Livingston Montana Fishing Report

Detailed Reports

This NO BS Livingston Montana fishing report is valid from July 16 until more mandatory 2:00 or complete fishing closures strike the area due to the current heat wave.

General Comments

Due to recent extreme heat, including a 106 Fahrenheit reading for Livingston a few days ago, water temperatures have skyrocketed well into the danger zone for trout and the poor fishing zone for anglers. Many 2:00 (aka “hoot owl”) closures are now in place in Montana, though not yet any in our summer operations area centered on the Yellowstone River (they seem set to arrive any day). Complete closures on some fisheries have been implemented in Yellowstone Park and hoot owls seem certain on all flowing water there.

We encourage anglers to avoid fishing after 2:00PM or when water temps hit 68F (whichever comes first) on ANY area waters except the specific exceptions noted below. We also suggest avoiding fishing any waters that are exceeding 73F at all.

Fishing went from good to excellent a week or ten days ago to very poor now. There will be some exceptions, high mountain creeks and high alpine lakes on the Beartooth being the main exceptions. The fishing is likely to remain poor except maybe for a brief window in the morning until water temps cool consistently into the 60-65F range. We do not have a timeline for when this is likely to occur. Unfortunately, the cooldown to below-normal temps that was forecast for the middle of next week seems to have disappeared.

The Details

The Yellowstone River: Now peaking at 69-71 degrees between the park boundary and Livingston and 71-74 east of Livingston. We suggest sticking upstream of the Hwy 89 Bridge just east of Livingston. Fish the riffle corners and heavy chop with caddis pupae, small jig streamers, and soon enough flies like Perdigons. The dry fly bite will be better closer to Gardiner. Fish small hoppers (a new burnt orange color variant of our #14 Bob Hopper has seen some action already), pink caddis-style attractor dries, and maybe ants. Even without hoot owls, you should quit before 2:00PM everywhere; most days the best fishing is before 10:00.

The Boulder River: is now too low to float in a full-size raft. The lower river where floats are possible is probably getting too warm in the afternoons anyway. Upstream of Natural Bridge may still be decent in the afternoons. It is unlikely to reach 70 degrees, anyway. Fish small-medium Chubby Chernobyls with Prince or similar droppers. Smaller caddisflies may hatch in the evenings.

The lower Madison River is under a complete fishing closure immediately below Ennis Dam and is under hoot owl restrictions further downstream. It should be completely closed, and even if you ignore that advice, your fly is more likely to hook a drunk floating along in an inner tube than a trout until the middle of September. The upper Madison is likely to see hoot owls next week unless it cools off, which should tell you everything you need to know about how hot it has been lately (the upper Madison seldom sees restrictions).

The Stillwater River is similar to the Boulder, but it’s high enough that you wouldn’t want to float downstream of Absarokee. It’s still at 1900cfs at the Absarokee gauge. We like it best below 800 downstream of that point. The high flows mean water temps are still under control, particularly in the middle part of the river between Nye and Absarokee (and upstream of Nye). Downstream, it’s still best to quit by 2PM. Fish a hopper or Chubby Chernobyl with an attractor, Yellow Sally, or caddis pupa dropper. Be ready to match tan caddis and PMD hatches.

The Missouri River is very far away and will be more crowded and less productive on dries than our home waters.

Montana Small Streams: The East Gallatin is under hoot owl closure and ought to be completely closed. Other low elevation meadow streams like the Musselshell are in something of the same boat. Steep mountain creeks with wooded courses (Hyalite, Mill, Big) are among the better bets in the region as long as you get upstream of their irrigation withdrawals, generally in the National Forests. Fish small-medium Chubby Chernobyls or something like a #12 Coachman Trude with a #16 flashy dropper nymph of your choice.

Local Trout Lakes and Reservoirs: Not really worth it unless you drive over to Hebgen, etc. The Beartooth and other high alpine lakes require a much more aggressive commitment (all-day hikes at least for the good ones), but they will still be cool. My wife reported rising fish on Pine Creek Lake the evening of the 11th when Livingston was sweltering at 101 degrees, but that’s at 9000 feet requiring over 4000 feet of climbing…

The Paradise Valley spring creeks are going to be tough due to the bright sun, high temps, and wind. Hatches will be fragmentary at best. If you have a reservation, you honestly have our sympathies; late June and early July were great. The next couple months look to be rough. That said, at least these streams will remain well below any dangerous temperatures. Cooler days will bring better hatches, especially if it’s cloudy. The PMD will wane soon, but there may be midges or Sulphurs.

