Montana Hebgen & Quake Lakes: The lakes are fishing very well right now. We’re seeing plenty of gulpers on calm days and Callibaetis are hatching sufficiently enough to fish them on the said calm mornings, but if there’s any chop, switch to subsurface techniques. Most of the fish are going to be relatively shallow, anywhere from 5-10′ deep. Leeches and chironomid imitations have been the ticket under the waves.
Flies We’re Fishing: #16 Found Link Callibaetis, #16 Spinner Long Tailed Callibaetis, #16 Peacock Chubby Chernobyl, #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: 515 CFS Hebgen Lake Outflow: 956 CFS Kirby Flows: 1000 CFS Cameron Flows: 1140 CFS Water Temp @ Kirby: High 67 F Low 57 F Flows as of 7am July 31st 2025
———————————————————————————————–
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. MRO Shop Staff Levi VonFlue with a great shot of a pretty Upper Madison Rainbow ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Upper Madison: Not much has changed since last week (the 24th). The 50 Mile Riffle is rapidly becoming its mid season usual, with some days being a bit more tricky than others. The bugs have definitely declined but we’re still seeing sparse caddis, and PMD’s, along with BWO’s and Epeorus down there. The fish lower on the river are starting to turn on to hopper and various terrestrial patterns as well. Nymphing has been the most productive but the fish are pretty dialed in on smaller natural patterns (18’s and smaller). Streamers can still move fish, particularly on the stormy and overcast days.
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, #4 Olive Supernatural Peanut, #6 Olive MT Mouthwash, #6 Olive/White Barely Legal, #8 Hot Bead Leech – Olive, Black, Brown ———————————————————————————————–
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. MRO Guide Tom Forsberg enjoying a rare day off on Quake ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
YNP
Firehole: The Firehole, Madison, and Gibbon – (below Norris Campground) have all been indefinitely closed to all fishing. Gallatin: The Gallatin is fishing pretty well throughout the whole river. We arent seeing quite the volume of bugs as we have the past few weeks, so its time to start transitioning to the terrestrial side of things. 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 Sallies, but hoppers and beetles are a great choice 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: too hot Gibbon: too hot Madison: too hot Yellowstone Outlet: 1680 CFS Gallatin: 330 CFS Lamar: 236 CFS Soda Butte: gage is gone! ———————————————————————————————- Get out there!
On September 26, 2024, the owner of Raven Rock Armory in Kalispell, MT, reported that a white male with a beanie and hand tattoos stole a Ruger SR-1911 10mm stainless steel pistol from his store, then fled.
The organisms that produce HABs (cyanobacteria) are a natural part of Montana’s waters, but when conditions are right, their populations can grow and potentially release toxins into the water. Low water levels this time of year can increase the presence of HABs, especially in areas of shallow and warmer water.
This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger Dale gets the legendary ‘Whitefish Whisperer’ to spill his secrets for hooking Flathead Lake’s hardest-fighting — and best-tasting — fish.
The ‘Whitefish Whisperer’ spills his Flathead Lake secrets on this week’s Montana Outdoor Podcast, and we have an exclusive sneak peek right here, right now!
Something big is happening beneath the surface at Tiber Reservoir, and in this week’s Montana Outdoor Podcast, Katie Vivian finally reveals the secret behind its sudden surge of monster walleye…
It’s not a cowboy drama show—this is the real-life battle for Montana, and it’s getting personal. Check out Part 2 of ‘The Real Yellowstone’ MT Outdoor Podcast…
In South Lake Tahoe, a notorious bear named Hope sparked a showdown between wildlife officials and her human fan club after yet another trash-fueled break-in…
On the morning of June 14, 2025, Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel received a report that a cow moose had been shot in a confrontation with an angler on the North Tongue River in the Bighorn National Forest near Bear Lodge Resort. When game wardens responded, they found the moose deceased from her injuries.
