Yellowstone River Fishing Report
This Yellowstone River fishing report is valid from July 26 until we get some extended cooler weather, which unfortunately might be a while.
The Yellowstone has great clarity and great flow for a variety of fishing tactics from Gardiner all the way to Columbus. Unfortunately, it’s also bathwater-warm from top to bottom, which is putting a big damper on the fishing. The water temperatures downstream from the Hwy 89 Bridge have ranged from 65–72 degrees in the past week, with most days running 66–71. This is simply too warm to fish ethically. Temps are even worse past Big Timber. As such, we do not recommend fishing beyond Hwy 89 past noon or past Springdale at all. Hoot Owl Closures are now in place from Hwy 89 to Laurel. No fishing past 2:00PM!
Upstream from Hwy 89, temps have run 63.5–70 degrees, with most days running 64–69. This has left a window between dawn and 2:00PM with active trout and water temps that are safe as long as anglers use heavy tippets, fight the fish hard, take care to release the trout in water adjacent to some chop (for high oxygen levels), and avoid photos. We’ve had quite a few 17–20″ browns on sculpins in the past week, but we don’t have any photos of them on our Instagram. NO GRIP & GRINS AT THESE WATER TEMPS! Net photos with the fish still in the water, only.
Unfortunately, water temps are likely to increase from the yellow into the red zone even upstream of Livingston this week due to extreme afternoon heat around 100 degrees. We expect 2:00 closures to become mandatory by the end of this week.
Water temperatures permitting, we’ve been doing pretty decent in the mornings. Stick to choppy water. The trout are beginning to move away from the banks into offshore shelves in many places, especially if there’s no hatch underway. Streamers have been moving larger fish. Dry-dropper or even hopper-ant combos have been working when the smoke haze is heaviest.
- Hatches: Midnight Stone, Yellow Sally, tan and what looks like a cream caddis (both #16), PMD, Epeorus.
- Dry Flies: various small grasshoppers in pink, tan, and yellow, bicolor and flying ants, #14–16 Peacock Clacka Caddis, various #16 tan caddis imitations, #8–10 Gold Chubby Chernobyl, #16 Yellow Stimulator.
- Nymphs & Wets: Various #16 Prince variations, #16 Montana Sally, #16 Copper Matt or tan Fuzz Bastard (caddis pupae), Gut Instinct Caddis, Spentwing Caddis, Partridge Caddis, 20-Incher, olive Buggerlegs.
- Streamers: various #2–4 olive sculpins fished under indicators in the turbulent rips.
Info about our float trips, a majority of which take place on the Yellowstone.
Yellowstone River Fishing Report – Relevant Links
- Lamar River, Gardner River, and Shields River streamflow data: Sudden flow spikes in these waters will bring mud into the Yellowstone, the Gardner first.
- Corwin Springs streamflow data: Keep an eye on this graph. Sudden spikes the day before or even the morning you plan to fish can catch you on this section.
- Livingston Streamflow Data: Flows under 6000cfs on this graph mean this stretch is safe to float.
- Springdale and Big Timber streamflow data (east of Livingston): watch for water temps over 70 degrees on these waters.
- Gardiner, Corwin Springs, Emigrant, Livingston, Big Timber, and Columbus weather forecasts. Watch the wind speeds and avoid floating Livingston-Columbus when east winds are forecast.
- Gardiner Webcam This raft company webcam gives a good sense of Yellowstone River level and clarity for the Upper River.