Yellowstone River Fishing Report
Date: 05/10/2025
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Yellowstone River should be a wash for the next month or so. However, it is worth watching whenever we have cold weather during the early stages of the runoff. If those flows drop for a day or two, the river could clean up just enough to get on for a day or two. The river fishes well during this time with just 1-2 feet of visibility and there are caddis and march browns out in good numbers - so stay tuned and watch those webcams.
If the river gives us a “window of clarity, “ expect the dry and dry/dropper fishing to be fantastic. Preferred rigs during the Mother’s Day caddis hatch include a size 12-14 elk hair caddis fished solo or a slightly larger Royal Wulff with a 3’ length of tippet and a weighted caddis pupa like a tung dart or soft hackle pheasant tail as a dropper fly.
You can check current water clarity through a handful of webcams in the area, here's one that our Bozeman fly fishing guides watch at Pine Creek and one that is hosted by Montana Whitewater in Gardiner.
Stream Flows
Flows
Recommended Flies
Olive Mini Dungeon
Olive Swim Coach
Brown/Yellow Barely Legal
Hare's Ear Guides Choice
Frenchie
Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Tungsten Soft Hacke Pheasant Tail
Royal Wulff
Yellowstone River Fishing
The Yellowstone River is a 600-mile-long river in Montana that originates in Yellowstone National Park. The river offers world-class trout fishing opportunities and flows through breathtaking mountain landscapes with cottonwood-lined banks. Anglers can enjoy diverse fishing experiences, ranging from the whitewater of Yankee Jim Canyon to the peaceful glides near Livingston and the broad riffles near Big Timber.
Read our "Yellowstone River Fishing Guide" for a detailed overview of fly fishing the Yellowstone River in Montana. This is a great resource for anglers fishing near Bozeman Montana and details the various river stretches and seasonal hatches with tips from our Bozeman fly fishing guides on Yellowstone River fly fishing.
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