Bighorn River Fall Fishing: Nymphs, Streamers, and Hatches for Trophy Trout

As of November 17th, the Bighorn River in Montana is offering some excellent fall fishing opportunities, despite the onset of cooler weather. ### Weather and Conditions The weather has been quite pleasant, with clear skies and cooler nighttime temperatures, which has led to some grass breaking off in the river. This time of year, the water temperature is around 56 degrees, making it ideal for trout activity[3][4]. ### Sunrise and Sunset Sunrise today is at about 7:15 AM, and sunset will be around 4:30 PM, giving you a good window for fishing. ### Fish Activity Fish activity has been consistent, especially subsurface. Nymphing has been the most productive method, with fish actively feeding on worms, scuds, and sowbugs. San Juan Worms in blood red or burgundy have been particularly effective, along with Orange Scud, Tailwater Sowbug, and Carpet Bug Sowbug patterns[3][4]. ### Types and Amounts of Fish The Bighorn River is home to a healthy population of trout, including browns and rainbows. While the dry fly bite has been spotty, there have been reports of fish taking Pale Olive Baetis and midges. However, the majority of the catch has come from nymphing and streamer fishing. Big, healthy fish are still being caught throughout the entire river system[2][3]. ### Best Lures and Bait For nymphing, focus on using #10 Squirmy Worms, #14 and #16 Orange Scud, #16 Tailwater Sowbug, and #16 Nightmare Perdigon. Streamer fishing has also been productive with patterns like the #4 Articulated Goldy, #4 Dirty Hippie, and #6 White Zonker[3]. ### Hot Spots One of the best areas to fish is the upper three miles of the Bighorn River, where you can find consistent hatch activity from about 11:00 AM until dark. This section is particularly good for PMD, Black Caddis, and Tan Caddis hatches. Another hot spot is below the 3 Mile access point, where you can find good numbers of big Tan Caddis and other hatches[2]. Overall, the Bighorn River is in great shape for fall fishing, with plenty of opportunities to catch some big trout. Just be sure to keep your bugs clean due to the breaking grass, and enjoy the peaceful, less crowded conditions. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.