolve into long Montana afternoons. An Orvis-endorsed fly fishing experience, and an Orvis-endorsed kids camp besides.
- Species
- West Slope cutthroat, rainbow, brown trout
- Season
- June through mid-October
- Endorsements
- Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Lodge · Orvis Endorsed Kids Camp
Getting here
Directions to North Fork Crossing Lodge
328 North Fork Hill Road, Ovando, MT 59854 Open in Google Maps
Lost on the way? Call the office at (406) 442-5489.
From Helena
- Take Highway 12 west out of town, about 30 miles to the junction with Highway 141 in Avon.
- Turn right on Highway 141 and travel 33 miles to where it ends at a T with Highway 200.
- Turn left on Highway 200 and continue west about 12 miles to Ovando, which lies on the south side of the highway. Trixie's Restaurant and Bar, on the left, is a good landmark.
- Turn left at Trixie's and stay on the Ovando–Helmville Road. (If you miss it, turn left at the sign for Ovando and bear right through town onto the same road.)
- It's the only paved road running south from the highway; you may see signs for Brown's Lake, Helmville, or Harry Morgan Fishing Access.
- After about 2 miles the road turns from paved to dirt. Continue about another mile, until you cross the North Fork of the Blackfoot.
North Fork Crossing is immediately on the left, just after the bridge.
From Missoula
- Take Interstate 90 east to Highway 200, exiting at Bonner/Milltown (about 10 miles).
- Continue east on Highway 200 about 60 miles to Ovando, which lies on the south side (your right) of the highway.
- Turn right at the sign for Ovando and bear right through town onto the Ovando–Helmville Road. (If you miss it, turn right at Trixie's Restaurant and Bar and keep left onto the same road.)
- It's the only paved road running south from the highway; you may see signs for Brown's Lake, Helmville, or Harry Morgan Fishing Access.
- After about 2 miles the road turns from paved to dirt. Continue about another mile, until you cross the North Fork of the Blackfoot.
North Fork Crossing is immediately on the left, just after the bridge.
From Bozeman
- Take Interstate 90 west to Garrison Junction (about 130 miles) and exit onto Highway 12 east.
- Continue about 15 miles to Avon and the junction with Highway 141.
- In Avon, turn left onto Highway 141 and travel 33 miles to where it ends at a T with Highway 200.
- Turn left on Highway 200 and continue west about 12 miles to Ovando. Trixie's Restaurant and Bar, on the left, is a good landmark.
- Turn left at Trixie's and stay on the Ovando–Helmville Road. (If you miss it, turn left at the sign for Ovando and bear right through town onto the same road.)
- After about 2 miles the road turns from paved to dirt. Continue about another mile, until you cross the North Fork of the Blackfoot.
North Fork Crossing is immediately on the left, just after the bridge.
Plan your trip
The best trips start with a conversation.
Tell us a little about what you're hoping for — the water or the birds, your dates, your group — and we'll help you put the right trip together.