Livingston Montana Fishing Report

Detailed Reports

This Livingston Montana fishing report is valid from September 3, 2024 until the first real cool/cold snap. This usually occurs around September 20.

(Brief Update 9-13: We are in the middle of a short spell of cool/wet weather right now, but with only two 60-something degree days bookended by 80s and high 70s, this doesn’t really count as our big fall cooldown. That said, it should be enough of a change to prompt good afternoon hatches and to slow down the early morning fish just about everywhere. A longer run of 60-something highs with wet weather is forecast starting the middle of next week, which will really spell the onset of fall.)

General Comments

Lately it has generally been warmer to hotter than normal with blue skies. This is generally not what we want to see in early September. 50s or 60s with some drizzle is what we prefer to see, particularly when it comes to match-the-hatch fishing versus hoping for some lingering hopper action.

Unfortunately, the forecast until about September 15 is calling for more of the same most days.

The best fishing is likely to take place on the Yellowstone River and perhaps the largest tributary creeks outside Yellowstone Park and on the Yellowstone River and perhaps on the grayling lakes in the central part of Yellowstone Park.

Details

The Yellowstone River has been fishing inconsistently but at least fair except in the shallowest sections, such as the stretch from Mill Creek Bridge down to Mallard’s Rest. Mallard’s Rest FAS was wrecked in the 2022 flood, but it’s now back in action. It’s most useful as a put-in when the water is this low, though.

The best dry fly fishing on the Yellowstone has been in the roughest water, particularly the 7mi north of Gardiner and through Yankee Jim Canyon down to Carbella. Scattered fall gray Baetis, Tricos, and smatterings of this and that have been hatching, but not enough to require precise imitation. Little purple or copper attractor dries like our Hazy Cripples in #16–18 are suitable. Ants and small to medium-sized hoppers are also working. In the bouldery chop, fish a Frenchie or similar dropper nymph. In the flat water, nymphs are likely to only interest whitefish.

Downstream of Carbella, hopper-dropper combos are good bets throughout. Once you get east of Livingston, indicator rigs with a sculpin or Zonker and a nymph are also good bets. Both Frenchies and tiny CDC-collared Pheasant Tails worked for us “east of town” last week. Go bigger on your hoppers down here, if anything just to float a nymph with a heavier bead on it.

The Stillwater River is too low to float except in ultralight rafts (or kayaks, etc.). If wade-fishing, use similar flies as noted for the Yellowstone, but get away from the easy accesses. If the water comes back up to 425+ cfs, floating between Jeffrey’s Landing and the mouth will produce great action. This is not likely unless/until it rains quite a bit.

The Madison River is now open all day (as of Weds Sept 11). That said, fishing will be better in the mornings when it’s bright. Hopper-dropper combos are our favorite option in early fall. One note: there are TONS of weeds, often floating in the drift. To minimize their annoyance, get used to picking up your flies very quickly, so they basically “jump” straight out of the water, rather than skating across the surface briefly before going airborne. These drags across the flow tend to snag most of the weeds. The Upper Madison is fishing at least fair upstream from Ennis, though it will be busy. Get specifics from Beartooth Fly Fishing in Cameron—we don’t get to the upper Madison in mid-late summer.

The Paradise Valley spring creeks are now in their August–September lull. Fragmentary hatches of late PMD, Sulphurs (Cream Baetis) and midges might bring risers, but sight-nymphing with midges, BWO nymphs, and the like is usually more productive.

The Missouri River is still in high gear for carp fishing. Fish crayfish imitations on floating lines. Sight-fish almost exclusively. You may find pods of “cloopers” in the big eddies eating cottonwood fluff and hoppers, too. Unlike trout, the carp fishing will be better on hot, sunny days. Below Hauser and Holter Dams, Zirdles rule the show this time of year, dredged in the holes in the weed beds. This is the least-busy time of year on the “trouty” sections of the Missouri due to the weeds.

Area Small Streams are still good choices as long as they actually have some flow. The smallest will be pretty skinny. Stick to the larger, canyon-ish streams for the best water depth. Fish midsize hopper or attractor dries with #16 beadhead droppers. Fishing will be best sometime between midmorning and 5:00PM depending on the day. The warm days will peter out in late afternoon, while the cool days will actually fish better after lunch. The next 3–4 day cold snap will shut the mountain creeks down for the year, though low-elevation meadow streams like the East Gallatin will improve as the weather cools.

Area Lakes and Reservoirs are all too warm except for those at high elevations on the Beartooth Plateau, which is really beyond our operations area. Yellowstone Park lakes are discussed below.

Yellowstone Park is more crowded near the roads over the next 2–3 weeks than it is any other time of year. The Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek (particularly the confluence area of these streams) is the worst offender. It can have anglers every fifty feet this time of year. Even in the areas slightly further from the road, it is often impossible to find a single pool to yourself, especially on Soda Butte. If you do opt to fish the Lamar System, hope for Drake Mackeral (rusty tan fall Drakes), Baetis, Flavilinea, spotty Western Green Drake (D. grandis this time of year), and maybe even Trico and midge hatches. Given the weather forecast, nymphing and ants/beetles/weird hoppers are a lot more likely.

For solitude, fish rough water, particularly the rough water away from the road, such as portions of the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. Streamers and hoppers will be best on this water.

Update 9/16: All fishing closures in YNP have now been lifted. With some cool/wet weather in the forecast, the Firehole River should come on strong, particularly when the weather is gross. Soft hackles and matching White Miller Caddis hatches are likely to be your best bet there. On the Gibbon, fish the pocket water for streaky but occasionally very good “numbers” fishing, or fish the Madison or Lower Gibbon with big nymph rigs for early run-up browns.

Speaking of lakes, the grayling lakes in the central part of the park can turn back on this time of year, particularly in the mornings. Fish standard lake fare like leeches, small soft hackles, and chironomids. You can also use hoppers, crickets, and large bettles with your nymphs on long droppers. Some Callibaetis or midge hatches are possible.

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