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Walleye fishing has slowed down with a few being caught out from the Silos in the river channel in 15-20 feet of water while using bottom bouncers with various colors of spinner blades. Rainbow action is picking up on the north end while trolling cowbells or spoons. Shore fishing for rainbows is producing good results at Hellgate, Shannon and Chinamen’s while fly fishing with nymphs or using worms. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena
Hell Creek General Recreation Information (October 18, 2023)
Streamer season is in full swing, fish have been happy and hungry and willing to chase down a meal. Start with your confidence pattern and take it from there. Our favorites have been yellow or grey Dungeons or a black Dragon. Small sculpins and sparkle minnows have been picking up fish too. There are some baetis coming off to so you can find fishing looking up for a 16-20 baetis on overcast days. Nymph fishing has also been good, wooly buggers, worms, and prince nymphs have been best for us!
Suggested Fly Patterns
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Dry Fly
Parachute Adams (12-18), Chubbies Pink, Olive, Tan (8-12), Morrish Hopper Pink, Purple, Tan, Brown (10-14), Thunder Grass Hopper Tan (10), Donkey Kong Hopper Tan (10-14), Fat Albert Pink (12-14)
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Streamer
Woolly Bugger (4-12), Mini Dungeon Black/ Natural/ White (6), Montana Intruder (4), Sparkle Minnow JJ’s, Silver (4-8), Double Gonga Black/Rainbow (4), Sculpzilla Black/ White/ Natural (4-8)
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Nymph
Pat’s Rubber Legs (6-12), Zirdle Bug (6-12), Woolly Bugger Black/ Olive (4-12), Perdigon (14-18), Pheasant Tail (10-18), Jigster Baetis (14-18), Prince Nymph (10-18), BH Hare’s Ear (12-18), Sizzlin’ Hot Spot Squirrel (14-16), Matt’s Shagadelic Mop Tan/ Brown/ Green/ Cheeto (10), Hare’s Ear (14-18), Dirty Bird (12-16)
Rainbow fishing continues to be great throughout the reservoir while trolling pink and silver crankbaits or spoons and while fishing from shore at the Gates of the Mountains and Departure Point with crawlers and a marshmallow, Wooly Buggers, Prince Nymphs, or various spinners. An occasional kokanee salmon is being caught while fishing for rainbows near the public boat ramps on the lower end of the reservoir. Perch and walleye action has slowed down, but a few are being caught in the canyon near the Gates of the mountains and around Cottonwood Creek while pitching green, white, or pink jigs with night crawlers. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Sunday Mo River Foreshadowing
Sooner than later. Not yet.
BWO’s have been reported here locally. Not what we have seen out there at all. Lots of the baby BWO’s, no longer in the Baetis family, but the smaller cousin.
BWO’s, the true insect, will not come without lower water temps. So, have a great time, fishing to smaller olives.
We are damn close though with water temps currently 56F. It can happen at this temp, and may very well kick off a great month ahead.
Will the trout eat BWO patterns that are larger than the insect the trout are enjoying? Yep. They will.
Cripples, emergers, and some duns will get the fish interested.
What will keep them interested are great drag free drifts.
Swingers Unite! Weed levels continue to decrease as the swing bite advances.
Flathead River-  lake whitefish starting to run. Small schools showing up from Old Steel bridge to Columbia Falls bridge. Try 1/8 to 1/4 jig heads with green tubes or craws. Also jigging spoons in green colors. There are also lake trout in river and a few cutthroats. 
Thompson River- excellent Brown and brookies try small spoons, and spinners.
McGregor Lake-  troll flicker shad‘s, or Rapala’s along shore for rainbows. Try tubes and craws for smallmouth.
 Middle Thompson- good pike action near weed beds on jerk baits.
Echo Lake-  smallmouth bass good 15 to 25’ of water drop shotting.
 Flathead Lake- try 35 to 50’ of water near rocky shoreline trolling flasher with flies or large spoons. Try Lakeside to West shore also Woodsbay area. South end- Finley Point, Bird
Island and Rock Point.
Lake Mary Ronan- still good perch, action 25 to 30’ of water.
- Flathead Lake – Seeing lakers in the shallow water. Try trolling in 40′-60′ feet using Apex trolling lures and spoons or jigging white tubes and hairjigs.
- Flathead River – Whitefish are starting to show up in limited numbers. Trout fishing remains good using small nymphs and terrestrial patterns.
- McGregor Lake – Rainbows are starting to move along the shore. Hearing about a few Macks being caught around Champion Bay and Mack Bay.
