Howdy, folks—Artificial Lure here with your Yellowstone River fishing report for Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, beaming in from Livingston, Montana. We’re deep in late fall fly season, and while the weather’s throwing us a classic blustery Montana curveball, it’s game-on for big trout if you’re willing to suit up and brave the breeze.
Let’s kick off with today’s **weather:** Expect crisp highs in the mid to upper 40s, maybe peaking just above 50 if the sun pops out, while overnight will chill down to the upper 20s. Winds are the wildcard today, gusting up near 30 mph around the valley, especially toward the afternoon. According to Don Day’s weather, we’ll see partly sunny skies with a shot at patchy fog early, so bring an extra layer and a hot thermos. Sunrise in Billings (your closest major point) is at 7:01 AM, with sunset set for 4:54 PM, giving us just a slice of prime daylight—make it count.
On the river, water temps have settled between 61–67°F, and flows (CFS) are holding steady. The current doesn't fluctuate as dramatically as tidal water, but periodic cold nights do push the bite window to midday, lining up beautifully with the Blue Winged Olive hatch, which hits hardest from late morning through early afternoon.
**Fish activity:** The trout are still feeding hard before winter truly locks us down. Browns are migrating, rainbows are prowling, and the cutthroat are doing their thing in the upper reaches. Reports from the Yellowstone Angler and Montana Outdoor say anglers have been pulling sturdy browns and rainbows from just north of Livingston, with some big fish hooked near the Valley and above Yankee Jim.
**Recent catches:** The talk this week is about browns in the 18- to 24-inch range giving chase to nymphs and streamers. Rainbows have been active, too, and cutthroats—while less common right now on the main stem—are still turning up in the spring creeks. Monster lake trout news is coming out of Flathead Lake, but the Yellowstone fish are plump and raring to feed—no slouches here!
For **lures and bait:**
- **Flies:** Blue Winged Olive nymphs (#14-18), midge patterns (#18-22), and hopper patterns (mostly peach and pink hoppers, sizes #8-14) are taking top honors.
- **Streamers:** Bronze and gold colors are killer in low light, with smaller articulated patterns like the Zoo Cougar, Woolly Scuplin, and Sparkle Minnow all moving fish. Fish them with short, sharp strips and don’t be afraid to work the rod—animate the fly for a “reaction bite.”
- **Bait:** If you’re sticking to conventional, worms and live insects work, but flies remain the ticket.
**Hot spots to hit:**
- The **stretch north of Livingston** is producing, especially midway to Emigrant—midday is best here for both dries and nymphs.
- **Yankee Jim Canyon** and Paradise Valley spring creeks (Armstrong's, Depuy’s, Nelson’s)—these waters are classic late season brown trout haunts.
- Canyon Ferry Lake (a short drive) is full of hungry rainbows if you want to flex with a different trophy.
**Pro tips:**
- Longer leaders (12' 6X) help when the water’s glassy and the trout are spooky.
- When the hatch is popping, go small—#16–20 on the nymphs.
- On cold, sunny days, floating ant and hopper patterns are still getting looks near the banks.
That wraps today’s report—Yellowstone is still serving up world-class action before the freeze. Make sure to give fellow anglers some space and keep those waders handy; one more big brown before Thanksgiving is the Montana way!
Thanks so much for tuning in. Be sure to subscribe for more reports on the water you love. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Más
Menos