Yellowstone River Late Fall Fishing Report: Crystal Clear Water, Aggressive Rainbows, and Productive Streamer Tactics

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Yellowstone River fishing report for Sunday, November 30th, 2025.

Water conditions are cold but crystal clear right now—we're talking classic late-fall fishing. The Yellowstone is running pretty steady, and with most folks still dealing with post-Thanksgiving hangovers or chasing elk in the high country, you've got the river practically to yourself. That's gold for us anglers.

Fish activity has been solid. Rainbows are feeding mid-day when that sun hits the riffles, so time your wade accordingly. We're seeing steady action on small stuff—think tiny nymphs and midges in sizes 16 through 22. The fish have been aggressive, which is good news for anyone willing to get out there with numb fingers.

If you're looking to throw streamers, that's still working, especially with cloud cover. Drag them slow and throw a dropper nymph behind it. Clouser crayfish patterns in sizes 8 through 12 are producing, along with brightly colored sparkle minnows if you want something flashier. Zonker patterns fished big are also deadly right now.

For those interested in dries, parachute purple haze flies in 16 to 20 are worth tossing, and Lightning Bugs in similar sizes have been working too.

Best spots? Hit the stretches where the water slows down—deeper runs are holding most of the fish as temperatures drop. Look for medium-pace riffles where rainbows are staging to feed. The Lower Madison nearby has been outstanding on similar patterns if you want another option nearby.

Remember, heavier tippet is fine this time of year—go 3X to your top fly and 4X to your dropper. The trout haven't seen many flies all season, so they're not as leader-shy.

Thanks for tuning in to this fishing report. Make sure you subscribe for more updates as we head into winter. This has been a Quiet Please production—for more, check out quietplease.ai.

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