Yellowstone River Fishing Report: Trout, Walleye, and Surprise Salmon Heating Up

Yellowstone River anglers woke up to an early summer sunrise at 5:35 AM and can expect a sunset around 9:17 PM. The weather in Paradise Valley is holding steady after last week’s heavy rain; flows are dropping fast, clarity is slowly improving, but the river is still running high and slightly off-color. Water temperature is running between 56 and 61 degrees, prime for active fish if you know where to look.

This week, the bite’s been mixed but promising—persistent anglers are pulling in quality trout. Reports from Montana Outdoor say walleye are hitting steady in the 50s, smallmouth bass are stacking up deep, pike are slowing down but still out there, and surprise salmon have been showing up here and there. According to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Management Plan, you’ve also got a shot at sauger, sturgeon, channel cats, drum, and, if you’re up near Livingston, browns, rainbows, and the ever-present whitefish. Some extra surprise carp and yellow perch, too, if you’re fishing slower water near the confluences.

Visibility at Carter’s Bridge is about 8 inches—so get ready for “hero or zero” conditions according to the Yellowstone Angler. This is when big fish get bold, so don’t let the color spook you. Boaters are having the best luck—wade-fishing is tough thanks to fast, high water, but possible for the nimble and cautious.

Dry fly action has been heating up in the back eddies and foam lines, especially during the thick caddis and March brown hatches in the late morning through early afternoon. Hi-vis elk hair caddis, Butch Caddis, March Brown Parachutes, and good old Purple Haze are top picks. Run a size 12–14 elk hair caddis solo, or toss a Royal Wulff with a three-foot dropper tied to a weighted caddis pupa or a soft hackle pheasant tail.

Nymphing is by far the most reliable. Go to rubberlegs, jig princes, perdigons, caddis emergers, or the stand-by squirmy worm. Streamer junkies are also in luck—dark articulated patterns like black Dungeons, Sparkle Minnows, and McCune Sculpins are moving big browns along the banks and in slower seams.

Hot spots worth a visit today: Pine Creek Bridge is holding fish in the side channels and soft water, and the town stretch through Livingston has been productive in the backwaters and foam pockets. Don’t overlook the spring creek mouths, either—especially if you want to tangle with some whitefish or an opportunistic trout.

No tides to report—this is big Montana freestone fishing through and through.

Thanks for tuning in to your Yellowstone River fishing report! Don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates and on-the-water tips from Artificial Lure.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yellowstone River. Anglers woke up to an early summer sunrise
at five thirty five a m. And can expect a
sunset around nine seventeen p m. The weather in Paradise
Valley is holding steady after last week's heavy rain. Flows
are dropping fast. Clarity is slowly improving, but the river
is still running high and slightly off color. Water temperature

(00:20):
is running between fifty six and sixty one degrees, prime
for active fish if you know where to look. This week,
the bite's been mixed but promising. Persistent anglers are pulling
in quality trout. Reports from Montana Outdoor say walleye are
hitting steady in the fifties, smallmouth bass are stacking up,
deep pike are slowing down but still out there, and

(00:43):
surprised salmon have been showing up here and there, according
to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Management Plan. You've
also got a shot at Sauger Sturgeon Channel, cats Drum
and if you're up near Livingston, Brown's rainbows and the
ever present whitefish. Some extra surprise carp and yellow perch too.
If you're fishing slower water near the confluences visibility at

(01:06):
Carter's Bridge is about eight inches, so get ready for
hero or zero conditions. According to the Yellowstone Angler, this
is when big fish get bold, so don't let the
color spook you. Boaters are having the best luck. Wadefishing
is tough thanks to fast high water, but possible for
the nimble and cautious. Dry Fly action has been heating

(01:27):
up in the back eddies and foam lines, especially during
the thick Cattus and march brown hatches in the late
morning through early afternoon. Hivis elkare, Cattis, butch Cattus, march brown,
parachutes and good old purple haze are top picks. Run
aside twelve to fourteen elkare Cattis solo or toss a
royal wolf with a three foot dropper tied to a

(01:49):
weighted Cattus pupa or a soft hackle pheasant tail nymphing
is by far the most reliable go to. Rubber legs,
jig princes, perdigons, Cattus emergers or the stamp and by
squirmy worm. Streamer junkies are also in luck. Dark articulated
patterns like black dungeons, sparkle minnows, and McCune sculpins are

(02:09):
moving big browns along the banks and in slower seams.
Hotspot's worth a visit. Today. Pine Creek Bridge is holding
fish in the side channels and soft water, and the
town stretched through Livingstone has been productive in the backwaters
and foam pockets. Don't overlook the spring creek mouths either,
especially if you want to tangle with some whitefish or

(02:29):
an opportunistic trout. No tides to report. This is big
Montana Freestone fishing through and through. Thanks for tuning in
to your Yellowstone River fishing report. Don't forget to subscribe
for daily updates and on the water tips from Artificial Lure.
This has been a quiet please production. For more check
out quiet please dot AI and that is it for today.

(02:53):
Hit the subscribe button and never miss out. Keep those
tips up and lines wet. This has been a quite
please production with the help of AI. Thanks for listening.