Current Conditions: The flows bumped and it is now muddy for the next few days. Weather forecast looks good for the Yellowstone River near Livingston and north of Yellowstone National Park to come back into shape for another short window of fishing. The famous Mother's Day caddis hatch on the Yellowstone typically occurs in around Mother's Day but the bugs can be active a week or so before Mother's Day.
For this weekend don't expect much on the Yellowstone River as it bumped nearly 3,000 CFS at Livingston. It is likely it will drop next week but if warm weather returns and/or rain hits the river could begin snowmelt runoff in earnest.
What to Watch For:
For the Yellowstone River to become fishable again daytime highs need to be in the 60s or lower and nighttime lows need to remain below freezing in the mountains. Check the flow chart at the end of this report page regularly and if the river trends downward for more than 24 hours it is likely returning to fishable conditions.
Some of our fav patterns when the river returns back to fishable flows and water clarity.
Pat's Rubberlegs in sizes 10-14
Perdigons in size 12-16 in any color
Pheasant Tails in size 10-14
FKA Prince in size 10
Mini Dungeon in size 4
Montana Intruder in size 2 or 4
Purple Haze in size 10-16
Buzz ball in size 18
The Month Ahead:
Hard to say what the next month will look like on the Yellowstone River--but that is one the reasons that we love this larger freestone river. Because the Yellowstone River is undammed and drains the high country of Yellowstone National Park, it has the longest period of snowmelt runoff of the waters that we fish. For the next six weeks or more on the Yellowstone River it is crucial to check our reports and check flows. It doesn't take much for the Yellowstone River to get high and muddy or for it to drop and clear into fishable conditions. But, it does take knowledge...and we have that knowledge.