May Fishing Report!

Hello from Yellowstone County! Our Spring here in Montana has been pretty short so far. It was basically full-on winter here until about April 20th or so when it started to warm up a little bit and it stopped snowing. Over the past few weeks the Yellowstone River has been high and muddy. The forecast for this week looks warm, most days in the low to mid 70s. The Yellowstone is currently running at 7,270cfs in Gardiner and going up. We won’t start fishing the Stone until the end of June at the earliest. If you are staying in Livingston or Gardiner and want to fish, our Secluded Lakes are the best bet until Yellowstone National Park opens for fishing on the 27th of May.

If you are staying in Bozeman or the surrounding area, the Missouri River near Craig, MT is the best float fishing right now through June. Give us a call, and we would love to set you up with one of our expert fishing guides!

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Yellowstone Pre-Runoff

We had a handful of good days on the Yellowstone this spring before it blew out. Nymphing with Rubberlegs and Pertigons was definitely the most effective method of getting fish in the net. Some days were nice and sunny, but most were rainy, snowy, and cold! We expect the river to really get high this week. High water is a great time to raft the Yankee Jim Canyon if you like BIG rapids. Some big rocks moved around in there during the flood, so be sure to scout it from the road before you blast down it.

Lake Fishing near Gardiner and Livingston

Currently, the best place to fish in the Paradise Valley area is on a stillwater fishery. Lakes are not affected by runoff and the water temps are getting warmer by the day. Story Lakes, Jones Lake, Burns Lake, and a few others are all fishing well right now. If you are in Livingston, and are looking for a great day on the water, let us take you to one of our stillwater fisheries! There may be some dry-fly action, but most of the fishing is subsurface with chironomids and leeches. The views are fantastic and trout are healthy!

The Missouri River

For anglers who are here in Montana during May and June, The Missouri River below Holter Dam is the best place to fish from a drift boat. Craig is about 2 hours from Bozeman and 2.5 hours from Livingston. If you are looking to do a Spring float trip while you are here in Montana, let us get you set up on the Mighty Mo. The nymphing has been solid as of late and the streamer bite is picking up.

We are excited for the warm weather to come this week, and we are even more excited to fish in Yellowstone National Park! All entrances are open. The new road into the Park in Gardiner has been open since October. If you will be visiting Gardiner, Livingston, Bozeman, or Paradise Valley this June, let us take you on a Yellowstone fishing adventure! We still have guides available, but advanced booking is recommended to make sure you get your trip on the books!

Tight Lines!

Yellowstone River Outfitters

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