Yellowstone Park: NOTE: Complete fishing closures are in place on the Firehole, Madison, and Gibbon downstream of Norris Geyser Basin, as well as on all tributaries of these waters in these sections.

  • Gardner: Too warm below Boiling River, though hoot owls are not yet in place. The best fishing will be from lower Sheepeater Canyon to Boiling River. Fish a Chubby/dropper combo or straight nymph with a stonefly/attractor combo. In the brookie headwaters, fish a #12-14 attractor of your choice with a Prince or Copper John dropper. The roadside areas near Indian Creek and Sheepeater Picnic Area get overfished this time of year, so hiking is a good idea.
  • Yellowstone River from the Lake to the Falls: Opened on July 1. ECaddis and maybe PMD and Drakes are the most likely hatches to bring the big fish to the surface. There may still be a few Salmonflies or golden stoneflies as well. Sight-fishing or fishing to risers is the most productive here given that overall trout populations still aren’t back to where they were in the 1980s, before the lake trout scourge. This is one of the few places where evening fishing will remain good with the extreme heat, since this water is high elevation and functionally a tailwater downstream of Yellowstone Lake, so it stays cool.
  • Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Salmonfly and golden stonefly hatches are waning fast. Absent obvious big stoneflies or even if you do see them but want to shake things up, fish a purple Chubby Chernobyl with a 20-Incher dropper, or even the “Shocker” color combo of the Bob Hopper in #10. Those of you up on the lingo kids these days (those under age 45, anyway) use know what color combo a “Shocker” might be… Also be ready with caddis, Yellow Sallies, and PMD. Fish streamers if nothing is happening on the surface. We suggest quitting by 2:00 here.
  • Black Canyon of the Yellowstone: Similar to the Grand Canyon, but the big stonefly hatches are basically over in the lower half of the canyon and the hikes are going to be awful and somewhat dangerous given the heat in the forecast.
  • Lamar River: In the meadows, expect #10-12 Green Drake hatches from some point around midmorning until early afternoon. Yes, they are “green” Drakes despite looking somewhat gray. We believe these are Drunella doddsi, as opposed to the larger and greener bugs we see on the Yellowstone, which we think are D. grandis. PMD and a smattering of other mayflies are also possible. In the canyon, some Salmonflies and golden stoneflies will be around. This fishing is spotty but can be epic for mountain goats who can clamber around the house-sized boulders.
  • Soda Butte Creek: Similar to Lamar, though the upper areas in the trees may be a bit cold still, even in the afternoons. If you do fish the headwaters areas, you might see Yellow Sally or Little Olive stoneflies in addition to the hatches likely on the Lamar. The headwaters near the park boundary for trout health, but odds are the park will institute hoot owls here as well as on the rest of the creek in the next ten days, to simplify regulations and prevent a mass swarm of people from descending on such small waters after 2:00.
  • Slough Creek: Similar to Lamar. Ants can be good bets here earlier in the season than most places, and I would already have some hoppers, too.
  • Gibbon River: Closed to fishing below the bridge adjacent to Norris Campground due to high water temps. Above, fish attractor dry/dropper combos in the rougher areas or match hatches in the Norris Meadow. The choppier water further from the road will offer better opportunities for decent numbers of cutthroat or grayling.
  • Firehole River: Closed due to high water temps.
  • Madison River: Closed due to high water temps.
  • Lakes: The grayling lakes (Cascade, Grebe, Wolf, Ice) may turn out damselfly and Callibaetis or chironomid hatches from midmorning until about 2:00PM. Otherwise, fish leech and nymph combos either on a sinking line or under an indicator. Areas where water flows in are best. Steep banks are the #2 option. Other lakes will be tough, though Trout may still turn out some, uh, trout in the mornings before the otter watchers and wind reach the lake. Sight-fish with scuds and BLM nymphs.
  • Small Creeks: Steep mountain creeks should still be nice and cold, with the possible exception of tiny trickles like [[[NAME REDACTED]]]. The flatter streams on the park’s central plateau may be too warm after 2:00 on the hottest, brightest days. Firehole and Gibbon tributaries within these rivers’ closure zones are closed to fishing. On the larger mountain creeks like Hellroaring, fish midsize Chubby Chernobyls and #12-16 attractor nymph droppers. The smaller and flatter the creek, the more you want to size everything down from there. On the gentlest creeks on the central plateau, including and resembling the Gibbon River headwaters, a #14 Elk Hair Caddis or #16 Hazy Cripple might be required to avoid spooking the fish.

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