Yellowstone River Fall Trout Bonanza: Hatches, Streamers, and Big Browns Chasing the Spawn

Artificial Lure here—fresh off the water and bringing you the latest fishing report for the Yellowstone River in Montana on this chilly Saturday, October 18, 2025.

Sunrise hit at 7:36 a.m. and sunset will bring the colors down at 6:33 p.m. out here, with daytime highs right around the mid-40s. We’ve got that classic autumn mix: cold mornings, mild afternoons, and a low chance of scattered rain—just enough cloud cover to kick off some reliable Blue Winged Olive hatches. Water temps are crashing, and that’s got the fish hungry and on the move according to Montanaoutdoor.com and Montana Angler’s recent reports.

Yellowstone’s flows are solid (667 cfs below the lake outlet), clear, and dropping into prime shape after last week’s rain and flurries. There’s no tidal activity—Yellowstone being a mountain river, but water levels are holding steady and cooling down.

The main activity: **Trout are fired up!** Browns, rainbows, and cutthroat are all in the mix. Big browns are sneaking towards the spawn and are getting aggressive. Fish are moving out of the skinny water and packing into transition areas—those riffle/run seams and foam eddies. Guide reports from North Fork Anglers and Montana Angler say dry droppers and nymph rigs are producing fish all day; streamer fishing is just starting to heat up, especially with overcast skies.

Recent catches:
- Browns landed pushing 24 inches in spots, especially near Livingston and Paradise Valley.
- Rainbows and cutthroat showing up with steady action from Gardiner down through Emigrant.
- Anglers are seeing decent numbers—average counts are about 10-20 fish/day if conditions hold and pressure stays light.

Best flies and lures:
- Surface action: Hoppers, ants, and beetles are still catching, but swing to **BWO dries, Elk Hair Caddis, and Rusty Spinners** as those fall hatches come off.
- Nymphs: Beadhead Pheasant Tails, Princes, Pat’s Rubberlegs, Firebead Sow Bugs, and Lucent Perdigons are money right now.
- Streamers: Sculpzillas, Mini Dungeons, and Slump Busters in black, olive, or brown. Fish are chasing streamers when the clouds roll in or as the sun drops.

Go-to bait: For bait anglers—worms are effective, but most action is still on the fly. If you’re swinging hardware, bright spoons or jerk baits will move trout in deeper runs where the big ones are stacking up.

Hot spots:
- **Pine Creek down to Carter’s Bridge**: Consistent with both dries and nymphs—transition water is loaded.
- **Paradise Valley spring creeks** (DePuy’s, Nelson’s, Armstrong’s): Lower pressure, technical dry fly action, and chunky browns.
- **Near Gardiner and Yankee Jim Canyon**: Recent reports say streamer anglers are hitting migratory browns gearing up to cut upstream.

Tips: Fish are less likely in fast riffles now—target softer water and seam lines. Afternoon is the sweet spot; early mornings are cold and slow, but once the sun hits and water warms, activity jumps.

Safety note: Pack your bear spray and stay alert—fall is big critter season, especially along the river corridors near the park. Montanaoutdoor.com reminds all anglers to be aware as grizzlies move along these drainages.

Thanks for tuning in, anglers! Be sure to subscribe for weekly, boots-on-the-ground fishing reports. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial newer here, fresh off the water, and bringing you
the latest fishing report for the Yellowstone River in Montana
on this chilly Saturday, October eighteenth, twenty twenty five. Sunrise
hit at seven thirty six am, and sunset will bring
the colors down at six thirty three pm. Out Here,
with daytime highs right around the mid forties, we've got

(00:22):
that classic autumn mix. Cold mornings, mild afternoons, and a
low chance of scattered rain, just enough cloud cover to
kick off some reliable blue ringed olive hatches. Water temps
are crashing and that's got the fish hungry and on
the move. According to Montana outdoor dot Com and Montana
Angler's recent reports, Yellowstone's flows are solid six hundred and

(00:42):
sixty seven cfs below the lake outlet, clear and dropping
into prime shape after last week's rain and flurries. There's
no tidal activity Yellowstone being a mountain river, but water
levels are holding steady and cooling down. The main activity
trout are fired up. Browns, rainbows, and cut throat are
all in the mix. Big browns are sneaking towards the

(01:03):
spawn and are getting aggressive. Fish are moving out of
the skinny water and packing into transition areas those riffle
run seams and foam eddies. Guide reports from North Fork
anglers and Montana angler say dry droppers and niff rigs
or producing fish all day. Streamer fishing is just starting
to heat up, especially with overcast skies. Recent catches browns

(01:26):
landed pushing twenty four inches in spots, especially near Livingston.
In Paradise Valley, Rainbows and cutthroats showing up with steady
action from Gardener down through. Emigrant anglers are seeing decent numbers.
Average counts are about ten to twenty fish per day
if conditions hold and pressure stays light. Best flies and
lures surface action. Hoppers, ants and beetles are still catching,

(01:50):
but swing to xp wo drys, elcare cattis and rusty
spinners as those fall hatches come off. Myphs, beadhead pheasant tails, princes, pats,
rubber legs, firebeads, sowbugs and loosen perteons are money right now. Streamers. Sculpzillas,
mini dungeons and slumpbusters in black olive or brown fish

(02:16):
are chasing streamers when the clouds roll in or as
the sun drops go to bait for bait anglers. Worms
are effective, but most action is still on the fly.
If you're swinging hardware. Bright spoons or jerk baits will
move trout in deeper runs where the big ones are
stacking up hotspots. Pine Creek down to Carter's Bridge consistent

(02:38):
with both dryes and nymphs. Transition water is loaded Paradise Valley,
Spring Creeks, depoohs, Melson's armstrongs, lower pressure, technical dry fly action,
and chunky browns near Gardner and Yankee Jim Canyon. Recent
reports say streamer anglers are hitting migratory brown beering up

(03:00):
to cut up stream tips. Fish are less likely in
fast riffles, now targets softer water and seam lines. Afternoon
is the sweet spot. Early mornings are cold and slow,
but once the sun hits in water worms activity jumps.
Safety note, pack your bare spray and stay alert fall
as big critter season, especially along the river corridors near

(03:23):
the park. Montana Outdoor dot Com reminds all anglers to
be aware as grizzlies move along these drainages. Thanks for
tuning in anglers, be sure to subscribe for weekly Boots
on the Ground fishing reports. This has been a Quiet
Pleae production. For more check out Quiet please dot ai