Fishing Montana

Our 2009 Spring and Summer Outlook

By George Anderson

Our snowpack here in the Upper Yellowstone River drainage looks to be close to 100% from the last reports.  By this time of the winter (approaching March) we get a pretty good feel for what is going to happen with our river flows by judging the existing snowpack.  But lots can happen between now and early May, when the runoff on the Yellowstone should start.    The other drainages we fish like the Gallatin and Madison are also reporting good snowpack levels, both in the mid 90% bracket.

We have had an unusual winter here so far.   The worst storm of the season, dumping the most snow here in Livingston was in October.   That was crazy!  November and December were fairly normal with the mountains getting a lot of snow but not much here in Livingston.   Then in January and February we had unseasonably mild temperatures.   There were many days when it was in the mid-40’s in both Jan. and Feb. and we were out having fun on the Yellowstone and the spring creeks – it seemed like it was March or April!  The best part was that the mountains were still getting plenty of snow, but here in town it was mild and dry.  Weather has been obscure the last few years, and we know that we could still get slammed with more snow in March and even early April.  These spring storms, especially the ones in March are the ones that can dump a lot of snow up high, improving the already good snowpack figures.  

So what does all this mean?  Really, we just take an educated guess but I’m thinking that we’ll see a relatively normal amount of water in the Yellowstone this summer, which will be great, and a relatively normal season with the Yellowstone clearing up and becoming fishable in late June.  Last year we had so much snowpack that it took the Yellowstone a long time to clear up – mid-July!  A lot of water went down the river in June, and we were very lucky that we didn’t have any flooding.  If the unseasonably mild weather we have had in January and February continues, low country snowpack will melt and will definitely reduce the length and volume of our runoff.  The Yellowstone should be fishable in late June and my guess is that by July 4th we will be having some good dry fly fishing.  Keep posted for more details on our website in our fishing reports section.  

The famous Mother’s Day caddis hatch can produce some spectacular dry fly fishing in the end of April and early May, just before the runoff starts.   Last year we didn’t have much fishing on this hatch but with the lower snowpack levels this year I’m expecting that we’ll have some exciting caddis action in the latter part of April and early May.   Hit this right and you will have some of the best dry fly fishing in your life!   It’s just too bad that this heavy hatch doesn’t last longer that a week or so, but once we start getting those mid-80 degree temperatures in early it’s usually all over.  Then the river really starts coming up hard.  We are often fooled, thinking it’s over but then a few cool nights and the river is fishable again.  The fish are so turned on to the bugs that the visibility into the water may only be a foot or a foot and a half yet fish are rising like crazy along the banks.  Last year we had the river completely to ourselves because everyone thought it was muddy and the fishing was incredible.

Our best spring fishing really starts in mid-March when the Baetis hatches appear on the Livingston Spring Creeks – Armstrong’s, Depuy’s, and Nelson’s.  These small blue winged olive mayflies that are mostly gray in appearance and size 18-20 are the first “big” mayflies to show up of the year and really get the fish turned on, racing around and gulping the little mayflies down like it was their last meal.

On cloudy days these Baetis hatches can be intense and will produce some unbelievable days of dry fly fishing on the Spring Creeks.   Anglers lucky enough to hit a good day of dry fly fishing on these Baetis hatches are in for a treat.  The fish haven’t been molested all winter and they are easy to catch on high riding dun patterns that are easy to see on the water.  A few weeks into the hatch the trout get a lot tougher though, and then you’ll often have to resort to the best emerger patterns.  Nymph fishing on brighter days is almost always very good on Baetis nymphs, scuds, sowbugs, and a variety of midge patterns.   Midges hatch most days and can provide some nice dry fly fishing on the slicker water before the Baetis kick off in mid-day.  The Baetis begin hatching as the water warms up a bit, and it seems like the best fishing occurs in mid-day, from 10 or 11 am to 3-4 pm.

These small size #18 Baetis mayflies also show up on the Yellowstone River but usually not until late March or early April.  Then this hatch continues right up until the runoff starts in early May.

April is a wonderful time to be here fishing in the Livingston area.  The weather is usually quite nice with little chance of the snow showers we encounter in March.   Many anglers like to split their time on the spring creeks and the Yellowstone.   Some of the local lakes like Burns Lake near Big Timber will be ice free by then and red-hot fishing for 18-22 inch rainbows.   In April and throughout May, you can also take advantage of some excellent fishing on both the Missouri and Bighorn rivers.   Lots of our anglers like to spend a few days here in Livingston and then do 2-3 more days on one of these big tailwater rivers before heading home.    The Missouri is the best bet if you like dry fly fishing since the Baetis hatches start up there about the same time they do here on the Yellowstone, while the Bighorn will be almost entirely nymph fishing.

