Montana ·
Stillwater River Fly Fishing Report - June 14, 2026
STILLWATER RIVER
ReportJUN 14 — 21, 2026
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Flow
1760CFS
Stillwater River near Absarokee, MT
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Water Temp
52.2°F
Updated 2026-06-14
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Weather
41–80°F
Partly Cloudy
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Clarity
Clear
Check post-storm
The Stillwater near Absarokee is running at 1,760 cfs with a gauge height of 3.31 ft and a crisp 52.2°F — high but fishable with improving visibility that has trout stacked tight against softer bankside seams. Warm, sunny weather through Monday will accelerate the caddis and stonefly hatches already building mid-river.
What's Working — Hot Flies
Tungsten Pat's Rubber Legs - Tan & Brown #6
#6
Egan's Thread Frenchie Jig - Olive #12
#12
Egan's Frenchie #12
#12
Olsen's Straggle Stone Brown Barbless #12
#12
Coffey's CH Sparkle Minnow Sculpin #6
#6
Egan's GTI Caddis - Olive #12
#12
Corn-fed Caddis (CDC) Tan #20
#20
Corn-fed Caddis (CDC) Olive #20
#20
Tungsten Split Case Nymph - PMD #20
#20
Bionic Hopper - Tan #12
#12
Hatch Chart
| Insect | Size | Activity | Prime Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caddis (various species) | #14–20 | Building strongly — best action mid-day through dusk | 4:00 PM – Dark |
| Golden Stonefly | #8–12 | Active — nymphs drifting, adults beginning to appear on banks | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
| Yellow Sally Stonefly | #10–14 | Nymphs highly active; sporadic adult flights mid-afternoon | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
| Pale Morning Dun (PMD) | #16–20 | Ramping up — nymphs available, early adult emergences beginning | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
| Salmonfly | #4–6 | Approaching — nymphs migrating; watch for adults late June | Late June peak — not yet prime |
| Midge | #20–22 | Consistent background activity in slower bankside eddies | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
Best Time Window
- 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Nymph the soft bankside seams with Pat's Rubber Legs and Frenchies while midge activity keeps fish looking up in slower eddies
- 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Prime stonefly nymph and streamer window — work undercut banks and structure with rubber legs and the Sparkle Minnow Sculpin as Golden Stones migrate
- 4:00 PM – Dark: Evening caddis hatch fires hard — switch to GTI Caddis on the swing or Corn-fed CDC Tan/Olive dead-drifted in bankside eddies for the best dry fly action of the day
Guide's Tip
From the benchAt 1,760 cfs the Stillwater is high but very fishable — the key is staying out of the main current and targeting the soft water within 10 feet of the bank. Rig your indicator rig 8–9 feet deep with two BB split shot above your lead fly, and work every seam, eddy, and root wad you can find along the bank. Save your caddis dries for the 4 PM–dark window when the evening hatch fires — that's when the river comes alive and fish that were buried all day suddenly appear on the surface. With 70–80°F air temps arriving this weekend, water temps will climb toward the 58°F PMD threshold quickly, so expect the dry fly action to accelerate dramatically by early next week.
Main Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
