Livingston Montana Fishing Report

Detailed Reports

This NO BS Livingston Montana fishing report is valid from September 9, 2025 until we have a substantial shift in the weather. We’re talking about daytime highs in MT in the 50s and in YNP in the 40s, with precipitation including snow on the high peaks. Not much will change until then.

General Comments

Despite continued dry and hotter than normal weather, we’re still sliding inexorably into fall. Would we rather it was cloudy and drizzly? Yes. That said, the standard fall bugs and so on are beginning everywhere. They will just get better for the next two or three weeks unless the river in question blows out.

We’re kind of in a “tweener” period on many waters/regions. Still some of the summer bugs and fishing (hoppers around midday, good fairly early in the morning, slow in late afternoon), already some of the fall bugs and fishing (BWO, Mahoganies, Tan Drakes, better in the afternoons). The better fishing will depend on the day for now. Brighter/hotter, look to terrestrials and think about quitting early. Cooler and wetter, sleep in but fish until 5:30PM and look for hatches.

Crowds will be gross in the Lamar System in YNP but generally not bad elsewhere.

The Details

The Yellowstone River: Fishing has been up and down. We had better fishing with a couple beginners yesterday than we did with a low intermediate today, even though there were more bugs and less wind today. Peach hoppers remain somewhat effective, but smaller attractor dries (Copper Hazy Cripple and the like) have been producing more fish. For nymphs, concentrate on BWO imitations. #18 Little Green Machines have been tops for us. Trail these behind a TJ Hooker or small Zonker, or a #12-14 nymph suggestive of the Tan Drakes. Brown Strolis’ Quill Jigs have been working for us. Upstream from Livingston, nymph rigs will produce mostly whitefish. Downstream, it can be 50/50 on a good day, but most days are 70/30 whitefish. When the weather turns even for a day or two, expect mayfly hatches. Even far east of Livingston, water temps are now peaking below 68 degrees, so the entire river is a reasonable fishery. That said, 5:00 and 68 degrees at Indian Fort FAS way downriver is unlikely to be as productive as noon and 63 at the same place – or just fishing elsewhere on those sunny days.

The Boulder River is exceptionally low. We honestly suggest fishing elsewhere now.

The lower Madison River is the only remaining river in our operations area under hoot owl restrictions (2:00 closure to fishing) downstream of Warm Springs FAS. These closures will be lifted soon. We suggest waiting until some actual cool weather knocks back the weeds and the kayakers, though the hopper fishing can actually be pretty good in September once the closures are lifted.

The Stillwater River is too low to float except in an ultralight raft or a 10-foot whitewater boat, in other words something you can drag at every riffle without too much frustration. Fish hopper/dropper rigs around midday. The same hatches as pop on the Yellowstone will pop here, with less anglers hitting them. Don’t hesitate to fish your hopper with a Tan Drake (Brindle Chute) or even the Tan Drake (or a big Royal Wulff Cripple) with the copper or purple Hazy Cripple behind it.

The Missouri River is a long way from here and we have good fishing close to home. About all the fishing we’ll do up there for the next three and a half months is fooling around with carp near Toston. Contact Wolf Creek Angler for details on the trout.

Montana Small Streams are basically too low now. Here in a week or two it will start making sense to look at the East Gallatin and similar prairie streams again, but we’re done with the mountain creeks for the year except maybe on the warmest afternoons on the larger streams like Mill Creek.

Local Lakes and Reservoirs are still too warm at the surface for good fishing right now. If you go outside of our operations area, Hebgen Lake might fish on something or other (go ask Big Sky Angler in West Yellowstone). The Beartooth Lakes are starting to cool down rapidly, so will soon be too cold – and if you hike up there anymore this season, be 100% sure the weather isn’t going to turn on you. The first real cooldown will turn on the private lakes at low elevation, but we’re not there yet.

The Paradise Valley spring creeks are at their late summer and early fall low ebb now that the PMDs are almost entirely gone. Now through September is one of the hardest times on the creeks. You’re hoping to see hatches of cream Baetis (aka Sulphurs), late PMDs, or midges. On sunny days in particular, you might not see anything and will have to nymph with skinny mayflies and midge larvae and pupae.

All waters in Yellowstone Park are open again without restrictions. That said, we’re not fishing the Madison upstream from the Barns Pools, the Firehole, or the Gibbon below Norris until a real cooldown occurs. If you’re staying in West Yellowstone, fishing the Barns Pools with a stonefly nymph trailing an attractor nymph for the hour or two after dawn can be productive. The fall-run browns (and a few bows) often start nosing into these pools near the west gate before daring the warm water upstream. Otherwise, we’re sticking to the Yellowstone in the canyons and to a lesser extent the Gardner between Osprey Falls and Boiling River. The Lamar System is exceptionally low and crowded. We’re talking 15cfs or less in Soda Butte Creek, a record low. Just give those poor fish a break instead of joining the mobs jamming every pool.

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