June on the Bighorn has delivered. We are in the heart of the season right now and conditions are as good as it gets.
Current Conditions
Flows are sitting at a very manageable 1,540 CFS — excellent for both floating and wade fishing. Water clarity is exceptional below Yellowtail Dam. Water temperatures are in the 50–55°F range — the precise sweet spot for aggressive, actively feeding trout throughout the day.
The aquatic vegetation is starting to establish in the slower runs, channeling fish into predictable feeding lanes. Once you find fish it is worth staying on that water — they are grouped up and feeding consistently.
The Hatches
The PMD hatch is the main event right now. Pale Morning Duns are emerging consistently on overcast afternoons and the spinner falls in the evening are spectacular — fish rising everywhere in the flat water as the light fades. This is the dry fly fishing the Bighorn is famous for.
Black caddis are swarming the banks at dusk and Yellow Sallies are showing in the swifter water. Midges continue to produce reliably in the morning hours before the bigger hatches begin.
The evening rise right now is genuinely something to see.
What's Working Right Now
Nymphs:
- Tailwater Sowbug #16 — the Bighorn staple, always in the rig
- Ray Charles #16 — excellent in the seams and slower runs
- Zebra Midge #18-20 — essential morning and midday pattern
- Olive Flashback Pheasant Tail #16-18 — reliable and proven
- Bead-head Scud, grey/olive #16 — for the deeper runs
- CDC PMD Nymph #16 — just below the surface film on hatch days
Dries:
- CDC PMD Sprout #16 — surface film fishing during the hatch
- PMD Dun #16 — afternoon hatch
- PMD Rusty Spinner #16-18 — evening spinner falls
- Elk Hair Caddis, black #16 — evening along the banks
- Little Yellow Fellow #16 — Yellow Sally activity in faster water
Streamers:
- Thin Mint Woolly Bugger #6 — early morning near structure
- Olive Zonker #6 — slow and deliberate along the banks
Key tip for current conditions: drop down to 5X or 6X tippet during the PMD hatch and add an extra 12 inches to your leader. Micro-drag is the enemy right now — lighter tippet eliminates refusals.
A Note on Licenses
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks no longer allows fly shops to sell fishing licenses on-site. You must purchase your license online before you arrive in Fort Smith. Cell service can be unreliable in the area — take care of this before you leave home.
We have a few dates remaining in June, July, August and September. Call us at 800.665.3799 or email info@forrestersbighorn.com.
Forrester's Bighorn River Resort — Fort Smith, Montana
Orvis-endorsed fly fishing since 1992 | 800.665.3799 | forrestersbighorn.com