Yellowstone River Fishing Report: June Runoff, Early Bites, and Prime Evening Dry Fly Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Yellowstone River fishing report for the upper and mid‑river around Livingston, Big Timber, and down toward Columbus. First off, no tides to worry about here in Montana – the Yellowstone’s a free‑flowing freshwater river, so you’re watching **flows and clarity**, not the ocean. With early June runoff still hanging on, expect the river high and pushy, with two to three feet of visibility in many stretches. Side channels, inside bends, and any soft water behind structure are your friends. Weather today along the valley is seasonable: cool at daybreak in the low 40s to low 50s, warming into the 70s by afternoon under partly cloudy skies, with a light west to southwest breeze picking up after lunch. Sunrise hit right around 5:30 a.m., and sunset will be about 9:10 p.m., giving you a long window of prime low‑light fishing. Fish activity has been best **early and late**. The morning bite has been strong on nymphs and streamers, then slowing under the high sun, with a decent evening window for dry‑fly action when the wind lays down. Guides in the Livingston stretch have been reporting solid numbers of browns in the 14–18 inch class, with the occasional 20‑plus, and plenty of feisty rainbows in the 12–16 inch range. Whitefish are still very much in the mix when you’re dredging deep. On the bug front, think **stoneflies, caddis, and early summer mayflies**. Golden stone nymphs and rubber‑legs in coffee, black, or olive have been producing, trailed by smaller bead‑head mayfly nymphs or soft hackles. In the evenings, tan and olive caddis in sizes 14–16 are bringing fish up along softer banks, especially where there’s a bit of foam or a current seam. Best lures and flies right now: - For fly anglers: • Rubber‑leg stonefly nymphs, size 6–10 • Bead‑head prince, pheasant tail, or perdigon, size 14–18 • Olive or black woolly buggers, small sculpin patterns, and white streamers on a sink tip • Elk‑hair caddis, chubbies, and small attractor dries for the evening - For spin anglers: • 1/4‑ounce silver or gold spoons, especially in slightly off‑color water • Small crankbaits in brown trout, rainbow, or perch patterns • In-line spinners in gold or copper with a bit of flash If you’re bait fishing where it’s legal, nightcrawlers drifted just off the bottom in slower seams have been a steady producer for trout and whitefish. Check local regulations carefully—some stretches are artificial‑only or have specific tackle rules. A couple of hot spots to put on your list: - **Pine Creek to Carter’s Bridge**: Classic Yellowstone water with plenty of structure, islands, and side channels. Focus on inside bends and softer banks; this reach has been giving up nice browns on streamers in the morning and nymph rigs mid‑day. - **Greycliff to Big Timber**: A bit less pressure than right around Livingston. Look for shelves dropping into deeper runs and any back‑eddy with three feet of visibility. Spinner and spoon anglers have been sticking solid rainbows and the odd big brown along the seams. If the main stem looks too heavy for your taste, don’t overlook the mouths of feeder creeks and nearby spring creeks; that slightly clearer, colder water can stack fish, especially during midday. That’s the latest from the Yellowstone. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn