2007 Fishing Outlook
by George Anderson

Snowpack levels way up in February

Earlier this winter things were looking grim. We had some good early storms in October and early Nov., but then not a whole lot of snow through December and January. But then February came and it seemed like there was a pinwheel set up off the west coast sending one storm after another through Montana. It seems like it snowed a little every day at the end of March and early April! Like many years in the past when the ski areas are getting ready to close they are getting tons of new powder! Bridger Bowl and Big Sky finally got some good dumps of up to forty inches in just a few days. The snowpack in our area- the Upper Yellowstone drainage at the end of Jan. was about 70% of normal. But in one month, the snow depths at the ski areas nearly doubled!

Rick Wollum, a ski instructor at Bridger Bowl who works for us at the Yellowstone Angler, said that up at the ski hill it snowed 26 out of 28 days in the month of February! March was warmer and a lot of the low country snow melted but then with the big dumps we got in late March and early April we estimate that the final snowpack figures will put the Yellowstone Drainage at above 80%, giving us plenty of water this summer. Of course our water levels also depend to a smaller degree on the rains we normally get in May and June. Overall it looks good. Now that El Nino is long gone, hopefully we'll see more normal weather patterns that will help to pull us out of a long period of drought.

We look for plenty of water in the Yellowstone near Livingston this summer.

River levels in Livingston should be excellent this summer.  Depending on the spring weather, we are looking at the runoff starting about the first week in May and lasting until the third week in June.   So with a little luck, we should be floating the Yellowstone by June 25th.  Of course it is still too early to get a real fix on this.  We’ll know better by the end of April and see how the snowpack levels end up.  

Even in low snowpack years we always have plenty of water here in Livingston.  We are high enough up on the Yellowstone system that little water is pulled out for irrigation until well below Livingston.  We float various stretches of the Yellowstone, but in mid-summer the guides will float from Gardiner, 55 miles to the South of Livingston, all the way through town and downriver as far as Reed Point, fifty miles to the East.   Below Big Timber the main Boulder river adds a good amount of water and then when you get to Columbus, the Stillwater River flows in and adds even more cool water.   There is good trout fishing as far downstream as Laurel, which is nearly 100 miles East of Livingston, and plenty of water to float down there, even in late summer.  

Paradise Valley Spring Creeks provide wonderful fly-fishing

Anglers from all over the US and the world come to Livingston to fish our famous spring creeks – Armstrong, DePuy’s and Nelson’s.  These are true spring creeks and flow up out of their aquifer in Paradise Valley at a constant 52-58 degrees year ‘round.  They are not affected by runoff and remain clear and great fishing in May and June when the Yellowstone and other freestone streams are in runoff and muddy.  The creeks get superb hatches of Baetis mayflies (small Blue Wing Olives) starting in Late Feb. and running through the end of April.  In May it is mostly nymph fishing but we’ll also see hatches of midges most days.  Then in mid-June the PMD’s start hatching and these big Pale Morning Dun mayflies really get the big fish turned on.  From the end of June all the way through July and into mid-August you’ll see these mayflies hatching almost every day

The spring creeks are all on private ranches and the ranchers charge an access fee but limit the number of anglers each day to insure that everyone will have a quality experience.  Right now it’s only $40, a real bargain.  Then after April 15th and through June 1 it goes up to $75.  From June 1 on throughout the summer the fee goes to $100 per angler.

We reserve rods on all the creeks for guided clients, so depending on when you are coming we may be able to get you on the creeks for a day or two with one of the best guides and outfitters in our area.   We book for the very best Guides and Outfitters in the Bozeman/ Livingston area.

 We also have access to some outstanding local lakes...

Don’t neglect the opportunity to fish some of our local lakes.  We have established some exclusive access on private lakes that are an easy drive from Livingston for the day.  The fishing, especially in the early season during May and June when the runoff is ripping, can be simply mind-blowing. These private lakes charge rod fees like the Spring Creeks but many of our clients caught their fish of a lifetime in these lakes last year!   Rainbows, browns, and cutthroats in the 3-8 pound range are common. On some lakes like Burns Lake, the larger fish are perhaps three pounds but a good angler can catch thirty to fifty nice fish in a good day.  In one lake, a client from Chicago fishing with guide Peter Holman landed forty rainbows over three pounds, with fish up to 5 lb.!  He’ll be back this year for sure to try to do it again. 

This lake fishing is both challenging and a lot of fun.  Some people pooh-pooh it, until they try it. Then they are hooked.  These lakes are stocked with small trout 5-6 inch fish that rapidly grow up into big powerful line burners that are basically wild fish.   A lot of this lake fishing is sight fishing too- where you can spot fish in the water and fish right to them with damsel nymphs, mayfly nymphs or scuds.   There can be some awfully good dry fly fishing too – especially during the damsel fly hatch and then later in the summer when the hoppers are getting blown into the water from surrounding hay fields.

If you are planning a week of fishing in our area, think about doing a day of lake fishing, either with a top guide or on your own.  We have both float tubes and kickboats like the terrific Outcast Super Fat Cat for rental. 

Slough Creek and the Lamar River in Yellowstone Park should be great by late June/early July

If you don’t mind hiking a little, you’ll get away from the crowds and enjoy a day of super dry fly fishing for fat cutthroats in both Slough Creek and the Lamar River.   These streams are an easy 75-mile drive from Livingston. We have one of the few IBP permits that allow the Guides and Outfitters we book for to take clients to these wonderful streams in Yellowstone Park.   Entrance fees are charged and you’ll also need a 3-10 day fishing license for Yellowstone, but it’s all worth it to get some of the best fishing for big native Cutthroat trout in the US.  In early July anglers are treated to intense hatches of huge Green Drakes, Caddis, and PMD mayflies.  The fish go nuts. 

Two other neat places we can send you are the Black Canyon and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in the Park. These require a little more strenuous hiking but the payoff is huge.  You’ll often have the river to yourself and catch big cutthroats in spectacular settings with canyon walls soaring up to a thousand feet above you.   We’ll get out maps and show you just where to go.  These are all good day hikes, from two to six miles.