Last Updated: 12/06/2007

Yellowstone River

Lasts week's cold spell has finally pushed the Yellowstone into it's Winter fishing cycle. We say cycle because the fishing on the Stone this time of year is completely dependant on the weather, most importantly how cold and windy it gets. We can have some extremely good midge fishing (with dries) on the Yellowstone, even on days as cold as 25° fahrenheit. I've had some very pleasant winter fishing days when the temp was in the high 20's as long as the wind isn't blowing hard. Once temperatures drop below 10° fishing the Yellowstone is nearly impossible due to floating slush ice. Then you are better off heading for the spring creeks, where you can catch fish in ANY weather. Here are some general temperature guidelines as to what you can expect when fishing the Yellowstone during the Winter months:

50° Call the boss, you're sick! Grab your rod

40° Pleasant fishing unless the wind is a gale

35° When the ice isn't freezing in your guides, it's more fun

25° Guides are freezing up but fishing can still be good

20° Anchor ice and slush ice make fishing difficult

15° Head for the Spring Creeks if you must fish

10° Head for Big Sky or Bridger Bowl Ski area

0° (See above)

-10° Think bonefish in the Caribbean, Argentina, NZ

-20° Give it up, your car won't start

Where should I go?

The best places to fish on the Yellowstone during the winter are where warmer water flows in. Here you'll find the fish stack together like cordwood and you can often catch 10 or more nice fish out of a bucket if you are careful. Start at the bottom of the bucket or run and work up, picking them off one by one, being sure to rip them out of there as soon as you get tight so they don't stir up the pod. You probably already have some good ideas as to where some warmer water flows into the Stone. If not, stop by the shop and we'll draw you up a few of our favorite spots. Most of these places are small and can only support one or two anglers for about an hour. After that you'll want to drive (or float) to the next spot. If you're not finding fish, just keep trying new spots until you get a bite. Once your rod gets bent, fish that spot thoroughly as you are likely to have found a good sized pod.

What should I tie on?

Midges are the main hatch during the winter. If the wind is calm you might see a rise or two, but for the most part you'll be ticking the bottom with nymphs. Midge larva, (specifically red) is one of my favorite winter time flies. A burgundy zebra midge will help get you down, otherwise just bring your split shot. A dead drifted sculpin this time of year can also be especially deadly. Again the key here is getting your depth right. You want these flies to be floating naturally right in front of their face. Here's a quick list of some tried and true winter patterns for the Stone:

Mercer's Rag Sculpin (size 6)

Olive Whitlock Matuka Sculpin (sizes 4, 6)

Olive/Brown Gander (size 2)

Olive Woolhead Sculpin (size 4)

Red Epoxy Head Midge (sizes 18, 20)

Barr's Red Pure Midge Larva (sizes 18, 20)

Red Wire Nymph (sizes 18, 20)

Black BH Zebra Nymph (sizes 18, 20)

Burgundy BH Zebra Nymph (sizes 18, 20)

Miracle Nymph (sizes 18, 20)

Midge Cluster (sizes 16, 18)

Student's Gray CDC Midge Emerger (sizes 18, 20)

Harrop's Gray CDC Midge Adult (sizes 18, 20)

Harrop's Gray CDC Biot Midge Emg. (sizes 18, 20)

Red Mini SJW (size 14)

Otter's soft milk egg (size 16)

Paradise Valley Spring Creeks

If ski slopes don't appeal to you and the River is frozen you can always find decent Winter fishing on the creeks. We've even fished them in temperatures well below zero. Your expect to catch anywhere from 5 - 10 fish a day. The nice thing is you can often get away with 4 or 5X tippet this time of year as fewer anglers are on the creek and the fish have seen less flies.

Which creek should I go to?

The Creeks all fish about the same this time of year. Perhaps on a nice sunny day there might be a little less pressure on Armstrong's and Nelson's, (since people who have purchased the DePuy's Winter Pass will most likely want to take advantage of the good weather). On colder days, you can pretty much have any of the creeks all to yourself. You may have stick your guides in the creek every now and then to keep the ice off of them, but that's part of the price of admission...

What flies should I bring?

Scuds, sowbugs, and midges are the main staple through the winter. You can see baetis hatches all the way through December however. A dead drifted sculpin is sneaky way to offer larger fish a meal too generous to pass up this time of year. Strangely enough, some rainbows will spawn in January and February on the creeks so it is a good idea to watch out for redds. This is one of the few times that your Yellowstone fly box will mirror your Spring Creek Box: