Stillwater River Fishing Report

This report is valid from August 16 through Labor Day, or whenever we get a cooldown with rain that brings flows up again (this may or may not happen).

The Stillwater is now too low to float without a lot of dragging your raft. 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. Water temps are yo-yoing hugely here, with cold temps first thing in the morning and temps over 72 in late afternoon, so fishing that midmorning to midafternoon sweet spot is key.

The plus side of the low flows will be low traffic. You won’t see anybody but fishing guides and maybe a few kayakers at these flows.

We would be unlikely to fish anything other than a #10-12 Bob Hopper with a PT or other Spanker on the dropper or a #14 Bob Hopper with a #16 Hazy Cripple on the dropper on the Stillwater for the next month.

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. 800-450 are doable downstream of Absarokee, with the precise cutoff between 500 and 450 depending on how much weight is in your raft and how willing you are to drag the boat through shallow areas.

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.