Fishing Yellowstone River Montana This included a Yellowstone River fishing report
Type of Stream
Freestone
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Species
Brown Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Rainbow Trout
Rocky Mountain Whitefish
(Wild and Native Trout)
Size
Large
Location
Southwestern Montana
Nearest Towns
Gardner, Montana
Livingston, Montana
Season
Open Year-round to Billings
Special Regulations
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Montana
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Yellowstone River Montana Fly Fishing Report – April 29, 2024
The stream is flowing well above a normal level and stained. We have been getting good reports from customers when the levels were good. Good Midge, Little Black Caddis and Skwala stonefly hatches are taking place. Check back often because we update the Fishing Yellowstone River Montana fishing report often.
Stream Conditions:
Rate: 4190 cfs
Level: 2.83 ft
Afternoon Water Temperature: 48 degrees
Clarity: clear
USGS Real-Time Stream Flow Data Near Livingston
Weather:
Recommended Trout Flies:
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, 18 nymph, emergers, duns and spinners
Aquatic Worms, size 12, pink, red, and others
Midges: Light Green and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, work good here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
March Browns: 14/16, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Skwala Stoneflies: 10, nymphs and adults
Little Black Caddis: 18, pupa, adults
Strategies, Techniques and Tips:The Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin are always a great choice for this creek. The articulated streamers, size 4, are even better. Matuka sculpin are working.
Blue-winged olives are hatching.
Aquatic worms are working. March Browns are hatching.
We still think a good strategy is to fish a tandem Midge rig under a small strike indicator with the midge lava as the bottom fly and the midge pupa as the top fly. Fish the adult midge only when you observe trout feeding on the surface.
Fly Fishing On Yellowstone River Montana: The Yellowstone River starts in Wyoming on the south side of Yellowstone National Park as a small stream. It is joined by several tributaries on its thirty mile venture to Yellowstone Lake in the park. From the lake it flows north through the park, making its way through both the Yellowstone and Black Canyons. This covers fly fishing the Yellowstone River in Montana outside the park.When the Yellowstone River leaves Yellowstone Park at Gardiner, it flows through Jim Yankee Canyon and then through Paradise Valley where it is flanked by the Absaroka Mountains. At Livingston, it reaches the high plains and turns east towards Billings. It is the longest river in Montana. Fly fishing the Yellowstone River ranks at the top of most angler’s list. Although there are plenty of areas where you can wade along its route, some of the river is too deep and strong to wade. Floating the river is the preferred method of fishing. There are numerous access points along the river where you can launch boats and fish the river from the banks. Fly fishing the Yellowstone River by wading it is also possible in many areas. Spring runoff usually starts in mid-May and the river becomes a roaring, muddy mess. Depending on the snow pack, it is usually some time in early July before the river completely clears up. The Salmonfly and Golden Stonefly hatches occur during this time and trout can be taken at times even when the river is off color using large nymphs and streamers. The river clears in July and when it does, caddisflies and terrestrials become the main source of food for the trout. The river flows from Gardner through large pools and fast water sections and then drops into Jim Yankee Canyon with some white water sections. Below the canyon, the river gradually slows down until it reaches the Paradise Valley Access area. There it gains some speed as it begins to curve its way through the valley on its way to Livingston. From Livingston to Big Timber, the terrain changes to open plains and the river runs slower. Many anglers allow the sheer size of the Yellowstone River to intimidate them. Some even think you have to have a drift boat to fish it. Others think you must have a guide to be able to catch trout in the river. None of the above is true. You can fish the river by wading at several locations. You can do well without a guide. You can drift most of the river fairly safely in your own boat or pontoon, of course, all depending on the flows. Keep checking the Yellowstone River fishing report often for the latest changes. We update it often.
