Best month to fish the Yellowstone River

Month-by-month fishing quality

Why these months?

Two things decide your odds on the Yellowstone River: flow and season. You need the river in its fishable-flow band — so a freestone in spring runoff is out no matter how good the hatch would be, while a dam-fed tailwater holds shape year-round. On top of that, the hatches and water temperatures line up best in September and October and August and July, which is why those months edge out the rest. The Yellowstone River's season runs freestone — blown in spring runoff; prime july–october.

The Yellowstone is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 — 692 miles running free out of the Absaroka wilderness, through Yankee Jim Canyon and down the broad, cottonwood-lined floor of Paradise Valley past Livingston. No dam means no buffer: it runs huge and silty through snowmelt, then drops into one of the great dry-fly rivers in America, holding wild browns, rainbows and native Yellowstone cutthroat that eat salmonflies in July and hoppers all the way through September.

Where to fish the Yellowstone River

Paradise Valley from Carbella to Mallards Rest is the classic float, with even, readable water that suits a drift boat; the town stretch through Livingston has a steeper gradient and fishes best once flows drop below about 7,000 cfs. Wait out the runoff — the river is unfishable through most of May and June and then turns on hard.

Guided trips & lodges to book