Yellowstone River

GAGE LOCATION

DAY/YEAR
GRAPHS

CURRENT
STAGE/FLOW

WHAT TIME

Shields near Livingston

7 30 year

2.47 / 187

1 am

Boulder at Big Timber

7 30 year

2.73 / 345

1 am

Lamar near Tower Falls

7 30 year

1.73 / 274

1 am

Gardner near Mammoth

7 30 year

2.16 / 117

1 am

Yellowstone at Lake Outlet

7 30 year

4.16 / 1420

1 am

Yellowstone at Corwin Spring

7 30 year

2.53 / 2150

1 am

Yellowstone near Livingstone

7 30 year

/

N/A

CITY

Gardiner

NOAA

Accuweather

TWC

Livingston

NOAA

Accuweather

TWC

Billings

NOAA

Accuweather

TWC

HATCH

NYMPH/
LARVA

PUPA/
EMERGER

DUN/
ADULT

EGG-
LAYER

Blue-winged olive

Yellow quill

Mahogany dun

October caddis

Green caddis

Golden stonefly

Salmonfly

Cranefly

Midge

Sculpin

Hopper

Crayfish

Baitfish

Beetle

Ant

The best hopper fishing is near Livingston, from Pine Creek on downstream. When not nymphing of hopperdroppering, try streamers, such as sculpin imitations and olive or brown Woolly Buggers. Streamers in brown and yellow combinations are a good bet. A good strategy is to team a Woolly Bugger with a small beadhead nymph on a trailer or dropper ("Buggers and Beads").

Hatches of caddis, and sulfurs (yellow quills) can bring trout to the surface early in the month. These can be expected to fade quickly, however, and blue-winged olives, tiny olives (pseudos; size 22 blue-wings) will become increasingly important.

Attractor dry flies, such as Stimulators, Royal Wulffs, and Parachute Adams, should also be effective in early September. Midges will be increasingly important near the end of the month.

See the Rivers in General report for more September fly fishing tips.