28 July, 2024 - Yellowstone River and Livingston Area Fly Fishing Report
How is July almost over already?! The summer is truly flying by. The heat wave most of the country has been experiencing has not spared us, and we have been scorching under some much higher than normal temperatures for the last few weeks. It’s nice and cool out there today, however!
Fishing has been good this July. One of the most often asked questions we’ve been getting in the shop is around the low water. Yes, flows across the board are quite a bit lower than last year. Yes, there are numerous Hoot Owl fishing restrictions and outright closures across the region. Yes, water temps are high across the state. There is still plenty of good fishing to be had, but you might have to take some extra steps to find it.
First, the bad news. The list of rivers under Hoot Owl continues to grow. If you don’t already know, a Hoot Owl fishing restriction means absolutely no fishing from 2pm to midnight every day. The afternoon is the hottest part of the day, and this is when fish are the most stressed. You can find the full list on FWPs website here: https://fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions. Most notably for us here in Livingston, the Yellowstone River below 89 is now on Hoot Owl.
When fishing in hot weather and water temps, be sure to fish as early in the day as you possibly can. Don’t fish in the heat of the afternoon. Fight your fish quickly, keep them in the water as you unhook them (barbless is great!), and release them as quickly as you possibly can. We all need to do our part to respect the rivers and the fish, and to keep the resource as healthy as we can.
Yellowstone River
As just mentioned, the Yellowstone River below the 89 bridge is on Hoot Owl. Mornings can still be productive, but we’d recommend you head above town for the best fishing. We are entering that period of late summer when there isn’t a whole lot hatching, but you can still find caddis in the evenings and some yellow sallies around. Nocturnal stones should be coming up soon and are a great excuse to get out on the water early.
Attractor dries like a Royal Wulff, small chubby, and other classics are a solid choice right now when you aren't sure what they’re eating. Be sure to have a solid selection of terrestrials in the box as well - ants, beetles and hoppers. Hopper season hasn’t really kicked off yet, but they will eat smaller patterns right now. Ants are a great choice, especially if you let them sit just below the surface behind a larger dry. A drownded red ant can be deadly on picky trout.
Perdigons and any jig style nymph are a good bet for late morning and into the afternoon when the sun’s high. Put one beneath a big attractor dry and cover two zones. Dead drifting small, unweighted streamers like a zonker is a deadly tactic right now as well.
Madison River
The Lower Madison River is on a Hoot Owl restriction, and we’d recommend just staying away from it until this fall. It’s hot, it’s super busy with recreational floaters, and there’s just better water around.
The Upper Madison is running a bit warm as well, with Hoot Owl in place from the Ennis fishing access to Ennis Lake. If you’re headed this way, go higher up. Summer on the Madison River can be a lot of fun, and now is a great time to get after it. Caddis in the evenings, PMDs are still around but tapering off, and you’ll see some other mayflies around as well. A big purple haze or parachute adams in 12-14 is a good bet. Have some chubbies in the box, as well as attractor dries and terrestrials. In a few weeks the hopper bite will start getting better and better.
The Upper Madison attracts a lot of attention for the streamer game, often later in fall. Don’t overlook it this time of year. Fish a smaller streamer like a sculpzilla under an indicator and work the buckets well. Caddis larva nymphs and lightning bugs and little spankers make a great trailer nymph.
Gallatin River
The Gallatin River in the valley is running low and warm, with a Hoot Owl restriction in place below Erwin Bridge in Belgrade. If you wanted to fish the Gallatin River, we’d recommend you head up into the canyon. The water is still pretty cool up here, and it's been a very good caddis year. Spruce Moths are on everyone’s mind and they will be showing up any day now. A dedicated spruce moth pattern or a size 14 tan elk hair caddis with the wing smushed down is a must have for late morning.
Caddis are the main hatch, but you can still find some scattered mayflies around. A basic parachute adams or purple haze fished midday is a good bet, and be sure to have some terrestrials. If you have to fish hoppers, fish small ones. Ants are a great bet, with red always performing well. Beetles typically work well on the Gallatin too.
If you have a Yellowstone Park fishing license, fishing the Gallatin up that high is a ton of fun this time of year. The fish aren’t huge, but the scenery is beautiful and it’s a cool experience.
Yellowstone National Park
The list of rivers closed to fishing in Yellowstone National Park continues to grow. The famous waters on the west side are all completely closed, and the northeast corner is under a partial closure from 2pm to sunrise every day. This includes the Gardner River, Yellowstone River, Slough Creek, Lamar and Soda Butte Creek. Get the full details here: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/24030.htm
Fishing in the morning in the NE corner has been good, with caddis and attractors yielding the best results. Fish as early as you can, be bear aware, and respect the fish and waterways. Now is a great time of year to do some exploring up smaller creeks that typically run quite a bit cooler. Fish aren’t as big, but that can be a lot of fun.
The High Country
Late summer is generally when the high country gets the most pressure. And why not, it’s a great escape from the heat and warmer water temps down low. Most of the lakes and creeks in our area mountains have some incredible fishing if you’re willing to spend the time and energy to get there. The best way to figure it out? Come by the shop and grab a map. Find a blue line in the mountains or a blue dot up high. Odds are good there’s fish in there. Discovery is half the fun of fishing the high country. We can get you set up with all your hiking and backpacking gear you need while you’re in!
Livingston and the Shop
High summer is here, and so is the smoke. We’ve had some very smoky days around Livingston lately. Keep an eye on the air quality if you’re expending a lot of energy and time outdoors and be safe out there. Be sure to pack enough water on these hot days, and do your best to shade yourself and keep cool and comfortable.
Things have been super busy around the shop lately as we’ve been helping visitors from around the world as well as our beloved locals get out and enjoy Montana. There is so much to love this time of year.
Stop by and tell us a fishing story or two, we’d love to hear it! Tight lines this week.