Bighorn River Below Yellowtail: Early Summer Nymphing and Evening Surface Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Big Horn country fishing report out of south‑central Montana, centered on the Bighorn River below Yellowtail. No tides to worry about here—this is all tailwater, all the time. With steady releases out of Yellowtail Dam, flows have been running on the mild side and nice and clear, classic Bighorn conditions. Overnight lows have been cool, with afternoon highs pushing into the upper 70s to low 80s under mostly sunny skies and light winds, the kind of weather that keeps trout happy and bugs moving. Sunrise is around a quarter after five in the morning, sunset a bit after nine in the evening, giving you a long window to work the water. Fish activity has been strongest early and late. Mornings have seen consistent subsurface action with nymph rigs, while afternoons slow a bit under bright sun unless you target deeper seams and shady banks. Evening brings a noticeable bump in surface activity as the light drops and bugs stack up in the film. Recent catch reports from local guides and shop talk in Fort Smith all line up: good numbers of healthy browns and rainbows in the 14–18 inch class, with the occasional pig over 20 for folks who stay patient and fish methodically. Anglers running double nymph rigs have been putting up steady counts—dozens of hookups on better days—with most fish coming out of knee‑ to thigh‑deep riffles and the soft edges below them. Waders picking apart heads of runs are doing nearly as well as boats. On the lure and fly front, keep it simple and match what’s been working: - For nymphs and subsurface: small mayfly patterns in the 16–20 range, scuds and sowbugs tight to the bottom, and a midge pupa as a dropper. A bit of weight to tick rocks has been the difference between looking good and catching fish. - For streamers: small to medium articulated patterns in olive, tan, or black stripped slow along the banks early and late. Cloudy spurts in the afternoon have given streamer junkies a short but sweet window. - For bait where legal on nearby reservoirs and ponds: nightcrawlers and leeches under a slip bobber have been producing rainbows and a few walleye, especially in the low‑light hours. A simple jig‑and‑minnow combo is still tough to beat. Two local hot spots to keep on your radar: - The Afterbay to 3‑Mile stretch: cold, clear, and crowded with fish. Work the classic Bighorn shelves, foam lines, and mid‑river buckets. Even on busy days, careful boat positioning or patient wading will get you into unpressured seams. - The 3‑Mile to Bighorn Access reach: a touch less pressure, with plenty of productive side channels and softer banks that hold bigger browns. Look for subtle depth changes and inside bends; those soft edges have been quietly giving up some of the better fish. If you’re planning a mission this week, think early launch or late‑day swing, bring plenty of small bugs, and don’t be afraid to change depths until you start bumping fish. The river’s in good shape, the trout are eating, and it’s a fine time to be out in Big Horn country. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn