Yellowstone River

Paradise Valley lives up to its name! Stretching from Gardner, Montana to Livingston, MT, Paradise Valley is considered one of the most beautiful places to float and catch Trout On The Fly. In this 60 mile stretch, high numbers of Yellowstone Cutthroats populate the upper section near Yankee Jim Canyon. The upper section is well known for its prolific salmon fly hatch, starting in mid to late June. Mother Nature timed this hatch perfectly, occurring shortly after runoff and post-spawn, making these trout ready to feed! From Emigrant, Montana to Livingston, the Yellowstone offers a variety of species – rainbows, browns, cutthroats, cutbows and mountain whitefish. The Yellowstone River’s fishing season typically starts later than tailwaters like the Madison, Bighorn, and Missouri Rivers because it lacks dammed reservoirs that allow sediment to settle or dissipate.

The region from Livingston, Montana downriver to Columbus, Montana may not be as scenic, but it makes up for it with larger than average brown trout! This stretch of river offers outstanding terrestrial fly fishing because the river cuts through miles of hay fields loaded with grasshoppers. The structure is similar to the upper Yellowstone with long distinct runs, deep pools, and cut banks, all great habitats for trout.

Fishing the Yellowstone River with the jet boat is a great way to make several passes through long runs holding numerous amounts of fish. In a typical drift boat, that run would only be drifted by once. The jet boat gives you ample opportunities to make the perfect drag free drift! If you get tangled up on one pass through a good run don’t worry, we will motor back up and do it again! All our jet boat trips on the Yellowstone River are downriver of Livingston, Montana, below Highway 89 bridge. All our jet boat trips on the Yellowstone are based on river conditions.