Yellowstone River Fishing Report
Date: 09/25/2026
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Yellowstone River has been fishing well overall, but the big-number days from earlier in the summer have become less common. Recent rain added some color to the river, but clarity has been improving, and the upper stretches around Point of Rocks and Emigrant have remained good options.
Dry-dropper fishing is still the ticket up high. Tan, pink, or yellow hoppers with a brown or black pat’s rubberlegs 3–4 feet below have been getting fish, and there are still enough trout willing to eat the hopper to keep fishing it. Smaller baetis and attractor nymphs are worth switching to if the rubberlegs slows down.
Streamer fishing is picking up as the water cools. Olive, black, and white streamers have been moving some nicer fish, particularly when there’s some cloud cover or a little color in the river.
Additional Resources:
Stream Flows
View stream flow graph on USGS
Recommended Flies
White Circus Peanut
Sweetgrass Hopper
Tungsten Jigged Prince
Prince Nymph
Golden Morrish Hopper
Coffee/Black Restless Stone
Rainbow Warrior Jig
Olive Mini Dungeon
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.
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