Yellowstone River fishing report today Biting — save your energy for the evening.

Questions people ask about Yellowstone River

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Yellowstone River.

Is it worth fishing Yellowstone River today?

7 out of 10 — biting. Worth a cast. The strongest stretch is 3:27 AM–5:27 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level and the water temperature.

What time should you fish Yellowstone River?

Today's major windows run 3:27 AM–5:27 AM and 3:51 PM–5:51 PM, with minor windows at 11:50 AM–12:50 PM and 8:45 PM–9:45 PM. Sunrise is 7:02 AM and sunset 7:33 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.

What is the water temperature at Yellowstone River?

54.7°F, read at 6:15 AM from USGS station 06191500. That is 1.7 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago.

What is the water level at Yellowstone River right now?

1.53 ft, read at 6:00 AM from USGS station 06191500. Over 24 hours it is down 0.00 ft.

Are water levels rising or falling at Yellowstone River?

Falling. The lake is unchanged 0.00 ft in 24 hours and down 0.15 ft over the week. Over the last 8 days it has held between 1.52 and 1.69 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.

Can you eat the fish you catch in Yellowstone River?

That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, with the health and environmental departments publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where issued as one statewide document rather than a searchable database, with 21 new or revised PFAS advisories in 2026. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.

Montana FWP fish consumption advisory

Do you need a licence to fish Yellowstone River?

Yes. A Montana fishing license covers this water, required from age 12. FWP sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What a Montana license costs, and who is exempt

What size fish can you keep in Montana?

It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: combined trout (brown, rainbow, golden, cutthroat and grayling), largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Combined trout (brown, rainbow, golden, cutthroat and grayling) limits · Largemouth bass limits · Smallmouth bass limits · Northern pike limits · Check a length against the rules