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Yellowstone River Fishing Report

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

The longest undammed river in the lower 48: 692 free miles of cutthroat, browns and rainbows flowing out of the park through Paradise Valley.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Flow
1,960 cfs
Air / High
81 / 82 F
Wind
SSW 21 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06192500, 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.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Yellowstone River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 1,960 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 21 mph, rising pressure near 1004 hPa and a high of 82. 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 troutFair

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

Brown troutFair

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

Tomorrow: Similar at 84 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 Yellowstone River near Livingston.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06192500.

2,0812,3052,5291,960 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low82 / 56 F
WindSSW 21-32 mph
Pressure1003.9 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:47 / 19:54
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 82/56 F, wind 23 mph, rain 1%

Slow. Wind at 23 mph makes boat control the day's real problem; find protected banks.

Species guide

The species that matter on Yellowstone River: 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 Yellowstone River 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 Yellowstone River 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 76 F, wind to 21 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 27 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 82 F, wind to 27 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 77 F, wind to 17 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 + AIS pass. Standard trout limits with artificial-lure sections: check FWP by reach. Whirling-disease closures possible in hot/low years.

Access

FAS launches every 5-10 miles from Gardiner to Big Timber: Carter's, Mallard's Rest, Pine Creek, Grey Owl among the classics.

About this water

692 undammed miles from Yellowstone Park to the Missouri. The Paradise Valley reach is the storied core.

Fishing Yellowstone River: the full guide

The free river

No dam touches the Yellowstone from park to Missouri: flows, temperatures and fish do what rivers did before engineering. The blue-ribbon heart runs from Gardiner through Paradise Valley to Big Timber: cutthroat and rainbows in the upper reaches, browns thickening downstream, all of it drift-boat water framed by the Absarokas.

Reading a wild flow

Runoff rules the calendar: the river blows out in May-June and the fishing year starts when it clears (usually early July). From then: salmonfly stragglers, golden stones, and the hopper months (July-September) when Paradise Valley banks produce the West's most famous terrestrial fishing. Fall drops flows and brings baetis and streamer weather for the big browns.

Floating the valley

Access is float-first: Carter's Bridge, Mallard's Rest, Pine Creek, Mill Creek launches chain the valley into half-day drifts. Wade access exists at every FAS but the river's size favors boats. The town stretch through Livingston fishes better than town stretches should: browns eat streamers under the train bridge.

Beyond the tourist water

Below Big Timber, the Yellowstone turns big and brawny: fewer anglers, big browns on streamers, and a warm-water blend (smallmouth appear by Columbus) that most trout tourists never see. The prairie river from Billings east runs sauger, catfish and paddlefish: one river, three fisheries, zero dams.

Common questions

When does the Yellowstone clear after runoff?

Typically early July: the fishing year compresses into July-October, which is why the hopper season feels so intense. Check the Livingston gauge: under 3,000 CFS and dropping means game on.

Do I need a boat for Paradise Valley?

The river fishes best floated, but every FAS offers real wade water at summer flows: Pine Creek and Mallard's Rest wade well. August wading the side channels with hoppers is classic Montana.

Is fishing good at Yellowstone River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Boulder River29 miGallatin River49 miJefferson River50 miEnnis Lake57 miMadison River61 miHebgen Lake67 mi
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