Livingston Montana Fishing Report

Detailed Reports

This NO BS Livingston Montana fishing report is valid from June 12 until about June 20 or when the Salmonfly hatch begins in earnest on the Yellowstone River, whichever comes first.

While it has finally started to warm up, an extended run of generally cool weather for most of April and a few shots of cold weather in May substantially slowed down our runoff and should make a huge difference in avoiding drought-related fishing closures in late July and August. The water will still be low, but not record-low as we were expecting in late March. Sigh of relief by all fishing guides and outfitters in the region. Daddy needs a new car and to recondition the drift boat this fall… Hoot-owl closures are still likely to be widespread, but maybe not universal, and if we get some monsoonal moisture in late July and August, they may be avoided altogether on important fisheries like the Yellowstone.

Comparable years to this one based on 25+ years of guiding experience are 2001, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2021, and maybe 2025. In early April we couldn’t really give a “comp,” because we had never had such a warm winter and the snowpack was heading towards record lows. As of this writing, we’re actually into the “green” range for the date, meaning we’re in something like the 40th percentile as far as average.

General Comments

We are now transitioning slowly into “summer” vs “late spring or runoff season” conditions. The only waters that are still basically out of the question are those in the Lamar System in Yellowstone Park. The geyser-heated waters will hang on another week or so, basically until the next hot spell, which is when the Lamar will come in. The Yellowstone downstream from the Lamar confluence remains high and murky, but it’s very fishable from a “Montana dirty” perspective. What’s that mean? Throw meaty flies on tippet like bridge cable and hope for some toads. Other waters are generally lower and cleaner and already fishing well with typical early summer tactics.

The Details

The Yellowstone River: Still running high and murky, but very fishable as long as you’re willing to throw big nymphs and streamers. Dry fly activity is still generally around a week away, more or less. The Salmonflies are imminent but we have not heard any reports of any actually hatching yet. Fish stonefly and large attractor nymphs (#6 TJ Hooker with a #10-12 Prince or something), worms if it has been rainy, or black/white/flashy streamers. If you’re more than 5-10 feet off the bank most places, you might as well be fishing on the moon. Sometimes the sweet spot is more like a foot from the rocks. Fish 6-7 weight fly rods and 1X or 2X tippet. Rope those suckers in until the water has 2.5+ feet of legit visibility and/or the trout are eating smaller dry flies than the big stoneflies.WE STILL HAVE AVAILABILITY JUNE 16 AND 17! WHO WANTS ‘EM?

The Boulder River: is dropping fast and will have a short float season this year. Stoneflies and caddis are definitely possible, but you seldom need to match bugs exactly here. We’re probably fishing a #10 gold Chubby Chernobyl trailing the biggest tan/brown TJ Hooker or Jig Girdle Bug that dry will float. If that doesn’t work, deep-nymph. Flows are definitely low enough to expect the fish to be in the heavy pocket water, rather than just in the big pools.

The lower Madison River is still fishing okay, but it’s already getting warm. Frenchies and other nondescript #16 nymphs have been the best flies most days. PT Soft Hackles on the swing are also a reasonable choice. The Zirdle bite has been hit or miss. When cloudy, mixed Hydropsyche and Nectopsyche caddis (aka “tan” and “white” caddis) and Pale Morning Dun hatches are drawing risers, particularly from midmorning until early afternoon. Brown Drakes are starting to hatch at and after dusk. The first real warm spell will bring the invasion of tubers and make this a much less pleasant place to fish until mid-late September. Full closures are likely in July and August due to high water temps. The temps have already been hitting 68 some afternoons, even with fairly cool weather most days.

The Stillwater River is similar to the Boulder, but it’s high enough that you wouldn’t want to float downstream of Absarokee.

The Missouri River has supposedly been hit or miss lately. We’re rapidly moving into the timeframe when you couldn’t get us to fight the crowds up there for love or money, because our fishing will be better.

Montana Small Streams: The meadow-type streams like the East Gallatin are now in good shape. Get on them in the next month, because most of these will close due to drought conditions in early July. Most of the mountain creeks are running clear already, but they’re still too high to fish effectively.

Local Trout Lakes and Reservoirs: The lower elevation private lakes are seeing damsel and Callibaetis hatches on calm days, particularly before midafternoon. A big warm spell will shut things down on these for the summer. No reports from Hebgen and other high-elevation reservoirs. The lower elevation reservoirs are best left to perch anglers and swimmers until fall. The Beartooth should be slowly coming into play, even with the snowstorm that closed the highway a couple days ago.

