Is the Bighorn River fishable right now?

Right now the Bighorn River is running 1,480 cfs, which rates low against its prime 2,500–4,500 cfs band. Today's bite odds are 34 out of 100, with mostly cloudy (64% cloud). These are probabilistic odds from live data, not a guarantee — a sharp change in flow is the variable most likely to slow the fishing.

What is the best month to fish the Bighorn River?

The best months on the Bighorn River are October, November, March, April. These combine settled flows in the river's prime band with the season's strongest hatches. Bighorn River's overall season runs year-round tailwater; prime october–april & summer.

What flow (cfs) is good for fishing the Bighorn River?

The Bighorn River fishes best in roughly the 2,500–4,500 cfs range (its prime band). It stays fishable from about 1,500 cfs up toward 9,000 cfs; below that it's low and skinny, and above 9,000 cfs it's typically blown out and off-color. We compare the live USGS discharge to this band on every reading.

Best time to fish the Bighorn River — flows, forecast & guided trips

Right now the Bighorn River is flowing 1,480 cfs — running low and skinny. Today's bite odds rate 34/100 (Low), and the sky looks mostly cloudy.

1,480 cfscurrent flow

2,500–4,500prime band (cfs)

64%mostly cloudy

Lowtoday's read

Best time to fish the Bighorn River

Booking a guide is a planning decision, not a same-day dash. The best months on the Bighorn River are October, November, March, April — when the flow settles into its prime band and the hatches line up, the odds genuinely worth booking around. Today's flow is one data point; the next 7 days below show how the bite window is trending.

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Flow & bite outlook for the Bighorn River — the next 7 days

Mon 5 AM 34

Tue 5 AM 33

Wed 5 AM 32

Thu 5 AM 30

Fri 5 AM 27

Sat 5 AM 26

Sun 5 AM 24

Day	Flow (cfs)	Sky	Bite
Mon 5 AM	1,480	64% · mostly cloudy	34 Low
Tue 5 AM	1,480	84% · overcast	33 Low
Wed 5 AM	1,480	56% · mostly cloudy	32 Low
Thu 5 AM	1,480	36% · partly cloudy	30 Low
Fri 5 AM	1,480	70% · mostly cloudy	27 Low
Sat 5 AM	1,480	100% · overcast	26 Low
Sun 5 AM	1,480	87% · overcast	24 Low

A ✓ means the flow sits in the Bighorn River's prime 2,500–4,500 cfs band — the season and the moon/solunar windows then move each day's bite odds.

Conditions & the best window

The prime bite is dawn and the last hour of light, strongest around the new and full moon. Today's sky on the Bighorn River looks mostly cloudy (about 64% cloud) — and an overcast day can actually keep fish looking up. Watch the flow as much as the sky: a sharp change in discharge, up or down, can turn the fish off for a day.

The "Upper 13" from the Afterbay to Bighorn access is the famous stretch — best fished from a drift boat with a guide, with wadeable side channels and gravel bars throughout. Flows are set by dam releases, so check the discharge before you commit to a wade.

Guided trips & lodges on the Bighorn River

Links below go to live FishingBooker search results. We're finalizing our affiliate partnership — once active we'll earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you. Disclosure.

A guided day on the Bighorn River typically runs $500–$675 per boat. A local guide who knows the current flow and the productive water is the fastest way onto fish — and the booking is usually made weeks ahead.

Guided fly-fishing float trips on the Bighorn River

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Half-day walk & wade trips, Bighorn River

FishingBooker · guided trips · from $325

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Multi-day lodges & guided packages near the Bighorn River

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These are probabilistic fishability odds, not a guarantee. We build them from live USGS streamflow, each river’s published fishable-flow band, the curated season, and a moon/solunar model — flow and weather can change fast, and even a perfect flow on the right moon can fish slow. Some prime days disappoint; some marginal ones surprise. How we compute the score.