Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your fresh-off-the-water Yellowstone River fishing report for Wednesday, October 29th, 2025. Fall’s in full swing—low water, clear flows, and golden cottonwoods frame every cast up and down the Paradise Valley. Even with the leaves mostly down, it’s picture-perfect Montana and the trout are stacking up for late-season feasts.
Let’s talk weather first. Today we’re waking up to brisk temps in the mid 30s, climbing into the upper 40s by afternoon. There’s a scattered cloud deck and winds easing off after two days of wild, gusty weather—Monday saw 20-30 mph winds and even a dusting of snow. That’s left the river running cold and clean, with flows holding steady right around 1,660 CFS at Livingston, according to Yellowstone Angler’s local gauge. No tidal changes to watch here, just honest Montana flow.
Sunrise was at 7:53 AM, and sunset will line up at 6:15 PM. That gives about 10 quiet hours to pick your runs and dodge the breeze. With that weather setup, fish are most active from late morning into mid-afternoon. Overnight cold keeps mornings slow, but as the sun hits the water and the bugs start to move, so do the trout.
On the catch front, anglers are reporting plenty of healthy rainbows in the 15 to 18-inch range cruising all through Paradise Valley. A few solid browns are starting to nose up into the shallow riffles and tailouts, with some bruisers chasing streamers on the overcast days. Folks floating from Pine Creek to Carter’s Bridge and working the islands just outside Livingston had a banner yesterday, especially where foam lines gather BWO (Blue-winged Olive) spinners and baetis emergers. According to Fins & Feathers Bozeman, action has been steady, but the bite heats up as water temps tick north of 40°F in the afternoon.
Top lures and flies this week have been all about fall presentations:
- **Windswept hoppers** are still worth a shot if the sun pops late, especially upriver when the afternoons are warm. Think tan, olive, or burnt orange in size 8–12.
- **Streamers**: Olive, black, or flashy gold buggers and articulated minnows are picking off both browns and aggressive rainbows. Strip them slow and deep near structure or in the inside seams.
- **Nymphs and droppers**: Smaller baetis patterns, tungsten Frenchies, and purple Perdigons are scoring in shallow riffles and drop-offs, trailed behind a hopper or chubby for visual takes.
- If you’re after big browns, try a slow-rolled **sculpin**, or go classic with a black Woolly Bugger.
- On spinning gear, gold and silver spoons or small Rapalas match the hatch and pull hard strikes from meat-eaters still in the system.
Live bait’s not legal on the Yellowstone but dead-drifted stonefly nymphs, soft hackles, and egg patterns are top bets for those chasing numbers right now.
For hotspots, Paradise Valley from Mill Creek down to Carter’s Bridge has been most consistent, with pods rising in slower eddies and tailouts. The Shield’s River confluence is seeing increased fish stacking in the deep, soft water. If you want adventure, try the stretch above Yankee Jim or the pockets just before Pine Creek—fewer boats and plenty of wild fish swinging for the fences before winter.
No recent monsters reported, but there’s good word from Yellowstone Angler and Bozeman guides of a few browns pushing 22 inches being landed last week on dark streamers after cloud fronts rolled through.
To sum it up: clear water, cool temps, fish getting fired up on nymphs, streamers, and the last of the hoppers. Fall’s here, the crowds are gone, and every cast has a shot at autumn gold.
Thanks for tuning in, folks. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest river updates and gear tips. 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
