Yellowstone River Winter Fishing Report - Slow but Steady Trout Action in South Central Montana

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Yellowstone River fishing report out of south‑central Montana.

We’re locked in full winter mode along the valley. Around Livingston and down through Paradise, morning temps are running in the teens and low 20s, with highs pushing into the mid 30s, running a bit warmer than a typical January, according to regional forecasts out of Emigrant and Billings. Light winds this morning, but expect that classic Yellowstone breeze to pick up by midday. Skies are mostly clear to partly cloudy, so you’ll get some sun on the water.

Sunrise is right around 8 a.m., with sunset a touch after 4:45 p.m. The bite has been best late morning through mid‑afternoon once things warm just a hair. No tides to worry about on this freestone – flows are winter‑low and clear, shelf ice building along the banks but main channel still moving fine in town and downriver.

Montana Outdoor’s late‑December Yellowstone report had trout sliding deep into the soft stuff, and that pattern is still holding: slow tanks, inside seams, and any three‑to‑five‑foot walking‑pace water are the groceries aisles right now. Fish aren’t spread out; they’re piled where they can rest.

Recent catches have been mostly 10–16 inch rainbows with a few thick browns to 18–20 showing up for the folks who stick it out. Numbers are modest but steady: a half‑dozen to a dozen trout for competent nymphers in a short winter session has been common. Whitefish are still very much in the mix; expect a few each outing.

Best producers:
- Nymphs: **small midges** (18–22 black, gray, or red), **pink or orange eggs**, **scuds and sowbugs**, and a **san juan or wire worm** as your lead fly.
- Streamers: thin, low‑key patterns – olive or black buggers, thin leeches – swung deep and slow. Think “crawl,” not “strip.”

For hardware folks, downsized **1/8‑oz marabou jigs**, small silver or gold **spinners**, and tiny **minnow plugs** fished slow in the deeper buckets have been taking a few nicer browns.

A couple of local hot spots to consider:
- **Carter’s Bridge to Pine Creek**: plenty of soft inside turns and mid‑river buckets that concentrate winter trout. Wade carefully; ice shelves can be undercut.
- **Down around Emigrant**: long, even runs with softer edges, perfect for indicator nymphing or a slow swung streamer on a sink tip.

Fish activity is low at first light, then ramps up as the sun hits the water and air temps climb. Plan your window from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., dress for cold toes and frozen guides, and keep your presentations tight to the winter holding water. Light tippet, small stuff, and patience are the name of the game.

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