A Bighorn Scene
Whether you are looking drift fish with nymphs from the boat, stalk large trout with dry flies or fish streamers until your arm falls off, the Bighorn provides anglers with a multitude of opportunity year round.
The Bighorn River’s greatest attribute is it’s diversity and then some:
- Incredible numbers of fish per mile
- Terrific dry fly opportunities from March to October
- Incredible diversity of aquatic insects that grows large trout
- Tailwater nature creates fishable water conditions year round
Simply Put: The Bighorn can be whatever you want it to be and we can show you how!
The Bighorn River & Its Trout
The Bighorn River is a classic tailwater river, emerging from the depths of Bighorn Lake in Eastern Montana. The Yellowtail Dam, in Fort Smith, MT, has created a fertile river, displaying unique spring creek characteristics that allow Rainbow and Brown trout to thrive year round. There is somewhere around 5,000 fish per mile in the Bighorn, with the numbers being higher the closer you are to the Afterbay dam. Trout in the river average around 16 inches, with many fish pushing the 20+ inch range. Bighorn river trout fight as hard as any trout on the planet, due to the highly consistent water temperatures year round.
Below Afterbay Dam the fishing stays productive for about 30 river miles. The Bighorn is broken up into three distinct sections: Afterbay to 3 Mile, 3 Mile to Bighorn Access, and Bighorn Access to Mallard’s landing. Each section contains variances in water temperature, fish per mile, aquatic life, hatches, and fish behavior. These characteristics create unique fishing conditions in which the fly fisher can have a wide array of terrific fishing throughout the year. Throughout the river’s length, rainbows and brown trout thrive on a steady diet of Sowbugs, Scuds, Worms and Midges year round which accounts for the large average size of the fish in the river.
More Bighorn River Info:
Brown Ready For Release
Seasons of the Bighorn
Bighorn River Hatch Chart & Fly Patterns
Bighorn River Fly Fishing Techniques