Bighorn River Winter Wonders: Trout, Walleye and Nymph Flies on Tap (123 characters)

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to fishing guide here in Big Horn, Montana, comin' at ya with the Monday mornin' report for January 12th, 2026. Winter's grip is loose today—mostly clear skies per Powderhorn Mountain Report, hoverin' around 33°F high and 32°F low, no precip in sight. Sunrise kicked off early at about 7:45 AM, sunset 'round 4:45 PM, givin' ya a solid 9 hours of light. No tides up here on the Bighorn River, but flows are steady for winter wadin'. Fish activity's better than you'd think for January—Yellow Dog Fly Fishing reports the Bighorn's producin' solid winter bites as of early this month, with locals pullin' decent numbers of brown trout, rainbows, and a few chunky cutthroats on fly gear. Recent catches include 15-20 fish days on nymphs, nothin' crazy but quality over quantity. Smaller walleyes and sauger showin' in the deeper holes too, per Montana Outdoor chatter. Best lures right now? Go with Big Horn Shrimp Orange flies from Montana Fly Tying—they're hot for draggin' the slower winter currents. Pair 'em with small jigs or spoons in gold/silver for twitchin'. Live bait? Worms or minnows under a bobber in the eddies, or corn for panfish if you're bank-side. Nymphs like sowbugs and scuds are killin' it subsurface. Hit these hot spots: Afterbay below Yellowtail Dam for trophy trout risin' midday, or the calmer stretches near Two Leggins for easier access and consistent grabs. Bundle up, watch for thin ice on backwaters—ain't frozen solid like Boysen Reservoir down south, Cowboy State Daily says that's a bust. Stay safe out there, measure 'em, and let the big ones go. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.