Four new campsites just opened on the Bitterroot River, and if you’ve been fishing the Owen FAS stretch near Stevensville for years without a place to sleep, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks finally fixed that. The John and Nancy Owen Fishing Access Site went live with overnight camping on June 5th, and word’s already getting around.
This isn’t a glorified gravel pullout. It’s actual overnight infrastructure at a spot that float fishermen and wade anglers have been working for years — they just had to drive home when the light died. Not anymore.
What the New Campsites Offer
Each of the four sites has a picnic table and fire pit. Basic, yes — but honestly, that’s all most of us want after a full day throwing streamers into the undercut banks. FWP also added a restroom and expanded the parking area to handle more boat trailers. Anyone who’s tried to squeeze a drift boat rig into Owen during peak runoff knows that parking situation needed help.
The real value here is position. You can roll in the night before, set up in twenty minutes, and be on the water at first light without burning an hour of windshield time. If you’ve ever watched the Bitterroot go off in the evening and then had to pack up and drive back to Missoula, you understand exactly what that’s worth.
The land came from a donation by the owner of the neighboring Fort Owen Ranch. That’s easy to overlook in a press release, but it matters. Some of the best public river access in this state still exists because private landowners chose to make it happen. That deserves more than a footnote.
Pricing and How to Snag a Spot
No reservations. All four sites are first-come, first-serve — show up or lose out. During a summer weekend when the Bitterroot’s fishing well, that means Friday afternoon at the latest if you want a realistic shot.
Nightly fees break down by residency and license status:
- Montana fishing license holders: $12 per night
- Montana residents 62+, disabled, or veterans with fishing licenses: $5 per night
- Non-resident fishing license holders: $18 per night
- Non-residents 62+, disabled, or veterans: $7.50 per night
Compare that to what private campgrounds in the Bitterroot Valley are charging these days and it’s not a hard decision. You’re not getting a pool and a camp store — you’re getting direct river access without the RV park crowd camped twelve feet from your tent.
Why the Bitterroot Near Stevensville Matters
The Bitterroot doesn’t get the same magazine coverage as the Madison or the Missouri, but in my experience, that’s worked in its favor. Locals know this river punches hard, especially in the Stevensville stretches where it still has structure, room to breathe, and enough channel complexity to hold fish. You’ve got cutthroat, rainbows, and browns — and the browns down here get overlooked by anglers who don’t know where to probe the deep slots.
Late spring can be a muddy mess when the Sapphire and Bitterroot Range snowpack cuts loose, but once flows settle out through July, this section comes alive. Hoppers, caddis, and big attractor dries will do damage. Then fall rolls in and the brown trout spawn kicks off, and if you’re patient and treat the fish right, you can find exceptional dry fly action well into October.
Camping at Owen FAS means you fish the evening hatch, eat dinner on the bank, sleep ten yards from the water, and wake up for the morning rise. No motel in Hamilton, no long commute from Missoula. For a guide running a multi-day float or a solo angler who finally has a week off, that’s what $12 a night gets you.
What to Expect This Season
If you think four campsites on a known productive stretch of the Bitterroot are going to stay a secret, you haven’t spent much time in Montana fishing circles. These spots will fill on Friday and Saturday nights all summer, and any three-day holiday weekend is going to be a zoo. Midweek is your move. Tuesday night with a Wednesday morning of fishing to yourself beats a crowded Saturday almost every time.
Come ready. Fire management gear, trash bags — pack everything out — and the general understanding that you’re sharing a resource with other anglers who got there before you. There are no hookups, no showers, and odds are good your cell service will be marginal at best. If that’s a dealbreaker, this campground wasn’t built for you.
The Owen FAS expansion is one of those quiet wins that doesn’t generate much noise but makes a real difference for people who fish this valley hard. Show up early. Respect the water. And if someone beats you to a site on a Saturday morning, that’s the deal — don’t take it personally.
Source inspiration: https://www.kpax.com/news/new-campground-opens-at-stevensville-fishing-access-site
