November Yellowstone Fishing Update: Chasing Trout in Big Sky Country

This is Artificial Lure with your November 16, 2025, Yellowstone River fishing report—straight from the heart of Big Sky Country.

It’s a brisk, quiet morning along the Yellowstone, with the region settling into late fall. Sunrise was at 7:18 AM and expect sunset around 4:48 PM, so your best window to wet a line is right in the middle of the day when things warm up. Highs will touch the high 50s, with partly sunny skies and a gentle east wind picking up to 9 mph—not bad for November. There’s a slight chance of showers rolling in tonight, but expect a dry stretch for the prime fishing hours, perfect for working those cold hands back into action; just remember to dress in layers and mind those frosty banks, especially at the ramps and in shallow wade spots, as mentioned on the Montana Outdoor Radio Show.

With the deer hunters chasing muleys and whiteys up in the foothills, the banks are empty—meaning you pretty much have the run of the river. That’s made for some real solitude out on the water, and according to both Montana Outdoor and the latest Montana Fishing Report, anglers willing to brave the chill have been rewarded. Activity is picking up with both rainbow trout and post-spawn browns, especially between Livingston and Big Timber. The browns are wrapping up their spawn and dropping back into the deeper center runs, while the ‘bows are chasing bait with a little more aggression each day.

The best bite is running from about late morning through mid-afternoon as the water temps creep up. Mid-30s at first light, warming to the low-40s by midday is what you can expect. On the catch front: reports this week from locals around Livingston and Springdale tell of solid numbers of browns in the 16-22 inch range and plenty of hefty rainbows—some pushing past 20 inches—being landed on streamer runs and nymph drifts. No surprise, fish counts are a little lower than summer, but the quality is making up for it.

Let’s talk gear. If you’re targeting those hungry browns and bows, put away the summer dries—November is streamer and nymph territory. Black or olive woolly buggers, sex dungeons, and big sculpin patterns are scoring the most browns, especially on a slow swing through the tailouts and deep seams. White or cream streamers are getting some aggressive eats from rainbows, especially if you give them plenty of movement. For nymphing, a stonefly (like a Pat's Rubber Legs) trailed with a small pheasant tail or a size 18 zebra midge is the combination getting it done. With water clarity running clear but the temps dropping, slow your retrieve, keep weights heavy, and focus on the slowest water just off the main current.

Not much on the bait front here—Yellowstone’s strictly artificial only, but if you like to mix it up, tossing a lightweight spoon or spinner in the midday sun can get those cruising bows to strike. As for fly color, locals are leaning dark on the cloudier days and a little flash when the sun peeks through.

Hot spots? Don’t overlook the stretch from Carter’s Bridge to Mayor’s Landing—deep wintering holes are stacking fish there, and it’s easy enough to access. Upstream, the Paradise Valley spring creeks—DePuy’s and Armstrong’s in particular—are cool but steady, with smaller rainbows feeding on midges and the tail end of the baetis hatch in the afternoons.

No tidal report here, being that we’re hundreds of miles from the coast, but keep an eye on those daily swings in water temperature and river levels—especially after any mountain snow or rain. The river’s holding steady unless we get one of those famous Rocky Mountain chinooks.

Big reminder: some sections are icy, so wade and launch carefully. Frozen guides and boat ramps are the norm this time of year, so go slow and stay safe.

That’s your Sunday, November 16th update for the mighty Yellowstone. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure—don’t forget to subscribe for more boots-on-the-ground updates all season long. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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