The Bighorn River Fall Fishing Forecast: Nymphs, Streamers, and Afternoon Bites Abound

Good morning from Big Horn, Montana—this is Artificial Lure, bringing you your October 23rd fishing report straight from the banks of the legendary Bighorn River and the surrounding waters. Today started crisp, with sunrise at 7:38 AM and sunset coming at 6:14 PM—so there’s still plenty of daylight for those afternoon bites. Fall has wrapped its fingers around the valley: golden willows line the water, the air’s hanging at a cool 32°F early, warming to the low 50s under plus-or-minus mostly cloudy skies, and a gentle breeze out of the northwest rolling at 7 to 12 mph. According to the Montana flow report, river conditions are ideal—steady, clear flows and no real signs of drought locally, although heavier snow is sitting off in the mountains and to the west, so roads and banks might be a little slick. The Bighorn River is living up to its reputation for prime fall fishing. The October hatch is on, especially with blue-winged olive (BWO) mayflies popping late morning through the afternoon. Browns are on the move and getting aggressive pre-spawn, while rainbows are still active in feeding lanes. According to Montana Outdoor, fall nymphing is as “good to great” right now, and streamer action is picking up by the hour—especially when those clouds hang low. Recent angler reports say double-nymph rigs are your bread and butter—think small rubberlegs, midges, and mayfly nymphs. Try a Mega Prince or a smaller Frenchie paired with a flashy lil' Spanker or classic Prince nymph. For dries, keep a Chubby Chernobyl or Water Walker Salmonfly rig on standby if you see any surface action. Streamers like the trusty rusty trombone, Schultzy’s Sculpin, or a sparkle minnow will tempt those bigger browns holding tight or moving up into shallower riffles. Hot bait: fish are favoring natural patterns, which means if you’re spin or bait fishing, a nightcrawler drifted along the bottom or under a float is a near guarantee for rainbows. PowerBait and small spoons have been performing well from the banks around Afterbay and below the dam spillway. Recent catch tallies: action has been steady with mixed bags of 10-16” rainbows and a good showing of healthy browns, many pushing that 18-22” mark. Anglers are reporting “plenty of fish eager to eat” up and down the tailwater, with some mornings yielding a fish every ten casts—especially between 3 Mile Access and the Bighorn Access ramp. For your best shot at a Montana memory: - Head for the stretch from 13 Mile Creek downstream—less pressured, strong riffled runs, and fewer boats this week. - The Afterbay to 3 Mile Access section is always productive this time of year with deeper pools and meaty browns chasing streamers on the swing. Don’t bother checking the tidal report—these are river waters controlled by Cold Springs Dam, so flows matter far more than ocean tides out here. One last pro tip: Don’t rush out before coffee. The water is coldest at dawn and the bite really heats up late morning into the afternoon as the This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.