Montana
Yellowstone River
Latest report: Yellowstone National Park Fishing Report - 8/27/26 — Yellowstone Angler, 5 days ago
Solunar · next 7 days
About Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 — 692 miles from the headwaters in Yellowstone National Park through Paradise Valley, Livingston, Big Timber, Columbus, and Billings to its confluence with the Missouri in North Dakota. For fly fishermen, the trout water is the first 200 miles. Inside the Park, the river fishes for native Yellowstone cutthroat and runs Atlantic-salmon style through Hayden Valley and the Black Canyon. From the Park boundary at Gardiner downstream to Big Timber the river runs through Paradise Valley between the Absaroka and Gallatin ranges — wide, gravel-bottomed, mile after mile of riffles and runs. Wild rainbows and browns averaging 14-18 inches with regular fish over 20, plus a remnant Yellowstone cutthroat fishery in the upper reaches that requires immediate release if hooked. Below Big Timber the river warms quickly in summer and the trout fishery thins; from Columbus to Billings smallmouth bass become more common than trout.
Timing on the Yellowstone is unusual for a Western river: runoff is late and big. The Yellowstone is the only major Montana river with no dam to clip the snowmelt, so peak runoff typically lasts from mid-May through mid-July depending on snowpack, and the river is essentially unfishable during this window — clarity drops to inches and flows can hit 25,000 CFS in big water years. Post-runoff in mid-July through October is when the river comes into its own. Salmon flies (Pteronarcys californica) hatch in the canyon between Gardiner and Mallards Rest from the last week of June through the first 10 days of July depending on water year — anglers chase the hatch upstream day by day. After that: golden stoneflies and caddis into August, hopper fishing through the Paradise Valley meadows, and a strong fall BWO and brown drake run on cool overcast October afternoons. The mid-October streamer fishing for pre-spawn browns is among the best on the planet.
Gardiner and Livingston are the corridor towns — Livingston in particular is fly fishing infrastructure central, with Dan Bailey's, Sweetwater Fly Shop, and Yellowstone Angler all on the river. Float fishing is the standard — drift boats, rafts, even cataraft for the upper reaches. Walk-and-wade access is good at FWP fishing access sites every few miles between Gardiner and Big Timber. Weather changes fast — the wind on Paradise Valley can be brutal, and a sunny morning can turn into 40°F rain by lunch. The river crosses through Yellowstone Park inside its upper reaches (different regulations apply — see Park fishing permit requirements). Whirling disease has cycled in the cutthroat population; spawning closures apply in the upper reaches between mid-May and the third Saturday in July.
Species
- Rainbow Trout
- Brown Trout
- Cutthroat Trout
- Mountain Whitefish
| Species | Abundance | Best Season | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | Abundant | Jul-Oct | 12-20" |
| Brown Trout | Common | Sep-Nov | 14-26" |
| Cutthroat Trout | Uncommon | Jul-Sep | 12-20" |
| Mountain Whitefish | Abundant | Year-round | 10-18" |