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Hebgen Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The gulper lake: Hebgen’s Callibaetis mornings put big Madison River trout on the surface, sipping in flat calm.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
303 cfs
Air / High
67 / 69 F
Wind
S 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06037500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Hebgen Lake feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 303 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 13 mph, steady pressure near 1008 hPa and a high of 69. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 72 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Madison River near West Yellowstone (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06037500.

303316328303 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp67 F
High / Low69 / 42 F
WindS 13-23 mph
Pressure1007.8 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain3% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:51 / 19:56
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 69/42 F, wind 15 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 15 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Hebgen Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Hebgen Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Hebgen Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 66 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 69 F, wind to 22 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 66 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Montana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Montana license. Trout limits per current FWP regulations for Hebgen Lake and the Madison drainage.

Access

Madison Arm, Rainbow Point and Lonesomehurst ramps; Forest Service campgrounds around the lake.

About this water

A 12,000-acre reservoir on the Madison River west of Yellowstone National Park, Gallatin County, Montana.

Fishing Hebgen Lake: the full guide

A lake with a famous ritual

Hebgen Lake spreads 12,000 acres just west of Yellowstone, impounding the Madison River in a broad mountain basin. Among fly anglers it is known for one thing above all: the gulpers. On calm summer mornings, big rainbow and brown trout cruise the flats sipping Callibaetis mayflies and midges in pods, and casting to individual rising fish from a drifting boat is one of the great stillwater experiences in the West.

Gulper season

Late June through August is the window, and the ritual is precise: be on the water at dawn, find the pods working the Madison Arm or Grayling Arm flats in flat calm, cut the motor and cast small Callibaetis patterns or midge emergers on long leaders to individual fish. Wind ends the game each morning, usually by nine or ten, which makes the early alarm non-negotiable.

Beyond the gulpers

Outside the surface window, trolling and stripping leeches, buggers and streamers along the drop-offs takes rainbows and browns through the season. Spring after ice-out and fall both fish well with subsurface presentations. The lake also feeds the Madison River below, and the two fisheries together make West Yellowstone one of the densest concentrations of trout water in America.

West Yellowstone logistics

Ramps at the Madison Arm, Rainbow Point and Lonesomehurst serve the lake, with Forest Service campgrounds around the shoreline. West Yellowstone is fifteen minutes away with fly shops, guides and lodging. Afternoon wind is reliable and can be strong: small boats and float tubes should be off the open water by midday. Elevation is 6,500 feet: mornings are cold even in July.

Common questions

What are gulpers?

Trout cruising the flat calm surface in pods, sipping Callibaetis mayflies: sight-fishing to individual risers is Hebgen’s signature experience.

When should I be on the water?

At dawn: the gulper window closes when the wind comes up, usually mid-morning. Late June through August is the season.

What else can I fish nearby?

The Madison River below the lake, plus Yellowstone Park waters fifteen minutes east: few places offer this much trout water in one radius.

Is fishing good at Hebgen Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Henrys Lake15 miMadison River42 miEnnis Lake46 miYellowstone River67 miJackson Lake71 miBeaverhead River71 mi
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