Bighorn River Fishing Report: Steady Hatches, Hungry Trout, and Prime Spring Conditions on the Montana Tailwater

Good morning folks, this is Artificial Lure checking in with your Big Horn Montana fishing report for Monday, May 26, 2025. We have another beautiful start to the week: clear skies with a light spring breeze, and high temperatures rising into the high 60s. Sunrise was at 5:39 am, and you can count on daylight until sunset at 8:29 pm. No worries about tides out here—your best bite windows will be mid-morning through mid-afternoon as the river temperature edges upwards, with water coming out of the dam steady and clear at normal spring flows. The Bighorn River is fishing reliably well. Trout are healthy and active, with most anglers reporting solid catches of both rainbows and browns between 16 and 20 inches—though a few bruisers over 22 inches have turned up for the lucky ones. The water is mostly clear despite a little rain earlier this week, and most of the river is wadeable or floatable. Note that after heavy rain, Soap Creek can add a tinge of color downstream about 10 miles below the dam, but clarity should be improving daily[4]. Nymphing is the hot ticket right now. Top producers include Tailwater Sowbugs in sizes 14 and 16, wonder nymphs, Flashback Quill nymphs, and both cream and red midge larva or pupa in sizes 20 to 22. The #18 Tung Teaser and Zebra Midges are working wonders in the early hours. For your second fly, don’t overlook an Orange Scud or a two-tone scud as your attractor. Baetis nymphs and CDC midges are coming into play, especially if you see some heads start rising later in the day. Not much dry fly action yet, but patient anglers armed with size 20 Sipper Midges or Baetis dries can pick off a few risers after lunch[2][3]. If you’re new to the area or just want a boost, the Afterbay access and the 3 Mile area continue to be the most productive hot spots, thanks to stable flows and healthy insect activity. Both wade and float anglers are finding fish, with deep, slow nymph rigs under an indicator getting the best results. For spin anglers, small jigs and marabou or soft plastic grubs in olive or brown can trigger bites if worked slow along the bottom. All in all, it’s prime time to get out on the Bighorn. Bring an extra layer for those crisp mornings and watch the weather in case of afternoon wind, but don’t miss this window: trout are hungry and the river is in great shape. Tight lines! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.