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Bighorn River Report: Nymphs and Streamers Shine as Fall Settles In
Published 7 months ago
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Good morning from Big Horn, Montana—this is Artificial Lure with your September 26th, 2025, local angling report. Folks, fall is settling in around the valley and the cottonwoods are starting to turn, putting a golden glow on the riverbanks. Sunrise hit at 7:06 a.m. this morning, and you can expect the sun to duck behind the bluffs around 7:06 p.m., giving us about twelve hours of prime light for the chase.
Weather’s keeping things cool and comfortable—expect a daytime high around 63°F and a low near 40, with only light winds and no rain forecasted. Water clarity is good, and flows on the Bighorn are running steady after a dry spell.
Now, let’s talk fishing. According to Fins & Feathers and what I’m seeing from locals on the water, the Bighorn River is fishing fair to good right now. Surface hatches are getting a little sporadic this late into September, so most of the action has shifted subsurface. The nymph bite is your bread and butter, especially during the late morning as things start to warm[1]. Fish are holding tight to seams and deeper runs.
Brown and rainbow trout continue to dominate the catch. Drifts below Afterbay have turned up plenty of healthy rainbows in the 14-18” range, with a few browns nudging past 20 if you know where to look. The flats have been quieter, but you’ll spot risers working the softer water near Three Mile—mostly smaller trout but eager ones.
On the bug front, zebra midges, black and olive scuds, and sowbugs in #16–18 sizes have been steady producers. Folks running a two-fly nymph rig—think sowbug up front and a midge dropper—are finding the most consistent action. Add a little split shot for the deeper runs. For those who can’t resist a dry fly, keep an eye out for lingering tricos midmorning, usually between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m., but hatches are pretty thin.
Streamer action is picking up as the water cools. Olive and black articulated streamers, sculpin patterns, and smaller leech imitations stripped slowly through deeper pools are starting to bring out the bigger browns hunting for a fall meal. Hit the first light or late evening for your best shot with meat.
If you’re packing bait, which is legal in some upper reaches but not in the prime catch-and-release areas, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs have produced the odd chunky trout near access points.
Hot spots for today:
- Head just below Afterbay for classic nymph fishing in deeper riffles—anglers here have reported pods of rainbows and the occasional big brown moving through midday.
- For wading access and sneaky dry fly potential, try the seams and soft edges near Three Mile.
- Those floating from Bighorn to Mallards Rest will find productive water all along the gravel bars—don’t overlook slower side channels for solitary browns on streamers.
No tide report for these river systems, but water levels remain cooperative for both drift boats and wading. Remember, most of the fish caught here this week have been healthy rainbows and a few impressive browns, with nymphs and small sowbugs flying out of every guide’s fly box. By all accounts, we’re still a couple weeks from the bulk of the fall blue-winged olive hatch, but things should only get better as we roll into October.
That’s the latest from Big Horn, Montana. Thanks for tuning in to my report—be sure to subscribe so you never miss a tip or a hatch. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Weather’s keeping things cool and comfortable—expect a daytime high around 63°F and a low near 40, with only light winds and no rain forecasted. Water clarity is good, and flows on the Bighorn are running steady after a dry spell.
Now, let’s talk fishing. According to Fins & Feathers and what I’m seeing from locals on the water, the Bighorn River is fishing fair to good right now. Surface hatches are getting a little sporadic this late into September, so most of the action has shifted subsurface. The nymph bite is your bread and butter, especially during the late morning as things start to warm[1]. Fish are holding tight to seams and deeper runs.
Brown and rainbow trout continue to dominate the catch. Drifts below Afterbay have turned up plenty of healthy rainbows in the 14-18” range, with a few browns nudging past 20 if you know where to look. The flats have been quieter, but you’ll spot risers working the softer water near Three Mile—mostly smaller trout but eager ones.
On the bug front, zebra midges, black and olive scuds, and sowbugs in #16–18 sizes have been steady producers. Folks running a two-fly nymph rig—think sowbug up front and a midge dropper—are finding the most consistent action. Add a little split shot for the deeper runs. For those who can’t resist a dry fly, keep an eye out for lingering tricos midmorning, usually between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m., but hatches are pretty thin.
Streamer action is picking up as the water cools. Olive and black articulated streamers, sculpin patterns, and smaller leech imitations stripped slowly through deeper pools are starting to bring out the bigger browns hunting for a fall meal. Hit the first light or late evening for your best shot with meat.
If you’re packing bait, which is legal in some upper reaches but not in the prime catch-and-release areas, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs have produced the odd chunky trout near access points.
Hot spots for today:
- Head just below Afterbay for classic nymph fishing in deeper riffles—anglers here have reported pods of rainbows and the occasional big brown moving through midday.
- For wading access and sneaky dry fly potential, try the seams and soft edges near Three Mile.
- Those floating from Bighorn to Mallards Rest will find productive water all along the gravel bars—don’t overlook slower side channels for solitary browns on streamers.
No tide report for these river systems, but water levels remain cooperative for both drift boats and wading. Remember, most of the fish caught here this week have been healthy rainbows and a few impressive browns, with nymphs and small sowbugs flying out of every guide’s fly box. By all accounts, we’re still a couple weeks from the bulk of the fall blue-winged olive hatch, but things should only get better as we roll into October.
That’s the latest from Big Horn, Montana. Thanks for tuning in to my report—be sure to subscribe so you never miss a tip or a hatch. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.