From Johnsrud Park the Blackfoot eases out of the canyon for ten and a half miles to the Weigh Station access just east of Bonner — the easiest section of the river to run, both logistically and skills-wise (NRS): about two hours at 2,000 cfs, a lazy four at late-summer flows. Mostly Class II or less, though spring high water builds fast current and tall waves. K. Ross Toole, Angevine, and Marco Flats accesses break it into shorter floats, and tube and raft rentals operate from McNamara Lane near the bottom end. Take out at Weigh Station: the reach below, down to the I-90 bridges, was temporarily closed to all use in August 2025 for BNSF railroad-bridge repairs, and that work is expected to resume mid-summer 2026 — check FWP's current closures before planning to continue to Milltown.
Class
I-II
Length
10.6 mi
Gradient
—
On-water
≈ 3 hrs
GO
Running well at 2,900 CFS.
Updated 1 hr ago · USGS 12340000 Blackfoot River near Bonner MT
Everything below traces to a published source, but no local paddler has confirmed these yet. The same items carry a ⚑ flag where they appear on the page; a confirmation or correction from you clears them.
High-water character
One source notes fast current and big waves at high water on this otherwise mellow float stretch. Big Sky Fishing ↗
Floated it above ~5,000 cfs? What's it actually like up there?
Why coverage stops at Weigh Station
FWP's pages disagree on whether the BNSF bridge work below Weigh Station still closes the river; work may resume mid-summer 2026. FWP Weigh Station FAS ↗
Know the current status of the river below Weigh Station?
No. 01 · Today
What the river is doing today
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Live flow and weather, straight off the gauge — updated every fifteen minutes.
≈24th percentile for the date — running low for the date · median ~4,370 cfs
Too low <350Low 350–500Prime 500–5,000High 5,000–7,500Too high >7,500
Zones are a community estimate — no agency publishes a flow window for this run. Today's flow sits in the band of the same color. Dashed forward lines: the NOAA NWPS short-range forecast ↗ on 7-day & 30-day, and the NWRFC ensemble outlook ↗ on Season.
A read for what's actually running — not a generic class description. Updated with every gauge tick.
Good day to go
Flow is sitting in the meaty middle of the best-at range — the band we call fat enough to float, lean enough to read.
At 2,900 CFS this is a friendly run for boaters with a few days of experience, or anyone going guided. Family-friendly for strong-swimmer kids. Bring throw bags, helmets, and dry bags.
✦Scout the crux. Eddy out above the marked rapid and look before you commit.
✦Two boats, minimum. Long runs with no road. You are your own rescue.
✦Helmet, throw bag, whistle on every paddler. Pin kit split between boats.
✦Dress for the swim, not the float — dry layers waiting at the take-out.
✦Tell someone your plan and the time you expect to be off the water.
No. 03 · The run
Mile by mile
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Missoula's summer float — the mellow lower canyon from the Johnsrud beach scene down to Bonner. Easy Class I-II water that becomes the region's tubing mecca as flows drop.
No named rapids are recorded for this run.
No. 04 · Getting there & back
How to get there. How to get back.
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Put-in, take-out, and the shuttle between them. Confirm road conditions before a remote launch.
The largest site on the river and the downstream end of the Recreation Corridor — concrete ramp, drinking water, toilets, and a reservable group picnic shelter (406-542-5500). Day use; closed in winter. On hot summer days it is a full-on beach scene, and the take-out gets very busy.
Concrete ramp and vault toilet half a mile east of Bonner — the last reliable take-out on the river. The short reach below, down to the I-90 bridges, was temporarily closed to all use in August 2025 for BNSF railroad-bridge repairs and that work is expected to resume mid-summer 2026; check FWP's current closures before planning to continue toward Milltown.
Spot a vehicle at the take-out, drive boats to the put-in, retrieve at the end of the day.
Source
Driving distance via the Mapbox Directions API; matches a standard road shuttle, not a back-road shortcut.
Permits
None for private boaters; a Montana Conservation License is required to use FWP fishing access sites. Non-motorized watercraft only.
Season
May through September. Tubing season peaks July and August as the water drops and warms; spring high water makes it a fast push better left to boaters.
No. 05 · Hazards on this run
What to watch for
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Hazards we have on record for this run specifically. Universal river-safety practice — gear, group, emergencies — is on the disclaimer & safety page.
No standout hazards are flagged for this run — which is not the same as none. Wood moves and channels shift; scout anything you can't read from upstream.
No. 06 · Before you head up the highway
Today's gear call
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Tailored to today's water temperature and this run's difficulty. The full always-bring list is on the disclaimer & safety page.
Today-specific · 56°F water · class I-II
At 56°F, this gear is non-optional.
Splash jacket and synthetic insulating layers.
Water is 56°F — cold if you swim.
Throw bag per paddler; pin kit split between boats.
Self-rescue is the only rescue out here.
Dry clothes and a warm hat in a dry bag.
Hypothermia prevention after a swim.
No. 07 · From the boats that ran it
What the last few boats said
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Sorted by similarity to today's flow. Reports are the best signal we have for what a run feels like — leave one when you get home.
No trip reports on this run yet — be the first.The rapids you ran, the flow at the gauge, the line you took — that is the best signal there is.