Fishing Report - October 3, 2025

Upper Henrys Fork:

Low water and spooky fish are making the upper Henry’s Fork a challenge, but with some patience, some quality fish are being landed. Box Canyon has started to produce some great fishing. Small mayfly nymphs and zebra midges are the best-producing patterns currently. Fish these under a small indicator or your favorite hopper pattern to detect subtle strikes. If your day on the water includes a cloudy sky, consider fishing a streamer dragged around boulders or fished deep with a dead drift. Conehead wool sculpin or a Fish Flash Minnow are some favorites. 

The ranch seems to be having on-and-off days. When the wind stays down, I have seen some of the larger rainbows rising to mahogany duns. Try fishing an emerger pattern in the midmorning and afternoon, and spinners in the evenings. Larger rainbows in the state park are sometimes right against the bank; tread carefully and stand back from walking just along the waterside. As of the first of the month, there are still numerous grasshoppers available in this section as well. If the mayflies don’t get the fish on the surface, consider hanging a small mayfly nymph 12 inches underneath a small hopper and fishing the steeper banks. I had some luck doing this with the tungsten twisted tactical mayfly nymph. 

Lower Henrys Fork:

It’s autumn, and that means it’s time for the lower river to shine. Larger browns near Ashton reservoir will certainly be taking streamers on cloudy days. I find that a white streamer, like an articulated goldie, usually can lure some fantastic browns out and make for some exciting visual streamer eats. Also, the backwater sections will often have large rising trout. If you float, keep some BWOs on hand, ready to go. No-hackles and emergers are must-haves if you find yourself in the middle of a good mayfly hatch. There is good wade access near Ora Bridge and Stone Bridge. If fishing gets slow, old reliable patterns include Pat’s rubber legs around size 8 with a mic-drop or a tan zebra midge.   

South Fork of the Snake: 

The South Fork has been fishing well, with streamer fishing being the best producer. Bring a selection of black, olive, tan, and white, and find what color the fish seem to be preferring that day. Streamer fishing is great fun, and if you haven’t tried it, don’t be shy; this is a great time of the year to learn. A Pat’s rubber legs or a Duracell under a large hopper or an indicator is also fishing great. For dry flies, have some mahogany duns and longer leaders ready for the emergence midmorning. Pockets of fish along the South Fork will become active on the surface, and dropping anchor and fishing small dries to willing fish can be very effective if you’re prepared!

Madison River: 

The Madison River is streamer heaven in October. Often, football-shaped browns and rainbows will be held just next to the bank or around boulders and structure. Craven’s Baby Swim Coach helped me land a great rainbow on the Madison River this week. For nymphing, try a SR Bullet Quill or an olive mic-drop. Tons of yellow hoppers are still on the banks near Reynold’s pass, so in the afternoon, try fishing a hopper dropper. For between the lakes, bring some zebra midges for nymphing and tricos in case an afternoon hatch begins. Don’t let the crowds dishearten you; often, walking a half a mile upstream or downstream produces some solitude here.

Teton River:

The upper Teton River is a great option this week, as mahogany duns and grey drakes can make for some great dry-fly fishing for picky cutthroats. Fishing Keegan’s grey drake fished downstream on 4.5x might produce the fish of the day here. For nymphs, consider a hare's ear, or a beadless pheasant tail. A black leech or other small streamer might entice a quality brook trout, also. There are plenty of moose in this area, and it is rut season, so if you plan to wade, bring bear spray and stay aware!

Yellowstone National Park:

The Park is open during the government shutdown, and fishing is great here. Slough Creek sees a grey drake hatch, the Lamar River fishes well when the rainfall hasn’t muddied it up, and some great Hebgen rainbows and browns are being caught out of Barns Hole. The Upper Madison is fished well with a swung wet-fly or streamer to target the larger lake-run fish, but bring some dries as well. From 10:30 to about 1:00 most days, there is a great BWO hatch starting on the Madison, and it is usually the highlight of my day on the water. The grizzlies are very active this time of year. Bring bear spray, keep 50 yards away from wildlife, and 100 yards away from bears.  

Lakes:

Henry's Lake-

The cutthroat are in the shallows and are cruising the shoreline, chasing smaller brook trout up towards the bank. Stripping small leeches and woolly buggers is a good way to target these cruising fish. Cocktail nymphs, chironomids, and flashback pheasant tails also do well under a dry or indicator. 

Hebgen-

Hebgen has started to slow down, the gulpers have appeared to have turned off for the most part, and we have seen evidence of the fish staging up in preparation for the fall spawn. You can find these fish stacked, ready to move up the Madison. If you have a float tube or boat, fish the Madison arm; otherwise, we recommend focusing on the rivers (the Madison and Grayling Creek) this time of year, though you can still find fish within the lake.