Stillwater River Fishing Report

This report is valid from October 5 through October 15.

The Stillwater is now generally too low to float without a lot of dragging your raft a whole lot. If flows were 425+, it would be because of rain and the river would likely be muddy. If we decided to do it, we’d run from Swinging Bridge to Fireman’s Point and plan to wade fish every good riffle corner. Afternoon fishing will be best, though you might tie into a run-up brown from the Yellowstone on a streamer earlier.

The plus side of the low flows will be low traffic. You won’t see anybody but 1-2 fishing guides at such low flows.

We would probably start with a Sparkle Minnow here, then transition to a BWO nymph trailing a big Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear. We’d really want to see BWO hatches.

Learn more about fishing the Stillwater River.

Learn more about our float trips, including those on the Stillwater.

Stillwater River Streamflow Data

This gauge is located in Absarokee, downstream from the confluence with Rosebud Creek. Significant irrigation diversions occur between the gauge and the Yellowstone, and water temps rise. If water temps are exceeding 70 degrees at the gauge, we suggest quitting no later than 2:00PM downstream. The water upstream is generally colder.

Flows over 4000cfs get sketchy above Absarokee. Flows 4000-2000 are best floated above Absarokee. 2000-1200 are good everywhere. 1200-800 are best below Absarokee but doable above. 800-425 are doable downstream of Absarokee, with the precise cutoff between 500 and 425 depending on how much weight is in your raft and how willing you are to drag the boat through shallow areas. Anything lower than that requires a whole lot of dragging and/or an ultralight raft.

Stillwater River Fishing Report Links

• Absarokee Weather

Note: We update our general fishing report far more often than our fishery-specific reports like this one, especially between November and April.