Bighorn Fishing Report: Vibrant BWO Hatches and Aggressive Trout on the Bite

Hey there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Bighorn fishing report for this fine Wednesday, April 30th. The Bighorn River is really coming alive now as we push into late April. Water's finally clearing up nicely after that greenish tinge we saw earlier this month, and the grass that was breaking off has mostly cleared out. Water temps are climbing steadily with our recent stretch of warmer weather, which has the fish increasingly active. The BWO hatches I mentioned might be coming a couple weeks back? They're now in full swing! Blue-winged olives are bringing fish to the surface when conditions are right, especially during cloudy periods. This is giving us some consistent dry fly fishing opportunities that we've been waiting for all spring. Fish activity has been excellent lately. The rainbows and browns have fully woken from their winter slumber and are feeding aggressively. They know it's time to pack on the calories. Nymphing is still producing the most consistent action, but don't miss those afternoon dry fly windows when the BWOs are popping. For flies, I'm having great success with Black Micro Mayflies, Pearl/Olive Jiggy Perdigons, Black Zebra Midges, and Tailwater Sowbugs in the 16-20 size range. The scud patterns in olive and orange are working well too. And never underestimate a good ol' worm pattern on the Bighorn - pink, red, or brown, they're all getting grabs. For the dry fly folks, size 18-20 BWO patterns are your ticket right now. Streamer fishing has been hit or miss but is producing some of the larger fish. Try Sparkle Minnows, Skiddish Smolts, and Geisha Girls, but fish them slow and deep since the bigger fish are still holding in the deeper runs. For hot spots, the stretch below 3-Mile Access has been particularly productive, especially in the deeper slots where fish are piled up. Also check out the area around Bighorn Access where there's been tremendous action in the morning hours. The river's been a bit crowded on weekends, but midweek fishing gives you plenty of elbow room. Get out early to claim your spot - sunrise is around 6:00 AM these days, with sunset pushing toward 8:15 PM, giving us nice long days on the water. No tidal report needed here on our beautiful tailwater! Weather for the next few days looks mighty fine - temps in the 60s with some scattered clouds, perfect for those BWO hatches. Tight lines, y'all! This is Artificial Lure signing off until next time. Stop by the shop for the latest intel if you're heading this way! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.