Yellowstone River Fly Fishing Guide

Fly fishing guide for the Yellowstone River: The Yellowstone is a large Montana river where current, seasonal runoff, and access logistics shape the fishing day. Use the gauges to understand the river before choosing a section.

Common species: Cutthroat trout, Rainbow trout, Brown trout

Live Yellowstone River flow charts

Gauge readings are public monitoring data and should be combined with local regulations, weather, release schedules, and a visual check of safe wading conditions. Readings typically refresh every 15 minutes.

• Yellowstone River At Miles City, Mt — USGS site 06309000 (official station data)
• Yellowstone River At Glendive, Mt — USGS site 06327500 (official station data)
• Yellowstone River At Forsyth Mt — USGS site 06295000 (official station data)
• Yellowstone River Near Sidney Mt — USGS site 06329500 (official station data)
• Yellowstone River At Billings Mt — USGS site 06214500 (official station data)
• Yellowstone River Near Livingston, Mt — USGS site 06192500 (official station data)

Map coverage and access planning

17 named stream reaches are indexed for this guide in the Montana map dataset.

Open the Yellowstone River stream map · View campgrounds near the river · Read the Montana hatch chart

Fishing approach

• Mapped Yellowstone reaches and tributary connections
• Gauge coverage across a large watershed
• Large-river banks, riffles, and side-channel structure

Respect runoff and scale

The Yellowstone can remain powerful even when a bank looks approachable. Check trend and stage, choose conservative access, and avoid assuming that a familiar flow number has the same meaning at every station.

Fish structure, not just distance

Inside bends, drop-offs, side channels, and foam lines can concentrate fish. Streamers and larger nymphs are useful search tools, followed by smaller patterns when fish are visibly feeding.

Fly patterns to start with

Golden Stone, Pat's Rubber Legs, Woolly Bugger, Chubby Chernobyl

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Flow data can be delayed or unavailable. Verify current regulations, access permissions, weather, and safe conditions with the relevant agency before fishing.