- Bitterroot Lake – Kokanee are schooling around the launches and creek mouths. Try trolling in 30′-50′ using wedding rings or jigging Boji Blades.
- Murray Lake – Good trout fishing around the shores. Try using PowerBait or marshmallows off the bottom and casting Jakes Lures or Kastmasters.
- Smith Lake – Good Pike fishing using Jaw Breaker Spoons and whole fish under a pike hanger.
This Kootenai River Montana fishing report is being brought to you by Orvis Endorsed Linehan Outfitting. This report will be updated weekly to provide current conditions, weather, hatches, patterns, and flows to our local waters and across the state.
Flows from Libby Dam: 4000cfs
Water temperature at Libby Dam: 42 degrees
Hatches: midge, baetis
patterns: zebra midge, parachute Adams, parachute pmd, Rosenbauer’s olive rabbit foot emerger, purple haze, purple chubby, red chubby, olive sparkle dun,bh prince, soft SJ worm, bh pheasant tail, bh rubber legged stonefly, big streamers in white, pink and olive, circus peanut, black conehead buggers
It’s not quite spring up here in Kootenai River country but we have good news. Flows from Libby Dam have been reduced and will be stable at 4000cfs through the end of March for now. That means there’s some great early season fishing available right now.
Expect more clammy cloudy weather through the weekend and into next week. March continues to come in like a lion and we’ve yet to see the lamb. Rain and snow mix will dominate forecast. Fortunately daytime temps will ooch into the forties which is at least a small sign of spring around here.
At the moment the river is clear and in good shape. Don’t expect much in the way of dry fly fishing and insect activity until we get some substantially warmer daytime temperatures. The water is still cold but trout will start to feed a bit in the coming weeks.
This is always a good time of year for nymphing. With low flows you don’t need a heavy rig. You just need to get the flies down in softer runs and pools where trout are most likely to be holding this time of year. Don’t spend a ton of time fishing fast riffles.
Streamer fishing is also productive this time of year especially since bigger fish will be hungry after laying low for a couple months during the dead of winter. Keep in mind they will not necessarily want to move too fast or too far to get a meal. Get your streamers down and fish them slowly and erratically. Nothing like a wounded minnow to get a big rainbow interested in at least a sniff.
In Boston Red Sox news, it’s PLAY BALL! After several weeks of a lockout the players union owners have finally come to an agreement. Spring training will start immediately and while opening day was and remains delayed until April 7, the season will still be 162 games. For now the Sox have managed to keep essentially the same playoff roster they had last season. Infielders Dalbec, Arroyo, Bogaerts, and Devers are key players. In the outfield Jackie Bradley Jr. has returned to Boston and Kike Hernandez and Verdugo will anchor the deep green. Ace Chris Sale will hopefully be healthy and other starters from last year will hopefully pick up where they left off in October. Go Sox!!!
Give a call anytime if you need more Kootenai River details or information on any of our hunting or fishing adventures. And please check out our e-commerce site for all Linehan Outfitting branded swag and Orvis gear. https://linehan-outfitting.myshopify.com/
We look forward to hearing from you. 406-295-4872
Fresno and Nelson Fishing Report by Brian Olson (October 12, 2023)
Fresno is 26% full, inflow 58 cfs outflow 40 cfs. Fishing is fair. Landing at dam is only usuable ramp on lake. Most structure is out of the water. Use your sonar to locate fish. Nelson 85% full, inflow 20 cfs outflow 0. All fishing is good. There are good numbers of perch being caught, most in the 8”-10” size. Walleye fishing for most has been good to excellent. Most are pulling bottom bouncers with crawlers or minnows. 15’ +- seems to be best depths. Sleeping Buffalo should have all the baits you need but call them first. Good fishing.
Happy October everyone. This is a season of change, a time for the serious anglers to be out and about here in Montana. The leaves are colored up and so are the brown trout. As they move to spawn they get highly aggressive, and if you want to catch a big brown on a streamer fall is a great time to do it.
On the note of spawning, please be really careful when you’re out wading and moving around our rivers. Redds are starting to show up in gravely areas and the last thing those fish need is people walking through them or bothering them. When you see redds just give them space and leave them alone. Don’t fish over them, don’t walk through them, just let them be.
On to the fishing.
YELLOWSTONE RIVER
The Yellowstone River has had its fair share of muddy days recently with storms and rainfall coming out of Yellowstone National Park, but on the whole it has been fishing quite well. The crowds of summer have largely dissipated and we are all trying to soak up as much fishing as we can before winter weather sets in. This past week we’ve been seeing the first signs of winter creep into the high peaks so we know it’s not too far away.
