Forresters’s Bighorn Fishing and Wingshooting Blog

Bighorn River Fishing Report – Fort Lewis, Montana

The river is clearing, and streamers are working well. Worms, sowbugs, tan and gray Ray Charles! Water flows are at 2,660 cfs. Fishing is fair on nymphs. Water clarity is still improving from week to week and fish are feeding more consistently. Aquatic grass is still a factor, but the nymph and streamer fishing is starting to turn on. A few fish are being taken on tricos. Sowbugs, scuds, Baetis nymphs, and Zebra midge pupa are working subsurface. Also, trico fishing is good on the Bighorn to Mallards stretch, with some trico fishing on the upper river. Tan caddis are beginning to show up.

Flows are at 2,660 cfs. Fishing is picking up, nymph fishing in the faster water and some tricos in the a.m.

Forecast:

Temperatures are cooling. High’s in the 50’s this week.

Hatch Info

Hatches currently include some black caddis and baetis. Rainy and overcast days seem to be producing more bugs.

Hot Fly Patterns

Streamers are working very well right now! Try LBFs or black quills in 18-20, Ray Charles in orange, pink, gray or tan (16-18), tan, grey, or pink soft hackle sowbugs in (14, 16 and 18), nymphs, scuds in tan or pink in 14-18), baetis Wonder Nymph in 18-20. Of course the worm is working well in the flat wax or wire style in red, orange or two-tone. You could also try a #18 Zebra Midge.

River Flows

2,660 cfs Afterbay

Water Temperature

51 degrees at the Afterbay, 53 degrees at 3-mile