Frigid Yellowstone Fishing Forecast: Hungry Browns, Feisty Rainbows, and Wintry Conditions

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for fishin' right here on the Yellowstone River in Montana. It's Sunday, January 4th, 2026, 'round 8:30 AM, and we're dealin' with a crisp winter mornin'—partly cloudy skies, temps hoverin' in the low 20s°F, light winds from the northwest at 5-10 mph, no real precip today per Montana Outdoor reports. Sunrise was at 8:02 AM, sunset 'round 5:05 PM, givin' us about 9 hours of daylight. No tides up here in the river, but flows are steady at 1570 CFS with some slush ice formin' in slower sections—watch your step wadin'.

Fish activity's pickin' up in this cold snap. Post-spawn browns are hungry, stackin' in deep pools and smashin' streamers, while rainbows are feisty on the edges. Recent catches from yesterday's Bighorn Basin report mirror our Yellowstone action: solid limits of fat browns up to 20 inches, rainbows hittin' steady, plus perch and pike if you're pokin' ice edges nearby. Montana Outdoor noted big wind and slush but good trout bites on open water last week.

Best lures right now? Small olive or black streamers like woolly buggers on a sink-tip line for those big browns—killer in the slower runs. Nymph small flies: blue-wings or zebra midges. For bait, worms or minnows under a bobber in pools, cut bait for any cats prowlin' deeper holes.

Hot spots: Hit the runs below Yellowtail Dam Afterbay for tailwater trout—deep pools holdin' 'em thick. Or wade the access near Hardin for brown action, even with wind.

Stay safe out there, bundle up, and tight lines!

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI