Livingston Montana Fishing Report

Detailed Reports

This NO BS Livingston Montana fishing report is valid from March 18, 2026 through early April.

General Comments

Our “winter that wasn’t” is coming to a screeching end over the next few days, with 75+ temperatures forecast at low elevations. This will prompt a lot of runoff until temperatures moderate this weekend and prime all but the highest elevations for the heavy spring melt. We now anticipate the heavy melt will begin by April 15 unless we have a deep cold snap set in.

We expect some muddy water because of the warmup, but once it disappears we’ll be in for our best spring fishing for larger fish on most waters (the lower Madison is the only nearby river that’s usually better in May). Think big nymphs, big streamers, eggs, San Juan Worms, and BWO. The big rainbows are the peak draw. They’re still mostly pre-spawn and thus ethically available, and they’re eating big stuff hard. If floating, don’t hesitate to swing articulated streamers.

It’s best to get your fishing in now. It seems likely we will be out of the spring runoff by early June this year (three weeks to a month early), and we now anticipate almost universal 2:00PM to midnight “hoot owl” closures after July 15-20 and many complete closures. The wild part is that Yellowstone Country is in better shape than ANYWHERE ELSE in the West.

The Details

The Yellowstone River: Fish a stonefly or streamer trailing a San Juan Worm, egg, midge pupa, small mayfly nymph. While the walking-speed runs near tributary streams and below warm water sources are still the best options, you might see the fish nose up into faster water in the afternoons, particularly if there’s a hatch. This will become more and more likely as spring progresses. Midge and BWO hatches are most likely. You might also see a winter stonefly now and again. A few Mother’s Day caddis or March Browns may pop on the warmest days near warm water sources, but even with the warm winter these bugs are mostly still three weeks or a month out.

The Boulder River is too low and cold for us.

The lower Madison River is a good winter bet. Crayfish trailing eggs or BWO nymphs and midge pupae are good options. So is swinging a light but very flowy and mobile streamer on an intermediate or floating tip. Look for BWO hatching on warm afternoons on the steep banks with eddies.

The Stillwater River is similar to the Yellowstone, but has less slow water. When you find the right pools, expect them to be jammed up with fish.

The Missouri River is definitely the best winter public water option within about 3.5 hours. Both the Hauser (Land of Giants) and Holter tailwaters are worth hitting. Some BWO or midge hatches are possible, and swinging streamers can work. The best option is still fishing pink Lightning Bugs, pink sowbugs, pink scuds, and pink junk flies like AMEX in combination, maybe with a midge or BWO nymph trailer. Stuff that isn’t pink and isn’t a nymph will rapidly get more important below Holter Dam over the next couple weeks (except when Little Prickle Pear and the Dearborn bring in mud), while below Hauser they mostly still like nymphs. Beware of spawning areas and leave them alone, especially below Holter where the fish are all wild. Below Hauser where 90% of the rainbows are stockers coming up from Holter Lake, you’ll see why this area is called “Land of No Ethics” and “Land of Crowds” as often as it’s called “Land of Giants.”

Montana Small Streams are too low and cold now.

Local Lakes and Reservoirs are generally slushy but not frozen enough to be safe for ice-fishing. Some of the larger reservoirs like Holter aren’t frozen at all. On these, look for rainbows cruising the shorelines on warm days.

The Paradise Valley spring creeks will probably see the widest window of good fishing, provided the wind isn’t blowing 40mph like it has been some days lately. Nymphing is now the best option. Eggs might work, but skinny floss San Juan Worms, midge pupae and larvae, and mayfly nymphs are the best bets. BWO and midge hatches will occur daily when the wind is calm. If you get a gray but warm afternoon, holy biscuits. Beware of spawning activity; stick to fishing and wading the deeper areas with dark, boulder or chunk-rock bottoms, rather than the shallow, clean gravel.

Yellowstone Park fishing is closed except on the Gardner River below Osprey Falls and on the Madison downstream of the MT/WY boundary near the Barns Pools. Note that the park interior roads are also closed, so you’re looking at a 3hr plus drive to get to the Madison via Bozeman and Big Sky from our base in Livingston.

  • The Gardner will fish best below Boiling River. Either hike down from Mammoth or up from Gardiner. The passage through the Chutes where the road was wrecked in 2022’s floods is only for mountain goats, so you really can’t fish the “Gardiner Beat” and “Boiling River Beat” from the same access point. Trust us here; for most people, getting through the heart of the Gardner Canyon will be impossible, and it’s dangerous for everybody.
  • The Gardner below Boiling River will fish best on stonefly nymphs or multi-role flies like TJ Hookers trailing eggs, midge pupae, or skinny mayfly nymphs. BWO and March Brown hatches are possible on warmer days, but will be fragmentary for another week or two. Mother’s Day Caddis may already be hatching right below Boiling River, but the heavy hatch here happens in two or three weeks. Beware spawning rainbow trout: fish only the pocket water and deep pools, not the shallow gravel.
  • Off the “high bridge” east of Mammoth, stick to afternoon fishing only and expect to find the fish only in the largest pools, since the conditions are still winter-like above Boiling River’s warm influence. Fish nymphs.

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