Bozeman Fly Fishing in October

As the sun looks to be setting on summer 2025, the crew here at Fins and Feathers Guide Service is looking forward to a ‘fally” looking weather forecast for early October. Shorter days, overcast skies, and mornings highlighted by crisp mountain air are welcomed by anglers and guides alike.

Hatches

Blue-winged olive hatches are strong through October and November on the Bozeman fly fishing waters of Southwest Montana. Cloudy, mild days with some humidity are ideal conditions that trigger blanket hatches, typically during the midday hours. The Paradise Valley sections of the Yellowstone River and the lower Madison River are a couple of our favorite local rivers near Bozeman to target during this hatch.

Brown trout are already becoming increasingly active, thanks to the longer nights and cooler water temperatures of late September. As fall spawners, brown trout start to move to tributary mouths and shallow side channels with the onset of Autumn. Streamer fly fishing during the pre-spawn weeks of October is legendary for producing some of the biggest wild trout of the year.

Mind the Redds

November is generally considered the peak of the brown trout spawning season, so be mindful of redds and spawning trout in shallow water as the season progresses. Spawning is a stressful event for wild trout, so the best practice is to leave them alone. Anglers fly fishing during the brown trout spawn are asked to stick to the main river channels and avoid fishing in areas where trout are actively spawning. Focus on dry fly fishing, nymph fish the main runs, or streamer fish the deepest holes to target active, feeding trout.

Local Favorites

The Yellowstone and upper Madison rivers continue to be our marquee Bozeman fly fishing destinations this fall. Dry dropper rigs and double nymph setups have been the standards during this “tweener” season when terrestrial insect activity slows and hatches are sparse. Anglers can still encounter Hecuba mayflies hatching across the region for a few more weeks, but blue-winged olive hatches will soon take center stage on all of the area rivers. We are focusing our efforts on the Livingston to Big Timber sections on the Yellowstone and the Ennis sections on the upper Madison for the time being.

Stillwater angling on both Ennis and Hebgen continues to be solid with heavy Callibaetis hatches. The fish are definitely “savvy” this time of year, so sloppy casts with mis-sized flies won’t even get a look from surface cruising rainbow and brown trout. This is the time when subsurface imitations fished slow and steadily, just below the surface, are often the difference between a wet or dry net. These hatches will wane quickly with cooler days; however, streamer fishing near river and creek mouths on these area lakes is worth the effort throughout October.

Get Out There in October

October is one of the “sleeper” months of the year for quality Montana fly fishing experiences. Best suited to intermediate and advanced fly anglers, October fly fishing in Montana is typically a blend of subsurface and dry fly fishing opportunities dictated by the ever-changing weather conditions this time of year. Beginner anglers can still “get it done,” but clear water and low flows call for precision casting and delicate presentations.

As our Bozeman fly fishing guide season winds down, our guides are now unwinding after a long season while taking in the beauty that accompanies fall fly fishing in Montana. Fins and Feathers Guide Service has been outfitting Bozeman, MT fly fishing trips since 2000, and fall guide trips are still available as long as the weather holds. Join our team on the world-renowned wild trout rivers near Bozeman to experience the rivers during the much quieter time of year when rising fish and streamer fishing are the emphasis.

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