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Big Horn Montana Fishing Report Nov 19 2025: Warm Days, Hungry Trout
Published 5 months, 1 week ago
Description
Artificial Lure here coming to you with your boots-on-the-ground fishing report for the Big Horn, Montana region—November 19th, 2025.
Weather’s been mild for mid-November, with temperatures topping out in the low-50s—actually about 7 degrees above your historical average for this stretch, which usually sees highs near 47°F and lows dipping toward 20°F. Skies have been partly cloudy with patches of fog in the valleys earlier this morning, clearing up nicely as the day rolls on. There’s just enough chill to remind us winter isn’t far, but nothing to keep you off the water, as reported by MontanaRightNow and WeatherForYou. Sunrise hit us at 7:17 AM, with sunset coming at 4:37 PM—so you’ve got about 9 hours and 20 minutes of daylight to fish hard.
No tidal report for the Big Horn—Montana’s rivers run true, no salty sway in these parts. But let’s talk river activity: The fish are still moving, especially with this unseasonably warm stretch. Montana Outdoor notes that fishing’s cold, quiet, and great for the dedicated, which fits what I’ve seen and heard from local rods out these past few days. Water’s cooling off as we get deeper into November, and that’s got the trout coming up to feed a bit longer during mid-day instead of just dawn and dusk.
Recent catches have been solid. Anglers are reporting good numbers of rainbow trout up to 20 inches on the Bighorn River itself, brown trout getting feisty as their own spawning wraps up, and the occasional whitefish balling up in the slower eddies. Bighorn’s famed for its big trout, and this week hasn’t disappointed—guys in drift boats downstream of Afterbay dam pulled in rainbows and browns, with best action reported between 9 AM and 2 PM. Word at the local shop has most crews seeing half-a-dozen solid trout apiece in a half-day float, sometimes more if you catch a cloudy stretch.
So if you’re wondering *what’s working*, streamer season is still running hot. Woolly Buggers in olive and black, articulated gold cone-heads, and sculpin patterns have gotten the most grabs. For bait, it’s hard to beat a live nightcrawler bounced through deeper runs if you’re fishing under a bobber—though, of course, regulations for live bait change between sections, so double-check before you cast. Nymphs like the red San Juan worm and orange egg patterns are also excellent right now—those browns can’t resist 'em after their spawn.
For fly gear, lightweight setups are outperforming heavy stuff unless you’re throwing big streamers. For spinning, 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs tipped with a bit of crawler or white twister tail are a local favorite.
Hot spots? Two stand out today:
- Below Afterbay Dam: Reliable flows, lots of oxygen—trout are concentrated and feeding.
- The 3 Mile Access stretch: Brown trout still cruising close to the banks and rainbows stacked up in the deeper buckets.
Have not heard much about walleye or bass this week—water temp’s dropped off for them, but keep an eye out next warm spell. Don’t forget, the deer rut’s exploding across Montana, so be careful driving and expect some traffic near river crossings—MontanaOutdoor confirms deer are moving, so watch those back roads.
Thanks as always for tuning in. Hit subscribe so you don’t miss our next water-by-water update and stay sharp on the bite. 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 been mild for mid-November, with temperatures topping out in the low-50s—actually about 7 degrees above your historical average for this stretch, which usually sees highs near 47°F and lows dipping toward 20°F. Skies have been partly cloudy with patches of fog in the valleys earlier this morning, clearing up nicely as the day rolls on. There’s just enough chill to remind us winter isn’t far, but nothing to keep you off the water, as reported by MontanaRightNow and WeatherForYou. Sunrise hit us at 7:17 AM, with sunset coming at 4:37 PM—so you’ve got about 9 hours and 20 minutes of daylight to fish hard.
No tidal report for the Big Horn—Montana’s rivers run true, no salty sway in these parts. But let’s talk river activity: The fish are still moving, especially with this unseasonably warm stretch. Montana Outdoor notes that fishing’s cold, quiet, and great for the dedicated, which fits what I’ve seen and heard from local rods out these past few days. Water’s cooling off as we get deeper into November, and that’s got the trout coming up to feed a bit longer during mid-day instead of just dawn and dusk.
Recent catches have been solid. Anglers are reporting good numbers of rainbow trout up to 20 inches on the Bighorn River itself, brown trout getting feisty as their own spawning wraps up, and the occasional whitefish balling up in the slower eddies. Bighorn’s famed for its big trout, and this week hasn’t disappointed—guys in drift boats downstream of Afterbay dam pulled in rainbows and browns, with best action reported between 9 AM and 2 PM. Word at the local shop has most crews seeing half-a-dozen solid trout apiece in a half-day float, sometimes more if you catch a cloudy stretch.
So if you’re wondering *what’s working*, streamer season is still running hot. Woolly Buggers in olive and black, articulated gold cone-heads, and sculpin patterns have gotten the most grabs. For bait, it’s hard to beat a live nightcrawler bounced through deeper runs if you’re fishing under a bobber—though, of course, regulations for live bait change between sections, so double-check before you cast. Nymphs like the red San Juan worm and orange egg patterns are also excellent right now—those browns can’t resist 'em after their spawn.
For fly gear, lightweight setups are outperforming heavy stuff unless you’re throwing big streamers. For spinning, 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs tipped with a bit of crawler or white twister tail are a local favorite.
Hot spots? Two stand out today:
- Below Afterbay Dam: Reliable flows, lots of oxygen—trout are concentrated and feeding.
- The 3 Mile Access stretch: Brown trout still cruising close to the banks and rainbows stacked up in the deeper buckets.
Have not heard much about walleye or bass this week—water temp’s dropped off for them, but keep an eye out next warm spell. Don’t forget, the deer rut’s exploding across Montana, so be careful driving and expect some traffic near river crossings—MontanaOutdoor confirms deer are moving, so watch those back roads.
Thanks as always for tuning in. Hit subscribe so you don’t miss our next water-by-water update and stay sharp on the bite. 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.