Bitterroot River

Bitterroot River St. Mary's River
Ice fog hanging over Bitterroot River at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge
Native name	Spet-lum (Salishan languages) In-shi-ttogh-tae-tkhu (Salishan languages)
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 / 45.94000; -114.12722 (Bitterroot River)[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 / 46.86167; -114.11917[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]