Yellowstone River Fishing Report: Winter Trout and Whitefish on Small Nymphs and Streamers

This is Artificial Lure with your Yellowstone River fishing report.

We’re locked into true winter along the Yellowstone now. The National Weather Service out of Billings is calling for cold temps in the teens and 20s, periodic snow, and a stiff west wind pushing 15–25 mph most of the day. That’s classic “keep your gloves on and pick your spots” weather. Sunrise is right around 8:00 a.m., sunset near 4:30 p.m., so your real window is late morning through mid‑afternoon when the river gets its slight warm‑up.

No tides to worry about here, just flows and ice. According to USGS river gauges, the Yellowstone through Livingston and down toward Big Timber is running low and clear for winter, with shelf ice starting to build on the softer banks and back eddies. Montana Outdoor’s early‑December Yellowstone River update notes anchor ice forming in the mornings and slush coming down in pulses after cold nights, so wade anglers have the edge over boaters right now.

Recent reports from local shops in Livingston and Billings say trout fishing has shifted fully to the winter pattern. Rainbows and browns are stacking in the deeper, slower buckets: soft insides of bends, tailouts below riffles, and any mid‑river trench that gives them a break from the current. Most folks who put in a solid afternoon are moving half a dozen to a dozen fish, with a few nicer 18–20 inch browns coming on nymphs. Whitefish are still very much in the mix; some anglers are saying for every trout you’re into a couple of whities—pretty typical for this time of year.

Best producers have been small and subtle. Think **Zebra Midges** and **Perdigon‑style nymphs** in sizes 16–20, **WD‑40s**, and small **baetis nymphs**, trailed behind a **rubberlegs** or **egg pattern**. That lines up with the Gallatin River winter report from Rising Trout Fly Fishing, which has the fish eating midges, baetis, rubberlegs, and eggs in that same size range. Run them deep under an indicator with enough weight to tick bottom, and don’t be shy about lengthening your leader in the clear water.

If you’re set on throwing meat, smaller winter streamers like **Mini Dungeons**, **Sculpzillas**, or slim black buggers swung slow along the bottom are your best bet. Keep your expectations in check: one or two quality eats is a good streamer day right now. Natural bait where legal—mainly **nightcrawlers** or well‑presented **minnows** in slower holes—can out‑fish artificials for numbers, but check the current Montana regs closely before you dunk anything organic.

A couple of local hot spots to consider:

- **Between Livingston and Pine Creek**: Deep bends with rock structure are holding pods of browns. Walk‑wade the access sites and work the inside seams methodically.
- **Big Timber area**: Reports from the Region 5 folks around Big Timber note that winter conditions have really set in, but anglers willing to hike into slower side channels are finding steady whitefish and a few solid rainbows on small nymph rigs.

Best time of day is that 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. window, mirroring what guides are seeing on the Gallatin—fish slide up a bit and feed when the water bumps even a degree or two. Early and late are mostly for frostbite unless we get a rare calm, overcast day.

Bundle up, watch for icy banks and shelf ice, and don’t push it with boats in this cold—Montana Outdoor’s Yellowstone update flat‑out warns that winter boating right now is for experts only, and even they are thinking twice.

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