Fishing Report - 9/25/2026
Montana
Flows/Temperatures (as of September 24th; click the name for real-time numbers)
Hebgen Outflow - 716 CFS
Kirby - 924 CFS
Kirby High/Low Temps - 61°/54°F
Cameron - 938 CFS
Cameron High/Low Temps - 60°/53° F
This Week's Weather Forecast in the Valley
Upper Madison
Conditions on the Madison have just continued to get better. Bite windows are opening up to span pretty much the entire day, and fish are much less picky about their meals. I drove through the valley on Wednesday and the amount of baetis that coated my front bumper was shocking, so the dry fly fishing oppurtunities have by no means waned.
Aside from smaller mayflies, larger attractors like Chubby Chernobyls have been getting a good amount of hits! A dry dropper setup is a great option, especially as this sun persists for the next few days. As far as nymphs go, fish have been go for a much wider span of flies; baetis, perdigons, and general emergers are all working quite well these days.
Dry Flies - Chubby Chernobyl, Purple Haze, Tilt Wing BWO, Trina's Hopper
Nymphs - Magic Fly BWO, Lightning Bug, Split Case, Olive Hotspot
Hebgen Outflow - 716 CFS
Kirby - 924 CFS
Kirby High/Low Temps - 61°/54°F
Cameron - 938 CFS
Cameron High/Low Temps - 60°/53° F
This Week's Weather Forecast in the Valley
Upper Madison
Conditions on the Madison have just continued to get better. Bite windows are opening up to span pretty much the entire day, and fish are much less picky about their meals. I drove through the valley on Wednesday and the amount of baetis that coated my front bumper was shocking, so the dry fly fishing oppurtunities have by no means waned.
Aside from smaller mayflies, larger attractors like Chubby Chernobyls have been getting a good amount of hits! A dry dropper setup is a great option, especially as this sun persists for the next few days. As far as nymphs go, fish have been go for a much wider span of flies; baetis, perdigons, and general emergers are all working quite well these days.
Dry Flies - Chubby Chernobyl, Purple Haze, Tilt Wing BWO, Trina's Hopper
Nymphs - Magic Fly BWO, Lightning Bug, Split Case, Olive Hotspot
Hebgen/Quake Lake
The dry fly fishing on the lakes has slowed down as this cold front settles in, but they can still be found in the arms from time to time looking for larger foam. As these cold nights and mild days continue, the transition into stripping streamers or nymphs begins.
With the general conditions of a shoulder seasons continuing, a smaller leech has been working quite well, especially with a bit of sparkle in there!
Dry Flies - Chubby Chernobyl, Arricks Ant, Damsel in Distress
Nymphs - Turkey Callibaetis, Ice Cream Cone, Pheasant Tail
Streamers - Hot Bead Leech, Simi-seal Leech, Rowley Leech
The dry fly fishing on the lakes has slowed down as this cold front settles in, but they can still be found in the arms from time to time looking for larger foam. As these cold nights and mild days continue, the transition into stripping streamers or nymphs begins.
With the general conditions of a shoulder seasons continuing, a smaller leech has been working quite well, especially with a bit of sparkle in there!
Dry Flies - Chubby Chernobyl, Arricks Ant, Damsel in Distress
Nymphs - Turkey Callibaetis, Ice Cream Cone, Pheasant Tail
Streamers - Hot Bead Leech, Simi-seal Leech, Rowley Leech
Yellowstone National Park
Madison, Firehole, Gibbon - If you are one of those eager to target lakers on their way out of Hebgen, now is the time to brush the dust off that two-hander and get out there. On my last trip to the Madison (before Hebgen) I was seeing quite a few White Millers flying around as well as some tricos so I wouldn't pack that dry fly rod into storage just yet. Although the lake run hasn't really started in earnest just yet, they are starting to show up slowly and there are still some very nice residents sitting in there to tide you over.
Gallatin - As of 9/11; Terrestrials are still the way to go on the Gallatin. A smaller hopper or ant would do the trick, especially on the sunny afternoons. When those fish aren't looking up, a flashy nymph like a rainbow warrior has been doing well!
Yellowstone River - The fishing on the Stone has picked up slightly, with risers being found above the falls especially when clouds and baetis are present. Subsurface approaches like swinging soft hackles and nymphs are still doing well.
Northeast Corner - As of 9/18; With this rain, the Lamar is officially blown once again. Slough and Soda Butte should be at the very least clouded up a fair bit, so I would stick to the western side of the park if you want to fish within Yellowstone. If you find yourself in the area, a small leech (or very large hopper) should be enough to entice a cutty or two.
Gallatin - As of 9/11; Terrestrials are still the way to go on the Gallatin. A smaller hopper or ant would do the trick, especially on the sunny afternoons. When those fish aren't looking up, a flashy nymph like a rainbow warrior has been doing well!
Yellowstone River - The fishing on the Stone has picked up slightly, with risers being found above the falls especially when clouds and baetis are present. Subsurface approaches like swinging soft hackles and nymphs are still doing well.
Northeast Corner - As of 9/18; With this rain, the Lamar is officially blown once again. Slough and Soda Butte should be at the very least clouded up a fair bit, so I would stick to the western side of the park if you want to fish within Yellowstone. If you find yourself in the area, a small leech (or very large hopper) should be enough to entice a cutty or two.
Leave a comment
Also in Madison River and Greater Yellowstone Area Fishing Report
Fishing Report - 10/16/2026
Well, the rain (and snow) had a good few days, but seems to be on its way out again. That fall chill is in the air, however, and seems to be here to stay, just like the hungry attitude of the fish!
Fishing Report - 10/9/2026
Who would've thought we would be eagerly awaiting crappy weather, and yet here we are!
Fishing Report - 10/2/2026
As this (beautiful) sunny, crisp weather persists, fishing has been fairly... inconsistent. It's not that fish aren't eating...
Nina Lett
Author