Winter has arrived here in southwest Montana. With December less than two weeks away, it is time to embrace winter. Snow now is essential for good summer time streamflows, but even with winter now taking over there is still fishing to be had. If you still want to get in some streamer fishing, now is a great time to finish the fishing season strong. Many of our rivers and streams can provide decent winter fly fishing options, but some are better than others. Read some of our recent blog posts featuring: 5 Tips to Improve Your Fly Fishing with Streamers or Winter Fly Fishing Options Near Bozeman. Our tailwater fisheries of the Upper Madison and Missouri Rivers are good bets right now while our freestone rivers like the Gallatin and Yellowstone Rivers are still hanging in there but will soon have shelf ice and where you can fish safely will be limited to certain sections. If you are looking for consistently solid options for winter fly fishing near Bozeman, they are the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks because they have a consistent water temperature of 52 degrees 365 days of the year. For adventurous anglers, there are two options in Yellowstone National Park that are open year-round, but soon they will most likely be snow covered or unsafe to fish because of shelf-ice.
Southwest Montana Fishing Reports Overview
- Very Good
Winter is here on our local rivers near Bozeman and Big Sky. With the recent cold front that passed and the snow that came with it, we feel confident that winter is here to stay. That doesn't mean we have hung up the waders and the rods until March. In fact, many of our rivers can fish quite well in...
Yellowstone River Fishing Report
- Very Good
Winter is here in on the Yellowstone River which means the big-time trophy trout hunters might have to wait another year before the behomoths really chase streamers again. Potential still exists through November for a dandy, but as the water temps continue to drop the fish get more and more sluggish...
Upper Madison River Fishing Report
- Very Good
Winter has finally hit the Upper Madison. With the latest cold snap and snow, winter is here to stay in the Madison Valley. The fishing is now going to shift to winter-like fishing compared to what we've seen the past several weeks. Hatches of Blue-Winged Olives are done and the streamer bite has...
Lower Madison River Fishing Report
- Very Good
Winter on the Madison is here. We had the occasional guided fly fishing trip on the Lower Madison off and on for the past month, but that will slowly decrease as our guides shift from fishing to skiing soon. Any reports of decent dry fly fishing are pretty much done for the season, but if the wind...
Gallatin River Fishing Report
- Very Good
November fly fishing in the Big Sky and Bozeman area on the Gallatin River means many of rivers are in a transition mode. But the Gallatin River is one of our local rivers for fly fishing near Bozeman that remains relatively consist when we move from one season to another. Additionally, the flows on...
Montana Spring Creeks Fishing Report
- Good
Current Conditions: Blue-Winged Olives are slowly dwindling on the Paradise Valley spring creeks. Look for inclement weather for the best hatch opportunities but bugs are still being spotted on the nice days we are forecasted to see for the weekend. The spring creeks are in great form this time of...
Stillwater River Fishing Report
- Good
Current Conditions: The Stillwater River is running about half of its normal flow for this time of year but floating anglers can still get down it with the right craft and some dragging of the boat. Most anglers on the Stillwater River right now are going to be walking-and-wading and covering some...
Boulder River Fishing Report
- Good
Current Conditions: The Boulder River near Big Timber and half way to Billings is running clear and cold right now, but it remains a consistent option for fly fishing for the fall season in Montana. It is too low for float fishing and in the low, clear water the wild trout on the Boulder River right...
Jefferson River Fishing Report
- Fair
The Jefferson River is in a great range of water temps for trout---which isn't always the case with the Jefferson. Even with this warm weather for fall the Jefferson River is a good option if you want some solitude over fishing action. Streamflows are returning to more fish and angler friendly flows...
East Gallatin River Fishing Report
- Good
The East Gallatin River originates in the Bridger and Hyalite Mountains near Bozeman, Montana and is a local's favorite for some small stream freestone river fishing during November. Becuase the East Gallatin runs low this time of year and sees some localized pressure, it can be quite technical so...
Missouri River Fishing Report
- Very Good
Winter has finally come to the Missouri River near Wolf Creek and Craig. With the cold and snow that just passed through and now with another shot in the forecast, fall is gone and we are now staring down four to five months of winter fishing on the Mo. That is not a bad thing as winter on the...
Ruby River Fishing Report
- Good
The Ruby River near Sheridan and Twin Bridges has some unique regulations. They are: Upstream from Ruby Reservoir: Open Downstream from Ruby Dam: Angling is closed the entire year just below Ruby Dam, from its confluence with Ruby Dam outlet channel upstream to the dam, including the outlet channel...
Montana Lakes Fishing Report
- Good
Current Conditions: During September, Montana's Lakes and ranch ponds like the smaller private ranch lakes that we target such as Burns and Sitz vary in fishing action throughout the fall. This is mainly due to lake depth, springs feeding into them, and shade cover along the banks. Hatches of...
Small Streams Fishing Report
- Good
Current Conditions: With hundreds of miles of small stream fishing in Montana, November can provide some exciting small stream fishing for those anglers with a sense of adventure. With so many small streams and tiny creeks to fish in Montana it is impossible to report on them all. But be sure to...