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Yellowstone River Fishing Report

Date: 09/24/2025
Posted by: Toby Swank

Current Conditions

The Yellowstone River is fishing well. Recent rain pushed flows up a bit, but clarity has held and anglers are still finding steady action across most stretches.

Nymphing has been the most productive. Dark stonefly nymphs and smaller beadhead patterns are moving fish in seams and deeper runs. Pairing a larger fly with a smaller dropper has been effective, with pheasant tails, perdigons, and blowtorches all worth fishing.

Dry fly fishing has been slow overall. A few BWOs and small mayflies have been spotted on overcast afternoons, but nothing strong enough to bring widespread surface activity. hecubas are mainly on the upper Yellowstone, and anglers fishing through Paradise Valley have been finding a few fish mid-river when little else is happening. They are worth prospecting with during quiet periods. Hoppers, beetles, and ants are still an option in the afternoons.

Streamer fishing has shown improvement with cooler weather. sparkle minnows, mini dungeons, and baby gongas in olive, black, and yellow are producing fish, especially in the mornings or under cloudy skies. Working streamers tight to structure and soft seams has been most effective.

Overall, the Yellowstone is in good shape and offering solid fishing. Anglers fly fishing Bozeman who want big water and a chance at quality trout should be ready with nymph rigs, prospecting dries, and streamers for changing conditions.

Additional Resources:

Yellowstone River Fly Fishing in September

Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide to September

Livingston Fly Fishing Guide to September

Stream Flows

Yellowstone River Fishing Report Streamflow

Flows

Recommended Flies

				  The Tan and Yellow Double Gonga is the best fly for streamer fly fishing in Montana on large rivers.

Tan and Yellow Double Gonga

				  Catch trout fly fishing in Montana using this Mayfly nymph.

Butano Lite Brite Perdigon

				  Fly fish for Montana Trout near Bozeman, MT, using Stonefly imitations.

Coffee/Black Restless Stone

				  Imitate grasshoppers when fly fishing Montana's rivers in late summer.

Golden Thunder Thigh Hopper

				  A realistic hopper pattern used when fly fishing Montana.

Golden Morrish Hopper

				  Streamer fly fishing in Montana with Mini Dungeons is productive throughout the state.

Olive Mini Dungeon

				  Pats rubberleg bronw

Brown Pat's Rubberleg

				  Chubby chernobyl royal

Royal Chubby Chernobyl

Yellowstone River Fishing

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.


Additonal Yellowstone River Fly Fishing Resources


Yellowstone River Guided Fly Fishing Trips

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Montana Fly Fishing Trip Photo Galleries

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Area Map of Yellowstone River Fly Fishing in Montana



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