YELLOWSTONE RIVER FISHING REPORT - May 12, 2025
Howdy anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Monday morning Yellowstone River fishing update.
The big news today is we're seeing a significant spike in flows along the Yellowstone. After last week's warming trend, those mountains are shedding snow fast, and the river's showing it. Water clarity has dropped considerably with the recent surge, but don't let that scare you off - this creates perfect conditions for aggressive streamer fishing.
Water temps are holding around 52 degrees this morning. With sunrise at 5:47 AM and sunset at 8:36 PM, you've got plenty of daylight to work with. Weather-wise, we're looking at partly cloudy skies with temperatures climbing into the mid-60s by afternoon.
The river's been producing some bruiser browns over the past week, particularly in the deeper runs below Livingston. Several locals reported 20+ inch browns hitting hard on larger streamers and stonefly nymphs. Rainbow action has been decent too, especially in the morning hours when they've been keying in on Blue Winged Olive hatches.
For flies, I'm recommending beadhead patterns heavily right now - Pheasant Tails and Copper Johns in sizes 16-20 have been consistent producers. For the murky water, go with something that pushes water - Woolly Buggers in olive or black, size 4-8, have been turning heads. Rainbow Warriors in sizes 16-20 and Zebra Midges (16-22) round out my top picks.
Hot spots this week: The stretch through Paradise Valley has been fishing particularly well despite the higher flows. Look for fish holding tight to the banks to avoid the heavy current. The inside bends about 3 miles downstream from Emigrant are worth checking out. Also, don't overlook the section just below the Highway 89 bridge - a buddy landed a 24-inch brown there yesterday afternoon.
If the Yellowstone gets too blown out (and it might as the week progresses), consider the Upper Madison as a backup plan - that tailwater stays more consistent this time of year.
Remember, with these high flows, boat safety is critical. Wear your PFD, watch for debris, and maybe stick to wade fishing in the slower sections if you're unsure about conditions.
That's the scoop for today, folks. This is Artificial Lure signing off - tight lines and stay safe out there!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
