Fishing in the Yellowstone River Valley is one of the best ways to spend a Montana Vacation. The consistent fly fishing on the Yellowstone River runs from Yellowstone National Park for almost 200 miles deep into Montana. When fishing the Yellowstone River in Montana there are spectacular views in all directions, and accessing a variety of great water is easy. The Yellowstone River and its tributaries offer one of the most unique and diverse fishing landscapes in the Western United States. Here are Five Great Days of Fishing in the Yellowstone River Valley.
When to Plan Your Five Great Days of Fishing
With no dams controlling flows on the rivers, generally the Yellowstone Valley area is best fished before or after snowmelt runoff. In most years snowmelt runoff occurs from early or mid-May through June. Late March and April can provide intrepid anglers opportunities for consistent streamer fishing, hatches of March Browns and Blue Winged Olives, and, if lucky, the Mother’s Day caddis hatch. When snowmelt runoff subsides in late June, salmonflies kick-start the summer season followed by prolific caddis, Pale Morning Duns, and smaller stoneflies. Late summer transitions into terrestrials and then fall means Blue Winged Olives, October caddis, and streamers.
Where to Go for Five Great Days of Fishing
With hundreds of miles of rivers, streams, and spring creeks, there is no shortage of plentiful water to fish. From the mighty Yellowstone River to mountain freestones like the Boulder River and waters in Yellowstone National Park to the technical sight-fishing on the Paradise Valley spring creeks, going fishing for five days in the Yellowstone River valley provides something for everyone.
Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley
Floating the Yellowstone River is a quintessential experience for anglers when in Montana. The section of the river between Yellowstone National Park and Livingston is generally referred to as the Paradise Valley area, and the views here live up to the name. The Yellowstone River is a large river that is best fished from a drift boat. The Paradise Valley section of the Yellowstone is a classic freestone river with lots of fun structure to fish, both along the banks and mid-river. Brown and rainbow trout inhabit this section of the river, some of them getting quite large, and there are also mountain whitefish, and native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, with the cutthroat trout being more common the closer you get to Yellowstone National Park.
Paradise Valley Spring Creeks
The Paradise Valley spring creeks are famous for their beautiful settings and unique fishing. DePuy Spring Creek and Armstrong Spring Creek are actually the same body of water, however the creek flows through the two respective ranches and anglers fish on one ranch or the other. Across the Yellowstone River sits Nelson Spring Creek. The water on the Paradise Valley spring creeks is consistently clear and about 55 degrees F 365 days a year, making for great fishing year-round. The spring creeks are also a legitimate option in the winter or during runoff when the Yellowstone River is covered in ice or is high and muddy during snowmelt runoff. These private ranches require additional fees to access the spring creek, but only a maximum of 16 anglers are allowed per day. Easy roadside access from ranch roads, comfortable warming huts, and the opportunity to sight fish to trout define these fisheries.
Yellowstone River Below Livingston near Big Timber
After flowing through the historic town of Livingston, the Yellowstone River swings east and makes its way through Big Timber, Columbus, Billings, and Miles City before the confluence with the Missouri River in Buford, North Dakota. Good trout fishing can consistently be found as far down river as the Columbus area, though other species like carp, bass, and goldeneye become more common starting around Big Timber as the gradient slows and water temps aren’t as consistently cool as the river further upstream. Bozeman area fly fishing guides frequently fish the Yellowstone River between Livingston and Big Timber, and large brown trout are often caught in this section, which sees less pressure from local anglers than the Paradise Valley area south of Livingston.
Yellowstone National Park
The northern half of Yellowstone National Park, south of Livingston, is home to several world-class small rivers and creeks. Most of the waters here are open to fishing from late May through October, with the Gardner River near Mammoth and the town of Gardiner open year-round. Once snowmelt runoff ends in early July, Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek, the Lamar River, and the Yellowstone River all are good options. The Gardner River, near Mammoth Hot Springs, clears slightly sooner from runoff than most other rivers in the northern half of Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake is also a good option starting in late June. The sweet spot for these waters tends to be from about the 4th of July through August. During this window of fishable flows and consistent water temperatures, there are often excellent dry fly fishing opportunities.
Boulder River
Overshadowed by the Yellowstone River, the Paradise Valley spring creeks, and Yellowstone National Park's waters, the Boulder River can be well worth the 70 minute drive from Bozeman. However, it can also be high, fast, and technical fishing for averaged size rainbows. The Boulder River is a fast, freestone river littered with large boulders and does not see as much pressure from other anglers due to limited public access, tough wading, and the need for a raft to float its rough and tumble waters. There is only a short window of time when the Boulder River is floatable and fishable. This occurs from the end of runoff in late June or early July until water levels get too low, usually by early August. During this time the river affords fast paced fishing to spunky trout that are often willing to take a dry fly or trout that can be targeted when fly fishing with streamers. The fishing with terrestrials on the lower reaches of the Boulder River, which flows between alfalfa fields, can be superb. Once water levels drop, wade fishing the Boulder is possible, though large rocks and sudden drop offs can still make it tricky.
The Yellowstone River is the longest free-flowing undammed river in the Lower 48. With its headwaters in Yellowstone National Park and boasting a plethora of tributary streams, creeks, and small rivers. the fly fishing opportunities available to anglers in the Yellowstone River valley present a lifetime's worth of diversity. Walk-and-wade anglers will enjoy the Paradise Valley spring creeks or the backcountry nature of the rivers and creeks in northern half of Yellowstone National Park. Floating anglers will have dozens of options for floating the Yellowstone River or the smaller Boulder River. In five days you can sample some of the goodness of fly fishing the Yellowstone River valley, but to truly fish it all you might need five lifetimes.