How To Fish It
- Dead drift close to the bottom in slower runs and deep seams where trout hold during cold mornings.
- Use Subsurface Technical Nymphing.
- Favor Weighted nymphs with subtle flash and sparse tails.
Bugs & Best Matches
What's active
Fish this
BWOs, size 16-20, Afternoon (2:00 PM–6:00 PM)
Pheasant Tail, size 16-20, nymph; Sparkle Minnow, size 16-20; RS2, size 16-20, emerger
Midges, size 18-22, Afternoon (2:00 PM–6:00 PM)
Zebra Midge, size 18-22, nymph; Disco Midge, size 18-22; Top Secret Midge, size 18-22
Caddis, size 14-18, Midday (10:00 AM–2:00 PM)
Soft Hackle, size 14-18; Caddis Pupa, size 14-18, nymph; Elk Hair Caddis, size 14-18, dry
Stoneflies, size 8-12, Morning (6:00 AM–10:00 AM)
No matching fly supplied
Terrestrials, size 12-16, Afternoon (2:00 PM–6:00 PM)
No matching fly supplied
Current Conditions
Flow1,600 cfs and falling
Water TempUnavailable
WeatherClear Night
Rating7/10 · Good
Today's Feeding Pattern
Clear and cold late October conditions on a freestone river push trout into deeper holding water. Nymphing with smaller profile patterns matches the primary active food sources.
Forecast Location
Related Rivers
Read the conditions: USGS flow charts, trout water temperature, and the seasonal hatch reference.
About The Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone is the longest undammed river in the lower forty-eight and the heart of Montana float-fishing culture through Paradise Valley. It is broad, mobile, and changes with every weather push, which is why reading current speed is more important here than reading a single seam.
Wild rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout are the main draw. The river is famous for streamer eats, hopper season, and strong mayfly windows, but spring fishing often comes down to disciplined nymphing mixed with opportunistic dry-fly shots.