Beaverhead River

Jay and Mary Jacques Burgin own the Five Rivers Lodge, which is open all year round for guests to be able to fish the Beaverhead River, go horseback riding and take photographs of the beautiful views. The Five Rivers Lodge is a great place to stay and the facilities are spacious, attractive and comfortable with several areas to use while waiting for dinner. Fishing or walking along the Beaverhead River will work up an appetite for the cuisine of healthy gourmet meals produced by the culinary-trained, experienced chefs of Five Rivers Lodge. The library of the Five Rivers Lodge is stocked with books, hundreds of which are devoted to the art of fly fishing on the Beaverhead River and information on the wildlife of the Montana region. The sixty-nine mile long Beaverhead River begins at the outlet of the Clark Canyon Reservoir, an irrigation storage facility built in 1964. The Beaverhead River is divided into two distinct sections and has unique fishing opportunities.

The Beaverhead River merges with the Big Hole River at Twin Bridges, Montana to form the Jefferson River. Staying at the Five Rivers Lodge gives guests the chance to explore the area that Meriwether Lewis and George Rogers Clark ventured into when looking for Shoshone Indians in order to procure horses for the next stage of their journey. The upper portion of the Beaverhead River, which stretches for about twelve miles from the Clark Canyon Reservoir to the Barrett's Diversion Dam is the most fished section. Angling enthusiasts staying at the Five Rivers Lodge will find that because the outflow from the reservoir pumps cold water in the Beaverhead River, it is the coldest section of the river and provides a splendid habitat for large rainbow and brown trout. One count has estimated that there are approximately 3,800 fish per mile of the Beaverhead River and a fish of four pounds or better every twenty feet of bank. Guests of the Five Rivers Lodge will enjoy walking and taking photographs of the overhanging willows and cottonwoods that line the banks of the fast-flowing river.

The Ruby and the Red Rock rivers are the smallest of the five rivers of the area. Guests of the Five Rivers Lodge will find that below Barret's Dam the Beaverhead River flows into the valley where irrigation plays a leading role. The dam diverts nearly half of the Beaverhead River and private land uses much of the remaining flow for irrigation. Beaverhead River from Barrett's Dam to Dillon is slower and warmer. The fishing guests of the Five Rivers Lodge will be aware that the river here may not be floated in late summer during low water. The Beaverhead River usually gets very warm as it runs slowly out into the middle of the valley. For anglers looking for a more secluded walk, wade or float, the guides of Five Rivers Lodge have the knowledge and access to many of the best fishing areas on the lower Beaverhead River.