Yellowstone River Fishing Report: Cool Temps, Clear Water, and Hungry Trout

Yellowstone River locals are waking up to classic fall fishing weather—chilly but mostly sunny, with highs topping out in the low 50s, dropping to the 20s at night according to the latest National Weather Service and AccuWeather updates. Water temps are holding steady between 61 and 67 degrees, which is just right for those hungry rainbows and browns coming out to feed as the seasons change. Sunrise hit at 7:50 AM, sunset’s right around 6:21 PM, giving anglers a full day to work those runs and riffles.

No tides to worry about here in Montana, so it’s all about river flows and temperature. U.S. Geological Survey numbers have Yellowstone running at a comfortable 1,580 CFS near Livingston—a bit lower, clear, and very “trouty,” perfect for sight-fishing and watching those pods of risers.

Fish activity has ramped up big time this week: folks are reporting solid days on big valley rainbows, chunky browns, and the occasional fat cutthroat. Popular stretches like the Valley section and above Yankee Jim has given up several healthy fish—including bows pushing 20 inches, and a few colored-up browns ready for fall spawning. Hopper rigs fished tight to the banks have turned heads, but nymphs and streamers are pounding fish in the deeper seams.

On the fly selection, local shops and today’s guides swear by peach and pink hoppers (sizes 8–14), Purple Bruce, and plenty of grand hoppers and thunderthighs if you’re drifting big foam. Floating ant patterns have been lights-out, especially by mid-morning. For subsurface work, the go-to nymphs are Euro styles like Blow Torch Black and Duracell Bombs in the #12–16 range, plus classic prince nymphs. Black and coffee rubber legs—as always—get the job done, while streamers like Black Leadeye, Yellow Silk Kitty, and the ever-reliable Coffee Sparkle Minnow in #4–6 sizes are moving the biggest fish.

For those after non-fly action, spinning anglers do well with little gold and silver spoons, Mepps spinners, and soft plastics in natural tones. Still, live bait like worms is less productive this week—artificial lures and flies rule the river right now following the Montana Outdoor fall report.

Two hot spots not to miss:
- **Town Stretch at Livingston:** Early-morning hatches and that cooler water pull in big pods. Work inside bends and shallow riffles, but also probe those deeper outside runs with a streamer.
- **Mill Creek Confluence:** The mixing water attracts feisty browns right now, and some surprisingly aggressive cutthroats have been hitting hopper-dropper rigs in the afternoons.

Lastly, river crowds have thinned out but remember to give a little space—a Montana smile and an extra rod length go a long way this season.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s fishing report on Yellowstone River. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates and local secrets. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yellowstone River locals are waking up to classic fall fishing weather,
chilly but mostly sunny, with highs topping out in the
low fifties, dropping to the twenties at night. According to
the latest National Weather Service and ACI weather updates, water
temps are holding steady between sixty one and sixty seven degrees,
which is just right for those hungry rainbows and browns
coming out to feed as the seasons change. Sunrise hit

(00:22):
at seven fifty a m sunsets right around six twenty
one pm, giving anglers a full day to work those
runs and riffles. No tides to worry about here in Montana,
so it's all about river flows and temperature. US Geological
Survey numbers have Yellowstone running at a comfortable one thousand,
five hundred and eighty cfs near Livingstone, a bit lower,

(00:44):
clear and very trouty, perfect for sight fishing and watching
those pods of risers. Fish activity is ramped up big
time this week. Folks are reporting solid days on big
valley rainbows, chunky browns, and the occasional fat cut throat.
Popular Stretch, which is like the Valley section and above.
Yankee Gin has given up several healthy fish including bows

(01:06):
pushing twenty inches and a few colored up browns ready
for fall spawning hopper rigs. Fish tight to the banks
have turned heads, but nymphs and streamers are pounding fish
in the deeper seams. On the fly. Selection local shops
and today's guides swear by peach and pink hoppers sizes
eight fourteen, purple bruce, and plenty of grand hoppers and

(01:29):
thunder thighs if you're drifting big phone. Floating ant patterns
have been lights out, especially floating subsurface work. The go
to nymphs are eurostyles like blow torch, black and dura
cell bombs and the number twelve sixteen range plus classic
prince nymphs say black and coffee rubber legs as always

(01:50):
get the job done, while streamers like black lead Eye,
yellow silk Kitty and the ever reliable coffee Sparkle minnow
in number four six sizes are moving the biggest fish
For those after non fly action. Spinning anglers do well
with little gold and silver spoons, nept spinners and soft
plastics and natural tones. Still, live bait like worms is

(02:14):
less productive this week. Artificial lures and flies rule the
river right now following the Montana Outdoor Fall Report. Two
hot spots not to miss towns stretch at Livingston, early
morning hatches and that cooler water pull in. Big pods
work inside bends and shallow riffles, but also probe those

(02:34):
deeper outside runs with a streamer one cut pod Mill
Creek Mill Creek conflents. The mixing water attracts feisty browns
right now, and some surprisingly aggressive cutthroats have been hitting
hopper dropper rigs in the afternoons. Lastly, river crowds have
finned out, but remember to give a little space. A

(02:56):
Montana smile and an extra rod length go a long
way this season. Thanks for tuning in to today's fishing
report on Yellowstone River. Don't forget to subscribe for daily
updates and local secrets. This has been a quiet please production.
For more check out Quiet please dot ai