"Bighorn River Fishing Report: Rainbows, Browns, and Fall Hues in Big Horn, MT"

Good morning from the banks of the Bighorn River, this is Artificial Lure bringing you the day’s fishing report for Monday, October 20th, right here in Big Horn, Montana. First light broke at 7:29 AM this morning, with sunset expected around 6:20 PM, giving us a solid window of fall angling. Crisp air greeted us at dawn, with temps dipping into the upper 30s but climbing toward a pleasant mid-60s by late afternoon—ideal sweater weather for casting and wading. The skies over the Bighorn started mostly clear, with calm winds under 10 mph, so patience on the river should be well-rewarded. Over the weekend, we did see a brief cold front and some spotty overnight frost, but this morning the only thing thick on the water was hopeful mist. Tidal influences don’t play into Bighorn tactics, so set your eyes and lines instead on river flow, clarity, and fish movement. Today, the river is running just a hair below 3,000 cfs out of Yellowtail, providing steady current and good underwater structure but keeping weed drifts manageable. Water clarity has improved, offering nearly 5 feet of visibility—a real treat for sight fishing. Fish activity has been upticking alongside the stable weather. October is prime time for trout as they move into feeding frenzies ahead of winter. Rainbows are especially active, averaging 15 to 18 inches, and quite a few bruisers over 20 inches have been reported in the last few days by guides and locals alike. Browns are beginning to color up and stage for their upcoming spawn—anglers have landed solid numbers, particularly in runs and tailouts below Afterbay. Midges and small blue-winged olive mayflies are hatching thick, mostly mid-mornings and again late afternoon. Nymphing is the ticket: think zebra midges, Ray Charles sowbugs in tan and grey, and copper johns in size 16 or 18. If you’re looking for a topwater thrill, take advantage of the BWO hatch by drifting Parachute Adams or CDC sparkle duns in sizes 18-20—reports from the Three Mile area say the trout are looking up for anything with a delicate footprint. For bait anglers, fresh nightcrawlers drifted just off the bottom or live minnows have yielded a few hefty browns, especially deeper near the Bighorn Access and at the Narrows. Spin casters have had luck with small gold Panther Martins and Mepps, especially in the morning when sunlight skips across the surface. The spots to hit today: try upstream of the Afterbay Dam near the weed beds for active rainbows, or head downstream near Soap Creek for browns lurking in the undercuts. Don’t overlook late-evening fishing near Mallard’s Rest, where browns hunt before dusk and the river gets real quiet. Big Horn’s autumn scenery is in full color, and with trout on the move, there’s no better time to be knee-deep in Montana’s finest water. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe for your next report and good luck out there on the riverbank! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Gr This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.