Yellowstone River Fishing Report
Date: 05/02/2025
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Yellowstone River has been up and down this week - it's worth watching the cameras and fishing reports as we head into the weekend, as there might be an opportunity for some great fishing over there...maybe not as well.
Heavy rains earlier in the week have really made some of the water conditions around Bozeman tough to predict. The Yellowstone River looked to be headed “out” for the runoff season, but things have somewhat stabilized in terms of the flows. A lot of mud was moving through the river yesterday, but it’s still “fishable.”
We are expecting clarity to still be tough there this weekend as flows in YNP continue to come up on the Lamar – so stay tuned.
There are a lot of caddis and March browns out, so a foot or two of visibility is all that is needed to have productive dry fly fishing at the current flows. The back eddies and foamies can be incredibly productive when the river is off-color with stable flows – especially when the hatches are heavy.
Streamer fishing the edges has been productive with dark-colored, articulated streamers in these water conditions.
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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