Yellowstone River Fishing Guide: This is a big, long river and the first decision you must make is which part of it to fish. From Gardiner to Livingston is just over fifty miles. Route 89 follows the river closely most of the way. Starting just below Gardner, the river is normally moving fast with large, long pools broken up with short sections of rapids. There are a few places the river can be fished from the bank but wading is impossible in most places. The section from Gardiner to Cowin Springs is best fished from a drift boat. There is a good population of rainbows and cutthroats in this section.Below Cowin Springs, the river drops into Jim Yankee Canyon. Just below Cowin Springs, the river slows down some and is easier to fish than the section above Cowin Springs. The canyon section is best fished by wading. It has some large, deep pools that hold nice sized brown trout. It can be fished from a drift boat but should first be done with an experienced person because it has some sections that are very difficult to navigate. Most outfitters avoid this section. There are some major sections of rapids.Below Jim Yankee Canyon from the Carbella Access downstream to the Point of Rocks area, the river consist mostly of pocket water. Below Point of Rocks, the river slows down and the pools become much longer and larger downstream to Emigrant. The Gray Owl Access below Emigrant is a popular put in location for drift boats. This section down to Mallard’s Rest has some large browns and rainbows. It is mostly moderate flowing water with large pools. The section from Mallard’s Rest all the way down to Carter’s Bridge, is the most popular section to fish from a drift boat. It also has some excellent bank and wade fishing areas. This is in the heart of Paradise Valley and the scenery is the most beautiful of all of the Yellowstone outside the park in our opinion. Armstrong’s Spring Creek, DePuy’s and Nelson’s Spring Creeks flow into the river in this section. The trout are mostly rainbows but there are still plenty of browns.From Carter’s Bridge downstream through Livingston, the river consist mostly of faster water with mixture of pools, runs and riffles. The trout are mostly rainbows. Access is fairly good in this area and wading is popular. Drift boats provide better access to more great areas along this part of the river. From Livingston to Big Timber, the river still consist mostly of pools and riffles but they are larger and farther apart. The fishing pressure is not as heavy. The fish may not be as plentiful but it is still considered very good by most anglers. The scenery is still beautiful but quite different. The mountains are in the distance and the river is lined with cottonwood trees. The river follows Interstate 90 headed East. The area has good access with several points it can be fished by wading or by boat.
Yellowstone River Hatches and Flies: Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Yellowstone River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726. As with most other trout streams, one of the most important aquatic insects on the Yellowstone River is the Blue-winged Olive. These little mayflies start hatching around the first of March and last until the middle of May. They are bi-brooded, or hatch twice a year, and show up again about the first of August. This second go round can last through October. Probably the next important mayfly on the Yellowstone River is the Pale Morning Dun. They too hatch over a long period of time, starting about the middle of July and lasting until as late as the middle of September. Another mayfly that hatches in some sections of the river is the Gray Drake. It starts hatching about the middle of July and can last until the middle of September, depending on the location. There’s also some Flavs, or Small Western Green Drakes, that can be found in some areas of the river. They too start hatching about the middle of July. This hatch is usually over by mid-August. Caddisflies are often the most important insects. One of the first to hatch are the Brachycentrus species, or Little Black Caddis. This hatch is called the “Mothers Day Hatch”. It starts about the first of May and last for only a couple of weeks. There are other hatches of Little Black Caddis that occur from about the middle of July through the month of August. The Spotted Sedges are the most plentiful caddisfly species. These caddisflies start hatching around the middle of June and last until the end of July. Little Sister Caddisflies start about the middle of July and last through the month of August. Little Brown caddisflies start hatching around the middle of July. This hatch usually last for about a month, depending on the location. About the middle of June you will find two important species of stoneflies hatching. The Salmonflies start hatching then and last until the near the end of July, depending on the location. The Golden Stonefly starts about the same time and last until the end of July, again, depending on the exact location. Both of these hatches can be affected by the spring runoff.You should always have a good selection of streamer flies. The river has plenty of minnows, baitfish species and sculpin. Streamers work great early and late in the day and when the water is stained from heavy rains. They are also effective when the water is off color from the runoff, after the really bad water passes through. Terrestrials become very important during the months of July, August and September.Imitations of ants, beetles, and grasshoppers work great at times. Grasshopper are especially important because of all the hay fields around the Yellowstone River. When the wind blows and the farmers are cutting hay, a lot of these insects get into the water.Use our “Perfect Fly” hatch chart and select your flies for the time you will be fishing. Please give our flies a chance to work for you if you haven’t done so already. We are confident that you will be by glad you did. Thanks for visiting our Yellowstone River fishing report.