Montana
Hebgen & Quake Lakes: With the weather cooling down, the lakes are going to start fishing noticeably better. Browns should begin staging in the shallows any day now, if not already. stripping streamers is the ticket with these aggressive fish. Otherwise the bobber fishing is still solid with leeches, callibaetis nymphs, and chironomid imitations being the ticket under the waves.
Flies We’re Fishing:
#16 Found Link Callibaetis, #16 Spinner Long Tailed Callibaetis, #16 Peacock Chubby Chernobyl, #20 CW Trico Spinner #18 Bucky’s Midge Cluster, #18 Black, Olive, OR Red Zebra Midge, #14 O/S Opal Buzzer, #14 Olive Nugget, #14 Turkey Callibaetis, #16 Brush Hog, #14 Black/Red Ice Cream Cone, #8 Black Vegas Booby Leech, #8 Black OR Olive Simi-Seal Leech, #8 Hot Bead Thin Mint
Madison Flows:
Hebgen Lake Inflow: 596 CFS
Hebgen Lake Outflow: 772 CFS
Kirby Flows: 853 CFS
Cameron Flows: 983 CFS
Water Temp @ Kirby: High 64 F
Low 56 F
Flows as of 12PM September 10th 2025
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MRO Guide Jake Schilling and Client Henry are definitely in the front running for “Personal Worst” with this Micro Rainbow
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Upper Madison:
The Upper has been fishing okay, the mid-day lull is ever apparent however. We’ve been seeing good hatches of small baetis, some sparse caddis, and flying ants in the float section. Nymphing has been the most productive but the fish are pretty dialed in on smaller natural patterns, but occasionally a bigger flashy bug can work well. Streamers can still move fish, particularly on overcast days. The meat should start really roping them as temps cool and browns begin to heed the call of fall!
Flies We’re Fishing:
#18 Olive Hot Spot Perdigon, #16 Sunburst Perdigon, #18 S&M Dark Baetis, #18 Purple JJ Baetis, #16/#18 Black OR Red Krystal Dip, #16 Pilva’s Perdigon – Olive, #16 Purple Parachute, #16 Nyman’s Flying Ant, #14 Black Bionic Ant, #16 OR #14 Royal Chubby Chernobyl, #16 Peacock Chubby Chernobyl, #14 Foam Back Spruce Moth Tan, #14 Yellow Morrish Hopper, #4 Sparkle Yummy – Black, #6 Olive/White Barely Legal, #8 Hot Bead Leech – Olive, Black, Brown
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It’s not all just critters that swim here at MRO. Guide Noah Norwood got out in the hills this week with faithful companion Milly and bagged this beautiful Ruffie.
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YNP
The rivers on the Western side of YNP (the Madison, Firehole, Gibbon, and all tributaries) have all been re-opened to all-day fishing. Keep an eye on those water temps in the afternoons, although the weather seems like its smooth sailing for a while.
Madison, Firehole, Gibbon: With cooler weather inbound, our fall run is definitely starting to spin up. Time to break out the soft hackles, streamers, and long rods! If you’re the dry fly purist in the family – (grow up), we should start seeing fall baetis in there, and attractors should rise some fish too. the fishing is just going to keep getting better as long as its getting wetter!
Gallatin: The Gallatin is fishing pretty well throughout the whole river. We aren’t seeing quite the volume of bugs as we have earlier in the season, but there should still be occasional baetis and BWO hatches. Beetles, ants, hoppers, spruce moths, etc. should all play on the Gallatin. Hopper dropper rigs are a great way to search the deeper runs and pools up-river of Big Sky.
NE Corner: The Yellowstone River is beginning to slow down a bit. There are still fish to be had but they require you to put in the miles to find them. There should still be some decent fish looking up on PMD’s and baetis, but hoppers and beetles are a great choice as well. Swinging soft hackles and leeches is always a fun way to fish the stone as well! It’s tributaries; (Lamar, Slough, Soda Butte) should all be fishing a bit better, due to higher fish counts and easier wading/access.
YNP Flows
Firehole: 200 CFS & High of 72F
Gibbon: 78 CFS
Madison: 303 CFS & High of 68F
Yellowstone Outlet: 917 CFS
Gallatin: 274 CFS
Lamar: 157 CFS
Soda Butte: gage is gone!
Feature photo caption: A beautiful stillwater west slope cutthroat from MRO Guide Noah Norwood’s boat
