Wade46/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All Montana reports
Fly fishing report · West
Yellowstone River Fishing Report — Montana
Is Yellowstone River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Montana before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Tim Evanson Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 2.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Caution
Maybe. Read the cautions first.
46
No clear best access mode. Wade, Bank / edge, and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callHighCurrent flow, weather, alerts, and trip-critical signals support this decision.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 11:33 PM MDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade, Bank / edge, and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edge46/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
Float46/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Restrictions and advisories
Check Yellowstone River before fishing.
These notices match this river report. No notice here does not mean the river is open. Always check the agency before you fish.
Last known active — check nowOfficial restrictionLegal closure
Hoot-owl fishing restriction on the Yellowstone River
- Area
- Highway 89 bridge at Livingston downstream to the Highway 310/212 bridge at Laurel
- Link checked
- Link status
- Checked through Aug 12, 2026, 9:02 PM MDT
- Check again by
- Starts
- Daily hours
- Daily, 14:00–24:00 (America/Denver)
- Repeats
- Daily from 2:00 p.m. to midnight
What to know about this notice
The BlueStreamFly report includes Livingston and Paradise Valley; this notice begins at Livingston and does not apply upstream.
The report includes Paradise Valley upstream of Livingston; only Livingston downstream is restricted.
Your plan
Today's Yellowstone River plan.
The Yellowstone is a large, free-flowing river. It can be excellent when flow is stable and temperatures are safe, but runoff, wind, or warm summer water can turn a good plan into a poor one quickly.
- Check first
- Use the Livingston gauge for Paradise Valley and town-section planning.
- Try
- Start with the Livingston gauge, then decide whether the day is better for floating, careful wading, or skipping the river.
- Leave when
- Skip or pivot when runoff is rising, FWP restrictions are active, water temperatures make trout handling poor, wind makes boat control unsafe, or the public access and takeout plan is not clear.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 2,170 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.Water 66.0°F · 24h high 68.7°F · USGS provisional
- Air now
- 68°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 82.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 56%
For this forecast period
Latest stored weather check
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
- Wind
- 9 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Yellowstone River near Livingston
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Yellowstone River near Livingston
Water 66.0°F · provisional · 24h high 68.7°F provisionalWater observed · high observed
How to fish it
How to fish Yellowstone River today.
Best bets are stable post-runoff flows, cool mornings, and days with enough clarity to fish dry-droppers or streamers along edges. If the river is rising, dirty, restricted, or too warm, move to a colder smaller stream or fish early and stop.
Stable and clear
Fish dry-droppers, caddis, PMDs, terrestrials, and streamer edges.
High or rising
Avoid aggressive wading and look for protected banks only if safe.
Runoff stain
Use large dark streamers or wait until clarity returns.
Warm water
Check restrictions, fish early, and stop trout fishing before handling becomes risky.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 2,170 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1897-2025, 102 readings) show a median near 2,960 cfs and the lower quartile near 2,400 cfs; today's flow is below normal for the date. This is below normal, so edge depth, temperature, and pressure matter.
Recent water heatUse caution
USGS shows a current water temperature near 66F, while the rolling 24-hour high reached about 68.7F. USGS marks the temperature data provisional and may revise it. Keep the plan early and recheck temperature before fishing.
Short-term weatherUse caution
The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.
Best mode nowUse caution
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Hoppers, ants, caddis, and mornings are useful with temperature checks.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use RiverReports and USGS 06192500 near Livingston together. Dropping post-runoff water and cool stable mornings are the cleanest windows. Rising dirty water or hot low conditions should move the plan to another river or a shorter safe edge.
Skip or pivot when runoff is rising, FWP restrictions are active, water temperatures make trout handling poor, wind makes boat control unsafe, or the public access and takeout plan is not clear.
Start with the Livingston gauge, current restrictions, and one access pair such as a Livingston-area or Mallard's Rest plan. Then decide whether the day is a nymph, dry-dropper, hopper, or streamer window.
If the Yellowstone is high, dirty, hot, windy, or crowded, compare the Gallatin for canyon wading, the Madison for a different west-side freestone, or the Missouri for steadier tailwater conditions.
What to try
Yellowstone River flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
March to April
What to look forSkwalas, March Browns, BWOs, midges, and early stoneflies
May to June
What to look forRunoff edges, salmonflies, golden stones, caddis, PMDs
July to AugustCurrent
What to look forCaddis, PMDs, hoppers, ants, beetles, nocturnal stones
Flies to try
Also try Hopper-dropper
September to October
What to look forMahoganies, BWOs, October caddis, baitfish, fall streamer windows
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Yellowstone River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Montana FWP rules include section-by-section trout and smallmouth bass rules on the Yellowstone. Check FWP rules, restrictions, and access information before fishing.
Mallard's Rest FAS
Popular Paradise Valley access with boat and wade planning.
Pine Creek Bridge area
Important upper-river rule and access reference point.
Carter's Bridge and Mayor's Landing
Livingston-area access points for town-section planning.
Montana stream access law allows public use below the ordinary high-water mark, but it does not allow crossing private land without permission.
Boat traffic, wind, and high water make this a poor beginner wade river at many flows.
Yellowstone National Park water has separate rules and permits upstream of the Montana reach.
River sources
Official Yellowstone River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This Yellowstone River report is maintained from RiverReports and USGS Livingston flow data, Montana FWP fishing regulations, central district rules, current closure and restriction sources, stream-access law, FishMT and Mallard's Rest access information, Yellowstone National Park fishing context, weather, media-credit, and Paradise Valley freestone planning guidance.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 10 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Quick answers
Quick Yellowstone River answers.
What should I check first before fishing the Yellowstone River?
Check RiverReports or USGS at Livingston, FWP restrictions, water temperature, wind, clarity, and the exact reach rules.
Are there special fishing rules on the Yellowstone River?
Yes. Rules differ by reach, especially for cutthroat and smallmouth bass. Use current Montana FWP rules.
What flies should I bring for the Yellowstone River?
Bring the hatch-chart flies, a few confidence nymphs, and a streamer or warmwater box that matches the river's species. Then adjust for water temperature, clarity, and the insects or baitfish you actually see.
Can I wade the Yellowstone River?
Yes in public reaches, but it is big water. Wade conservatively and respect private-land boundaries.
When should I skip the Yellowstone River?
Skip it when flows are unsafe, water is too warm for trout, emergency closures are active, or legal access for the reach is not clear.