The Paradise Valley spring creeks are ramping up in crowds, fees, and fishing as the PMD nymphs become more active. The hatches themselves are probably about ten days away, with the most consistent coming in the first ten days of July. Absent a PMD hatch, expect scattered midges, maybe Callibaetis or damsels in the slack water, limited terrestrial fishing, and some challenging nymphing.

Yellowstone Park: Most waters are now clear and open. The main exceptions are the upper Yellowstone River above the Falls (closed until July 1), Blacktail Ponds (likewise), and the Lamar System (muddy).

  • Gardner: Green already top to bottom. Fish tight-line nymphing techniques below Mammoth for the best fishing. Just say no to the wimpy 3wt Euro-nymphing noodle. Fish a 9′ 6wt with about a 6ft leader tapered to 1X or 2X. Don’t cast more than a rod length or two of line. Forget the indicators; they hurt your accuracy and don’t show strikes in the end table-sized pockets next to the bank where you’ll find most of the fish. Honor tradition and fish a #6 black Minch Stone with a #10 gold Minch Stone or #12 Minch’s Bead Hare & Copper on the dropper. Matt Minch, a fly tier and guide who died a few years ago, holds the river record on the Gardner (27 inch 9.25lb brown, plus a whole bunch of browns over 6lbs and some rainbows and cutts exceeding 24 inches) and fished the Gardner 100+ days a season from the 1970s until about 2012, generally using the techniques just described. Salmonflies basically any day now below Boiling River. In the brookie headwaters, fish a Trude and Prince combo in the slow water. The pocket water will be better than the pools for ten days or so.
  • Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Streamers and stonefly/attractor nymph combos in the eddies can produce a whole lot of fish this time of year. The X-factor is how much pressure there is. If there are ten people fishing the Tower Falls side or about six fishing the other side, you’re going to have a hard time finding even one good eddy, much less several hours’ worth of them. Salmonflies imminent. You may even see spot emergences near the little hot springs already, though the main hatch is 10+ days away and they keep trickling off here for as much as a month.
  • Black Canyon of the Yellowstone: Similar to the Yellowstone outside the park. VERY physical to fish due to the high water.
  • Lamar System: Muddy, though Slough Creek might just be green enough if you want to throw streamers.
  • Gibbon River: While the first real hot spell will end things below Norris Geyser Basin, this one is running both higher and cooler than it was a week ago due to recent rains. Fish attractor dry/dropper combos in the canyon anytime. If cloudy or unsettled, hope for Green Drakes and PMD in the meadows from midmorning until early afternoon. Bring your A-game. The headwaters were fairly slow on a bright, sunny day last week, though we did get a handful of good-size westslope cutthroats and one grayling.
  • Firehole River: Even with cooler weather, this has been getting over 71 at the lower stream gauge some afternoons. The next warm spell will end things for the season below the Old Faithful closure zone. First below Fountain Flats, then Below Midway, then period. For now, mornings and/or cloudy days will see the best PMD and caddis hatches. Swinging soft hackles is always a good bet. A #14 White Miller with a #16 Glasshead Soft Hackle PT is a good place to start. White Miller and PMD hatches are underway. There may also be a smattering of other caddis.
  • Madison River: Some PMD and caddis hatches are possible. Use similar tactics as on the Firehole, but expect fewer but larger fish.
  • Lakes: On Yellowstone Lake, fish Buggers and baitfish imitations hoping to whack skinny lakers or maybe the biggest cutthroat you’ll ever see. On the grayling lakes, fish a tiny bugger or leech with a soft hackle or flashy little beadhead dropper.  Callibaetis and chironomid hatches may bring rising fish. A Parachute Adams is close enough for Callibaetis, and a Trude is close enough for the chironomids (really). Try to sight-fish to cruisers on Trout Lake using those same soft hackles and lil’ flashies, or scuds. Blacktail is closed until early July.
  • Small Creeks: Those draining the park’s central plateau are now generally low enough. Fish small attractor dries with something like a #18 Pheasant Tail on the dropper. The brookie creeks near Mammoth are mostly there, too, but you’ll want to find pocket water sections rather than fishing the pools, which are still churning. A #12 Trude with a #16 Prince is basically all you ever need on these. No fish = too much pressure. Walk further. The mountain creeks are still too high and cold, even if clear.

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