This is Artificial Lure with your Sunday report for the Yellowstone River, Montana, on November 9th, 2025.
We’re waking up to **patchy fog and mostly sunny skies**, with daytime highs expected in the lower 50s according to the National Weather Service for southwestern Yellowstone. The nights are chilly, dipping down into the low 20s, so keep that insulated gear handy. Sunrise was at 7:17 AM, and you can expect sunset right around 4:54 PM, giving you just under ten hours of daylight to work the water. No tidal activity to report—Yellowstone’s a flowing mountain river, but water levels are **low and clear**, just right for some stealthy angling.
**Fish activity is solid for November**, with browns wrapping up their annual spawn and rainbows starting to feed heavy. As Montana Outdoor notes, streamer fishing and small nymphs are producing best right now, especially in slower seams and deeper runs. Bait isn’t your best bet today—artificial lures and flies are the real ticket, and many sections have artificial-only regs. Bundle up! The cold’s keeping the crowds thin, so you may have stretches of the river all to yourself.
Recent catches around the Yellowstone have featured **brown trout in the 16–21” range**, some pushing up to 24", plus plenty of robust rainbows in similar slots. Local guide chatter echoes Montana Outdoor Radio Show’s rundown: streamer action for post-spawn browns, and rainbows moving into shallow riffles and tailouts, with the odd cutthroat mixed in closer to tributaries.
**Best lures and flies:**
- Sculpin and white minnow streamer patterns fished on a sink-tip line are getting aggressive strikes, especially on cloudy afternoons.
- Small black or olive woolly buggers and flashy articulated streamers are working near undercut banks.
- For nymphing, try a #16–#18 beadhead pheasant tail or a micro stonefly under an indicator.
- If you prefer dries, the bite is slow, but mid-afternoon midge hatches may bring some trout topside—think Griffith’s Gnat or a parachute Adams in #20.
For those who swear by bait, worms and salmon eggs might work in nearby lakes like Dailey Lake, but on the Yellowstone proper, you’ll do better sticking to artificial lures and flies. The November chill also means slower metabolism for fish, so keep retrieves **sluggish and close to the bottom**.
**Hot spots today:**
- Between **Livingston and Emigrant**: This stretch holds deeper runs and classic gravel seams; reliable for browns cleaning up after spawn and rainbows on the move.
- Near **Pine Creek Fishing Access Site**: Catch the rainbow action in tailouts—less pressured water, plenty of footing.
- The **mouth of Shield’s River**: Look for cuts and bows feeding early and late in the day; try tossing big streamers tight to structure.
No big walleye reports from the Yellowstone (they’re deep and sluggish at Fort Peck and Canyon Ferry, per Montana Outdoor), but trout are still prowling shorelines. Hunt for water with overhead cover—fallen cottonwood branches, undercut banks, or shaded pools.
That’s a wrap for today from Artificial Lure—thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to subscribe for more local reports and angling insights. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
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