As mentioned above, streamer fishing has been picking up. The best days are overcast, but don’t be afraid to break out the big stuff on sunny days. The old adage of “bright day, bright fly/dark day, dark fly” is a good one to stick to. We’ve heard good reports from people stripping, swinging and dead drifting streamers. Try different retrieves, strip lengths, bumps and pauses, and sizes/colors/profiles until you find what they like. We’ve got a wide variety of streamers at the shop, stop in and we’ll help you find the right ones.
We’re also starting to see good hatches of Blue Winged Olives now. This hatch is our go to fall dry fly hatch, and occurs midday. Cool and cloudy days are best, and this time of year it’s a crapshoot if the wind will cooperate. Fishing a BWO nymph behind something larger is a great choice until you start seeing fish eating emergers and adults. These bugs get small, so pack the 5x and your patience.
MADISON RIVER
The Upper Madison River is pretty stellar in the fall. Consistent flows keep the river clear and the fish happy. The big browns are out and about this time of year. Watch for redds and break out the streamer stick. The entire Upper is fishing well right now, and you can find eager fish throughout. For the dry fly anglers, look for midges and BWOs – best on the cloudy days.
The Lower Madison River is a great close to town option. Water temps are staying low, fish are active, and the tubers are gone. Look for BWOs on the cloudy days, fish streamers in the buckets all month long, and enjoy it. There are always a few really surprisingly large fish that come from the Lower every year, and this is the time of year when you can find them. Swinging a BWO emerger just as the hatch is kicking off midday can be a lot of fun…
GALLATIN RIVER
The Gallatin in the canyon and above is fishing pretty well, but the real star of the river is the lower sections. Water temps and irrigation pressures have both alleviated some concerns and things are fishing well. There’s a couple fun floats down there and if you’re willing to walk a bit from fishing access sites you can find some good wade fishing. Fish are eating streamers and you can have some surprisingly good days on BWOs down here.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
The season is drawing to a close in Yellowstone National Park, but as always the best is saved for last. We’ve got some excellent dry fly fishing across the board, with fall BWOs being some of the best hatches of the year here. The Firehole, Gibbon and Madison on the Western side are spectacular this time of year. The Madison always sees some really large fish come out of Hebgen Lake, but please be very mindful of redds and don’t harass those fish.
The Northeast corner is fishing very well also. Look for midges and BWOs and the streamer bite across the entire park is great. This time of year, as always in the Park, be hyper vigilant about wildlife. Don’t get too close, give all animals plenty of space. And never be without your bear spray.
PARADISE VALLEY SPRING CREEKS
The Paradise Valley spring creeks are back on the radar as crowds have thinned, rates have dropped, and the fishing is still really good. You can find solid hatches of BWOs for the month of October, but be forewarned – these fish are picky. If you feel up for a challenge bring the 6x and size 20s and have at it. Fall and winter fishing here on the creeks is a ton of fun.
LIVINGSTON AND THE SHOP
We’re in full on fall mode here in Livingston. The leaves are beautiful and the air is crisp. Here at the shop we’ve got a ton of great apparel to keep you cozy and comfy whether you’re in a drift boat all day or just hanging around town. We’re slowly making the transition to winter mode and it won’t be long before we’ve got skis out again! Speaking of skis, don’t miss our annual backcountry film festival – now the Pray For Snow Celebration – on Nov 16th and 17th.
There’s a lot of great fishing left to be had this month. Stop in or give us a call and we’ll make sure you can take advantage of it. Tight lines this week!
Rainbow fishing continues to be great at the Causeway, Black Sandy, around York Bridge while using crawlers and a marshmallow, Wooly Buggers, Prince Nymphs, Panther Martins, or while trolling pink and silver crankbaits or spoons. Walleye fishing has slowed down, but a few are showing up while using jigs and worms in 10 to 20 feet of water inside the Causeway Arm, near Black Sandy, and around Devil’s Elbow. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Water temps are slowly on the drop and fishing seems to be picking up. This was our last ‘busy’ weekend and not busy like the Summer. If you like solitude and great weather, this is a good time to fish the Bighorn.
Streamer fishing has been productive for most. Small Buggers like the Grinch, Lil Kim and Thin Mints are working their magic. Fish the troughs with sink tips for some bigger fish too.
WORMS, big Orange Scuds and Carpet Bugs are the 3 main patterns you need subsurface. Keep your bugs clean and the fish will find them. There is quite a bit of grass below 3 Mile, but it appears to be clearing out slowly with the cooler nights.
A few Tricos are around in the AM, but definitely on the way out. You’ll find a few big fish looking up to get your dry fly fix!
