Bighorn Bonanza: Fall Fishing Heats Up on Montana's Premier Trout River

Artificial Lure with your Bighorn, Montana fishing report for October 18th, 2025. Brisk start out here this morning—current temps hovering in the 30s but warming quick with a bluebird sky forecast. According to the latest from KTVQ News and regional weather sources, we’re looking at a classic fall pattern: calm wind, seasonably mild highs near 60 by afternoon, and just a few high clouds rolling in. No precipitation in the cards today—river valleys should stay clear all the way to sunset. For planning, sunrise clocked in at 7:29 AM and sunset lands at 6:29 PM tonight. Tides don’t impact us here inland, so no worries on lunar pull, but those crisp mornings are a signal—water temps are dropping and the fish are getting fired up. According to Montana Outdoor and North Fork Anglers, the Bighorn River is smack-dab in its autumn sweet spot: steady flows, clear water, and trout that have shaken off their summer sluggishness. The river’s flowing right near 706 cfs, perfect for wade or drift. Recent catches are strong. Steady pods of rainbow and brown trout are moving into shallower riffles, feeding in the sunshine and biting aggressively. Most reports this week show trout running 13–18”, though a few hawgs in the low 20” range have been netted, particularly on overcast afternoons with streamers. On the conventional side, anglers out at Yellowtail and Bighorn Access are talking about smallmouth bass up in 10–15 feet along rocky structure—try 1/4-ounce jigs with plastics or slip bobbers and fathead minnows. Pike are pushing shallow too; the weed beds in 5–10 feet are holding numbers. Spoons and shallow-running cranks are turning fish, and a flashy surface plug worked over the weeds has made for some explosive hits. Lake trout are starting to leave the deepest ledges—expect more to come shallow as water temps dip closer to 55°F. Fly anglers, here’s the drill: nymphing is your bread and butter, but don’t overlook improving streamer action—especially late morning through midafternoon once the sun’s up. Hot patterns include: - Firebead sowbugs, poxyback or yum-yum sows - Purple & pink perdigons - San Juan worms, Zirdles, and chunky scuds - Black Spanish Bullets, ice cream cone midges - Streamers: Sculpzilla, Rusty Trombone, Thin Mint, Montana Mouthwash—especially on cloudy spells or right around dark For dries, the tail end of hopper season is still putting up numbers—try smaller, lightly dressed hoppers with a flashy dropper nymph underneath. Keep an eye out for mid-morning BWO and midges hatching on overcast days—the fish are looking up if the bugs are popping. Best baits for conventional folks: live minnows, nightcrawlers, or a good old chunk of PowerBait for rainbows on slower stretches and off the gravel points. A couple hot spots to circle for today: The Afterbay to Three Mile stretch is running clear, loaded with riffle feeders and great gravel bars for wading. Try the “Rattlesnake” channel near Soap Creek for browns and rainbows, then hit Mallar This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.