Current Conditions:
The Yellowstone River has been fishing pretty well lately. Most of the ice shelf ice is now gone and the majorit of ramps are accessible. If you are planning to float double check in advance that both your launch and take out sites are accessible. Late morning midge hatches are often encountered on nicer days and you may even find some rising fish. Water temps are still cool in the morning hours and fishing tends to improve in the late morning and into the afternoon as temps rise. Trout are still in their winter lies so expect to find them in slower runs with a bit of depth for protection. Trout will be highly concentrated so search for the right holding water and once you find some fish slow things down and work the water. Nymphs will be very productive most days and target smaller patterns like size 16-18 bead head attractors and maybe even some larger midge larva. Streamers can still be effective but fish them very slow and deep.
The Month Ahead:
The Yellowstone should fish better and better as spring progresses, with hatches of march browns and spring baetis becoming more prevalent. By mid April we should have more and more surface activity over hatches. As weather slowly warms remember to be mindful of air temps and check the river gauges so avoid spikes in levels from early snowmelt.