Kootenai River via Montana Fishing Addicts 2.0 (October 16, 2023)
MT-Montana Trout: Today’s amazing spot on the Kootenai. Pulled in 10 rainbow and red band trout. Kept three 13 inches. Lucy was helping 
The 2023 season is slowly wrapping up in the Greater Yellowstone Area
Montana
Hebgen: The dry fly fishing on the lake is pretty much finished. Callibaetis/Chironomid nymphs should be fishing okay. When you aren’t seeing fish rise it may be worth stripping leeches, larger streamers, or large damselfly nymphs in either the Grayling/Madison arms of the lake, as migratory Browns and Rainbows are for sure moving into the tributaries.
Flies: #8 Black or Olive Simi Seal Leech, #6 Balanced Squirrel Leech Black, #6 Olive or Black Hot Bead Leech, #8 Thin Mint, #12 Balanced Damsel, #6 Peanut Envy Brown, #6 Sculpinator, #12 O.S. Buzzer
Flows:
Inflow to Hebgen Lake: 772 cfs
Hebgen Lake Outflow: 834 cfs
Kirby Flows: 875 cfs
** Flows as of 12pm October 15th, 2023 **
Upper Madison: Not much has changed since 10/8 🙂 The Madison is of course still nymphing very well. Smaller mayfly and caddis nymphs, as well as dip style midges are what we’re throwing lately. Dry flies are quickly wrapping up in the valley but streamers are heating up on the upper as the weather chills. We could still see some BWO’s on the rainier days however.
Flies: #16-18 Redneck, #16-18 Shop Vac, #18 Black Crystal Dip, #18 Olive Micro Mayfly, #18 Hogan’s S&M Black, #16 Olive Hot Spot, #18 BWO Comparadun, #16 BWO CDC Comparadun, #6 Peanut Envy Brown/Olive, #4 Rio’s Make it Rainbow Brown/Yellow, #6 Black Hot Bead Leech, #4 Brown Sculpinator, #4 Olive/White Barely Legal
YNP
Streamers & Soft Hackles are the Kings of October in YNP
Flows:
Madison near West Yellowstone: 385 cfs
Yellowstone below Yellowstone Lake : 785 cfs
Gibbon: 101 cfs
Gallatin near Big Sky: 355 cfs
** Flows as of 12pm October 15th, 2023 **
Gallatin: The Gallatin is low, clear, and cold enough that you don’t need to be there before 10/11am. Dry fly eats are going to be few and far in between this time of year. We recommend nymphing small mayfly and caddis nymphs. Don’t shy away from small streamers and leeches on cloudy/cold days.Flies: #16-18 Shop Vac, #16-18 Black Krystal Dip, #16 Red Neck TBH, #18 Olive Zebra Midge, #18 Red Copper John, #18 $3 Dip, #8 Simi-Seal Leach Black, #6 Slump Buster Olive, #6 Hot Bead Thin Mint
Madison/Firehole/Gibbon: Same ol’ Song and Dance! Lake run fish have finally ascended into the Madison. We’re getting them pretty consistently on streamers on days with more inclement weather. Soft hackles have also been fishing well most days. The Gibbon is nymphing decent but hoppers are pretty much done here as well. Soft hackles should also be taking fish on the Firehole.
Flies: #8-10 Partridge and Orange, #8-10 Partridge and Pheasant Tail, #14 Prince Nymph, #16-18 Frenchie, #14 Diving Caddis, #6 Olive Slump-Buster, #6 Olive Montana Mouthwash, #8 Black or Olive Hot Bead Leech, #6 Double Bunny Olive/White, #6 Olive Slump-Buster
Yellowstone/NE Corner: The Yellowstone is slowing down drastically as the season continues. The Lamar and its tributaries will also start slowing down as they are at a much higher elevation than here in West. Fish should still be eating nymphs streamers and soft hackles pretty reliably however.
Flies: #16-18 Redneck, #16-18 Shop Vac, #18 Black Crystal Dip, #18 Olive Micro Mayfly, #18 Hogan’s S&M Black, #16 Olive Hot Spot, #6 Black Hot Bead Leech, #6 Olive Slump-Buster, #6 Olive/Black Crystal Bugger
We are now booking float, & walk/wade trips for the 2024 season. Give us a call if you have any questions or are looking to book a guided trip.
Missouri River Fishing Report via MT Fishing Addicts 2.0 (October 16, 2023)
M.O.: No wind, moss or bugs just a beautiful day on the Mo. The smallies were hungry today.
The snagging season for Kokanee Salmon opened on September 1st and will run through October 31st. Limits are 35 salmon daily with 70 in possession. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
