The Yellowstone River in the Park should fish well this week, though as we move deeper into fall your best approach options will change a bit.

Flows remain very low overall - at the Yellowstone Lake Outlet today (0515) flows are 493 cfs (average 918 cfs, the 20% marker is 716 cfs).

Below Fishing Bridge right now is probably one of the least productive areas in the Park to fish in our minds - there just aren’t many (hardly any) fish in this section of the river this time of year.  We don’t recommend it - see you next summer on opening day…

Yellowstone Canyons - just like last week - there’s probably still two reasonable approaches here, and this is where we’d fish the river today if we could.   I’d throw streamers (or streamer / nymph - double nymph set ups) and plan to cover some water.   You should be looking for BWOs on the cooler and overcast / precipitation days.  Maybe a terrestrial on the warmest days, but we doubt that will work after this week.

Down near Gardner (and below) the water is sitll very skinny (I wouldn’t float my wooden drift boat through here) - fishing has been active however.  Our preference would probably be to approach this with streamers or a streamer / nymp set up.  BWOs have been strong when it’s not too windy;  get out of the boat and fish it the zones when the hatch is stronger (or just below).

Terrestrials are on their last legs due to the cooler weather due this week; we’ll leave the box on the list one more week but unless it’s 60 or better (doubtful) they’ll stay in your pocket….

We updated the Yellowstone River outside the Park on Best Fly Fishing Montana yesterday - click here and you’ll go right to the report blog.

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Flies to have in the box:

Dries:  baetis - BWO, Blue Dun, Olive Sparkle Dun, Comparadun, Para-adams, BWO emergers; your attractor package

Nymphs:  Lightning bug, green and gold; Hares Ear, include BH;  Copper John, various colors; FB PT; SH PT; Prince - BH; your favorites

Terrestials: Hoppers - Grand, Whit, Dave’s, Carnage, Kicking  ; Beetles- Fire, Foam, HiVis, Sam’s;  Ants - Chernobyl, ParaAnt, black and cinnamon, CDC Flying ant, black, brown, cinnamon; Epoxy, same colors
 
Streamers / Others:  Woolly Buggers, brown, olive, black, Sparkle Buggers, brown, olive, black; Bow River Buggers; Girdle bug; Zonkers; Trick or Treat

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