August 2017 Yellowstone River Outlook

We’re pretty darn excited about how good the fly fishing on the Yellowstone River is likely to be this August! As of mid-July, the Yellowstone is still relatively high and is just now coming into shape for really good fishing, particularly with dry flies. Those good flows should carry over into the late summer and keep the river higher and cooler than it has been the last couple of years. Yes, the Yellowstone has had issues with low, warm water the last 2 years, as have many other Montana fisheries. But we were blessed with a considerably larger amount of snow in the high mountains this past winter (especially in the Upper Yellowstone watershed), and that should result in more consistent, better fishing throughout the remainder of this summer and into the fall.

We’ve already heard of nice trout being caught on grasshopper patterns, and we’re expecting the hopper bite to heat up as the Yellowstone clears and drops. We’ve got some juicy new hopper patterns here at Sweetwater Fly Shop, if you’d like to fish something that the trout have probably never seen before. Caddis are in abundance on the river, and fish are coming up to caddis dries and emergers. Chubby Chernobyls in various sizes and colors, other attractor dries, and smaller terrestrials (ants and beetles) will also be on the trouts’ menu. But don’t forget about nymphs and streamers, either. Come on in to Sweetwater Fly Shop and we’ll point you toward some hot patterns. We receive daily updates from our guides and other anglers and will be more than happy to pass that intelligence on to you, regardless of how much you spend while you’re here.

We’ve still got good guide availability throughout the month of August (and the rest of July, for that matter). Give us a call here at the shop (406-222-9393) and we’ll get you set up with one of our professional, experienced, patient guides. They’d love to help you experience a fun day of fishing (and sightseeing) in our little slice of Paradise.

So let go of any preconceptions of August fishing on the Yellowstone River that may have developed over the last couple of low water years. This year is different! Clearly, there are no guarantees in fly fishing, but we strongly believe that you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well our beloved river continues to fish throughout the summer months. Don’t miss the chance to experience Montana fly fishing at its best!