Artificial Lure here with your September 26, 2025 Yellowstone River fishing report—let’s get you dialed in for today’s action.
Weather along the river this morning is classic late September Montana: cool at dawn with air temps in the mid-40s, warming into the upper 60s by afternoon. Cloud cover has been variable recently—high haze and lingering smoke mixed with bright periods, which is helping keep water temps friendly for the fish, holding steady between 61 and 67 degrees. Sunrise hit at 7:14 AM; sunset will hit right around 7:13 PM tonight. Remember, Yellowstone is a freestone river, so tides aren’t a factor, but water flows are low, clear, and running at about 1,580 CFS according to Yellowstone Angler.
Fishing has been steady across most stretches. Hopper action is king right now—fish are absolutely looking up, especially for pink and peach patterns in the high haze, with results best in riffles and faster banks. Trout—rainbows, cutthroats, and some beefy browns—are holding tight in the more oxygenated fast water, so target those seams and avoid the frog water and slow, sunny banks. Mornings are productive as fish are feeding longer with cooler overnight temps.
Catches this week have been solid. Folks fishing the Valley and above Yankee Jim have landed a fine mix of cutthroat and rainbow trout, with some specimens pushing 18 inches. Browns are getting more aggressive every day—fall is their season, so streamer junkies, grab your gear. Nymphing with rubber legs and bead-head princes is picking up good numbers along bankside structure. Experienced hands at Montana Angler say the big fish are still coming out to play, just not quite at peak “fall madness” yet.
Top patterns include:
- Morrish Hopper #6-14, Sweetgrass Hopper #8-10, Thunderthighs Hopper #8-14, Grand Hopper #8-12
- Floating Ants and Beetles, sizes #14-18, especially midday and over grassy banks
- Little Spankers #14-18 in copper, brown, or olive
- Elk Hair or Butch Caddis in #14-18 for the evening bite
- Pat's Rubberlegs #8-12, Mega Prince #10-12 for subsurface
- Sculpin streamers (Lawson’s in Black or Olive, Sparkle Minnow in Coffee), plus articulated patterns like Sex Dungeon or Kill Whitey in #4-6 when going deep.
Live bait is not allowed on the Yellowstone, so stick to artificial flies and lures—those big browns are crushing black and olive streamer presentations, especially in low light.
Fishing pressure has been moderate; as always, give your fellow anglers space and be courteous. For best results, get out early and focus on fast, cool water. If the bite is slow, downsize from the standard hopper—switch to beetle or ant patterns, even tungsten sunken ants, which Yellowstone Angler recommends for fussy fish.
A couple hot spots:
- The Valley stretch between Livingston and Emigrant: good numbers, solid size, and loads of productive riffle water.
- Yankee Jim Canyon: tougher wading, but this is brown trout country, and the streamer bite is strong at dawn and dusk.
For those seeking less pressure, consider the NE section inside Yellowstone National Park. A short hike opens some stash waters packed with hungry native cutthroat—bring PMD sparkle duns and drake emergers and get out mid-morning for the best dry fly bite.
That’s today’s roundup. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for all the latest reports and river tips.
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