Bighorn Country Fishing Report: Winter Tailwater Trout in MT's Bighorn Basin

This is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Bighorn country fishing report around Fort Smith and Big Horn, Montana. We don’t worry about tides out here, just flows and weather. The Bighorn below Afterbay is running clear and stable, classic winter tailwater mode. According to the latest Bighorn River report from Bozeman Montana Fly Fishing and the 12/9 Bighorn update on Montana Outdoor, the river’s fishing **well for December**, especially from Afterbay down through 3-Mile and on to Bighorn Access. Weather-wise, today you’re looking at a typical early‑winter mix: overnight temps well below freezing, daytime highs climbing into the low 30s to maybe upper 30s with light wind and a chance of thin high clouds more than real storms. Local forecasts put sunrise right around 7:40 a.m. with sunset a little after 4:30 p.m., so your **prime bite window** is late morning through mid‑afternoon when that water bumps a degree or two and the bugs and trout wake up. Fish activity has been surprisingly steady for the season. Guides reporting to Montana Outdoor and Bozeman Montana Fly Fishing say **nymphing is king** right now, with plenty of healthy Bighorn browns and rainbows in the 14–18 inch class and a few pushing past 20. Numbers have been solid if you park on good winter water: slow seams, shelves below riffles, and the softer guts of deeper runs. Best producers: - **Nymphs:** Tailwater sowbugs, orange scuds, and small perdigons are the money makers, with black zebra midges and small soft hackles as droppers. Run them on 4X fluorocarbon, light weight, and get that drift dead‑slow. - **Streamers:** When clouds slide in, folks are moving bigger fish stripping **sparkle minnows, mini dungeons, and small baitfish patterns** in olive, tan, and black. Short, stout leaders and a slow swing along structure are getting crushed. - **Dries:** It’s scratchy, but not dead. On calm, overcast afternoons there are still a few blue‑winged olives. Keep a couple size 18–20 BWO emergers or parachutes handy for those random pods nosing up in soft slicks. If you’re not fly‑fishing, think small and subtle. **Best bait** has been: - Tiny pieces of nightcrawler or red worm on light fluorocarbon, drifted under a small float in the softer seams. - Maggots or a single salmon egg where legal, fished just off bottom. Couple of **local hot spots** to focus on: - The classic **3‑Mile to Bighorn float**: seams and riffle tails like Breakfast Hole and Hot‑Dog Run are stacking winter fish in knee‑to‑waist‑deep walking‑speed water. - The **upper wade section right below Afterbay Dam**: clear, stable temps and concentrated fish in the first mile or two make it a great half‑day walk‑and‑stalk. Keep your presentations slow, your feet quiet, and give each lane a few extra drifts; these cold‑water trout won’t move far, but they’re eating if you put it on their nose. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a Bighorn update. This has been a quiet please pro This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.