In the early season the weather is generally mild with daily highs up in the 40’s and 50’s and 60’s.   But we can have some stormy weather too, especially in March, and you need to be prepared with warm clothing, heavier fleece underwear under your waders, a good pair of warm fingerless fishing gloves, and a warm hat.   With one of the good breathable rain jackets worn as a windbreaker you can stay out there in the nastiest weather when the hatches are the most intense.   Some of the very best dry fly fishing I’ve had in March has been in snowstorms!   Those dark stormy days always produce the most intense insect hatches. The bright, sunny days make for pleasant days on the stream, but the hatches are much lighter and you may have to resort to more nymph fishing to catch the best fish.

When will the Yellowstone be fishable and the “salmon fly” hatch come off?  Given the current snow pack and weather, I'm guessing that this will happen in late June this year.  Maybe even the middle of June if it the weather stays mild.   We are certainly seeing the effects of global warming here in Montana.  Our winters seem to be getting shorter and milder.

As the runoff tapers off, and the river changes from brown to a more of a greenish color with 1-2 feet of visibility, this is the time to get out there and blast some big fish on stonefly nymphs before the salmon fly hatch starts.  It’s also a good time to sling the big ugly stuff too – big dark streamers that will catch some impressive sized browns and rainbows.  As the water continues to drop and clear we’ll see heavy hatches of caddis, smaller stoneflies, and even the big Green Drake mayflies.   One thing we’ve found for sure over the years is that the Yellowstone doesn’t have to be crystal clear to have some outstanding fishing.

One of the unfortunate by-products of global warming is the fact that water temperatures will keep going up in the hot summer months.  Here in Livingston we are lucky enough to be far enough upstream on the river that high water temperatures are generally not a problem.   From Big Timber down towards Billings where the river slows down and there is less gradient, high water temperatures are a much larger factor.  With a lot of hot weather the river temperatures here near Livingston can get up into the low 70’s and this can cause stress problems for the fish.   When this happens, the Fish and Game place regulations on the big rivers that do not allow fishing after 2 PM.  Fortunately this has only happened a couple of times in the last ten years, and then only in that late July to mid-August time period.

We’ve found that we can work around this late afternoon closure on the Yellowstone by getting our clients out on the river earlier and quit earlier.  There is always some great streamer fishing very early in the mornings, even on hot days, so we’ll start at 6-7 am. You can fish until 2 PM but you don’t have to be off the river by then, so the guides use another hour or so to float to the take-outs.   And if the fishing is really good early, they will wait and eat a late lunch at 2 pm, and then head for the boat access. We have learned lots of tricks like this to contend with warmer water temps.  Luckily when we get into late August and early Sept. the nights are cold enough that the water temperatures drop a lot and are no longer a problem and we are able to fish all day once again.   With the amount of snowpack we have this winter I doubt that we’ll have any problems with warm water this year.  The spring creeks flow out of the ground at a steady 55-59 degrees, so they stay cool all summer as do most of the other smaller streams and rivers like the Boulder and Gallatin.

Along with the Yellowstone River and our local spring creeks, we have a wealth of other places we fish including the Madison, the Gallatin and both the West and Main Boulder rivers that flow into the Yellowstone near Big Timber.  There are also lots of smaller mountain streams close to Livingston that are a lot of fun to fish for smaller trout, many in the 12-16 inch range. Some of our favorites are Mill creek and its branches, 6-mile creek, Big Creek and the upper Shields. Eastern anglers love these small streams and you often have them to yourself.

We are also one of the few fly fishing shops that have a commercial permit to guide clients inside Yellowstone National Park.   From July on through October the fishing on Slough Creek, the Lamar River and Soda Butte creek in the northern part of the Park, can be outstanding.  Access is very good right from the highway, but if you like to combine a little hiking with your fishing, you’ll love these streams.

We also have access to some spectacular private lake fishing for our clients.  Burns Lake, Sitz Ranch, and a couple others near White Sulphur Springs are the best.  All of these private lakes charge an access fee like the spring creeks, but limit the number of anglers so it is never crowded.   We have lots of clients that don’t think they would like fishing a lake, but when they come back in after catching some of the largest trout of their life, they are really excited about adding a day or more on the private lakes in their itinerary for next year’s fishing trip.

I'm very pleased to announce our same staff of premier guides will be returning again this year.   In addition, James Anderson, (George’s son), who many of you have met in our shop, will be guiding this year, adding to the number of top notch guides and outfitters that we utilize as a booking agent.   James has been one of our best and most likeable guides in the past and many of our customers will want to fish with him now that he's guiding on a full time basis.

We are looking ahead to a good year of fishing here in the Livingston area.  We should have plenty of cool water all summer.   And the fish seem to be getting bigger every year now that most people are fishing on a catch and release basis.

Yeah, the economy has been ugly these last few months, but you don’t want that to spoil your fishing trip to Montana and some of the most fun you’ll have all year!  As always we’ll do our best to help you set up your trip and put you into the best fly fishing around with the best guides in Montana. 

Give us a call or e-mail us and let us help you set up another memorable fly fishing trip to Montana.