Montana ·
Stillwater River Fly Fishing Report - October 4, 2026
STILLWATER RIVER
ReportOCT 4 — 11, 2026
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Flow
398CFS
Stillwater River near Absarokee, MT
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Water Temp
—
Updated 2026-10-04
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Weather
42–87°F
Mostly Clear
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Clarity
Clear
Check post-storm
Flow is running at 398 cfs (gauge height 1.54 ft) — on the lower end of normal and crystal clear, setting up ideal sight-fishing and dry fly conditions. With a high of 81°F and sunny skies today, expect BWO hatches to fire mid-morning through early afternoon once air temps climb.
What's Working — Hot Flies
Parachute - Blue Wing Olive #22
#22
Juju Baetis Tungsten #22
#22
Top Secret Baetis #16
#16
Barr's Flashback Emerger - BWO #22
#22
Olsen's Quilldigon - Olive - Barbless #22 - 24
#22-24
Black Zebra Midge(TBH) #20
#20
Egan's Silver Bullet - Baetis #14
#14
Coffey's CH Sparkle Minnow Sculpin #6
#6
Tungsten Jig Bugger - Olive - Barbless #14
#14
Bionic Ant 2.0 - Black #16
#16
Corn-fed Caddis (CDC) Olive #20
#20
Egan's Thread Frenchie Jig - Olive #12
#12
Hatch Chart
| Insect | Size | Activity | Prime Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Winged Olive (Baetis) | #18-22 | Heavy | 10 AM - 2 PM |
| Midge | #20-24 | Moderate | 8 AM - 11 AM |
| Caddis | #16-20 | Light | 3 PM - 6 PM |
| Terrestrials (Ants) | #14-16 | Light | 11 AM - 3 PM |
| Sculpin / Baitfish (Streamer) | #4-8 | Moderate | 7 AM - 9 AM |
Best Time Window
- 7 AM - 9 AM: Streamer time — strip sculpin and bugger patterns along undercut banks before the sun hits the water and fish go on alert.
- 10 AM - 1 PM: Prime BWO hatch window — work dry flies and emergers in flat tailouts and slow seams as trout key on rising olives.
- 3 PM - 6 PM: Nymph the deeper runs and watch for a late caddis or ant opportunity along grassy, sun-warmed banks.
Guide's Tip
From the benchWith 398 cfs and gin-clear water, stealth is everything today — approach rising fish from downstream and stay low. The BWO hatch will be your best dry fly opportunity of the year; focus on the flat, slow tailouts of pools between 10 AM and 1 PM where fish will be sipping confidently. For streamers, target the first 90 minutes of light along deeply undercut banks and boulder gardens — big fall browns are on the prowl and will eat a sculpin pattern stripped hard and then paused. If the dry fly action stalls in the afternoon heat, drop a small Baetis nymph under a yarn indicator through the deeper slots at 1.5x the water depth.
Main Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
