Located in southeast Montana, the Bighorn River is a very mellow float with excellent trout fishing opportunities. The majority of traffic is concentrated on the tailwater fishery immediately below Yellowtail Dam and Bighorn Reservoir. In this section, we only cover the Montana side. The Wyoming stretch has some great fishing and recreational opportunities as well.

Flows And Weather

• Near St. Xavier
• Weather

Bighorn R bl Yellowtail Afterbay Dam nr St. Xavier

• Streamflow: 2170 ft³/s
• Gage height: 61.12 ft

USGS

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Rapids and Float Notes

There really isn’t much for rapids. Being respectful to other boaters and traffic is more of a priority here. Especially right below the dam.

Bighorn River Montana Boat Ramps

Afterbay – Right below the dam, this is the first launch site.

3 Mile – Just like it sounds, only 3 miles down. While this sounds like a quick float, you can easily spend all day on these 3 miles. There are tons of fish and you will lose track of time sitting on pods and trying to fool selective eaters.

Bighorn – 10 miles below 3-mile. Putting in at 3 mile is a good idea but you can make a long day of it from the Afterbay launch. The first few miles still have high fish counts. They start to drop a little as you get farther from the dam but are still higher than most rivers. The crowds diminish quickly as you get farther down as well.

Mallard’s Landing – Another 10 miles down river. Significantly less traffic, still some great fishing.

Two Leggins – 10 miles down from Mallard’s. This section runs through the Crow Reservation. You do not need a tribal license to fish but the reservation does own everything above the high water mark. If you plan on recreating outside the river bed, you will need permits from the tribe.

Arapooish – 12 miles down. This is getting into more warm water habitat here. Still a wonderful place for wildlife viewing and a cool ecosystem.

Shuttle Services

Cottonwood Camp – 406-666-2391

Bighorn River Fly Fisher – 406-666-2255

Bighorn Fly and Tackle – 406-666-2253

Bighorn Trout Shop – 406-666-2375

Bighorn River Guides – 406-666-2550

River Specific Fishing Regulations

Exceptions to Standard Regulations: Bighorn River