Lower Big Hole

Updated 42m ago

Big Hole · Divide / Melrose area to Twin Bridges (confluence with Beaverhead)

🌡️ Water hit 75.4°F in the last 3 days — hoot owl territory

FWP restricts fishing from 2pm to midnight when water hits 73°F for three consecutive days. An official restriction may follow — check FWP before an afternoon session. Fish mornings, land fish fast, and keep them wet.

Fishing Report

Report conditions: 394 cfs · 68.4°F · ▼ 1.5% 24h · ↓14% median

Flows near Melrose are running about 14% below median at 394 cfs and easing slightly, with water temps at 68.4°F - watch for afternoon warm-up on hot days but mornings should be safe to fish. No hoot owl restrictions currently in place for this section, though shops report it's likely coming soon given the pattern elsewhere on the river, so plan on getting off the water by early afternoon regardless. Mornings are prime for trico spinner falls with #18-22 patterns, then switch to hoppers, ants, and beetles in cottonwood stretches as the day warms - yellow sallies and caddis are also in the mix for a solid attractor/dropper combo.

Conditions	Clear, Stable
Nymphing	Pheasant Tail #18, Zebra Midge #20, Yellow Sally Nymph #14, Caddis Pupa #14
Dry Fly	Trico Spinner #20, Hopper Pattern #10, Foam Beetle #16, Black Ant #16
Streamer	Sparkle Minnow, Sculpzilla, Sculpin Pattern #6, Dungeons

Based on current conditions and 4 local shop reports · 9h ago

What's Hatching Now

Seasonal Chart →

Tricos Tricorythodes minutus

Peak Favorable

Hook: #18-22

Morning spinner falls

Dries	CDC Trico #20-22 Hi-Vis Spinner #18-22 Trico Spinner #18-22
Nymphs	Pheasant Tail Nymph #14-20

Yellow Sallies Isoperla

Hook: #8-16

Dries	Yellow Stimulator #10-14
Nymphs	Montana Jig Sally #14-16 Yellow Sally Nymph #12-16

Caddis Trichoptera

Hook: #12-16 Starts ~54°F

Mother's Day caddis

Dries	CDC Caddis #14-18 Corn Fed Caddis #14-18 Elk Hair Caddis #14-18 X-Caddis #14-18
Nymphs	Hare's Ear Nymph #12-18

Midges Chironomidae

Favorable

Hook: #18-26

Year-round

Dries	Griffith's Gnat #18-22
Nymphs	Mercury Midge #20-22 Spanish Bullet #16-18 Zebra Midge #18-22

Hoppers

Peak Favorable

Hook: #8-12

Cottonwood bottoms = excellent hopper water

Dries	Chubby Chernobyl #6-12
Terrestrials	Dave's Hopper #8-12

Ants

Peak

Hook: #14-18

Terrestrials

Foam Ant #14-16

Beetles

Peak

Hook: #14-18

Terrestrials

Foam Beetle #14-16

Conditions

Near Melrose

57m ago

Clear

Flow	388 cfs · 1.52 ft · 61.9°F
Trend	↓15% med · ▼ 8.1% 24h
Wx	53° · 💨 8 NE · 🌧️ 0% · H: 83° / L: 51°

Near Glen

42m ago

Clear

Flow	307 cfs · 2.39 ft · 63.5°F
Trend	↓6% med · ▼ 5.8% 24h
Wx	49° · 💨 2 S · 🌧️ 0% · H: 83° / L: 47°

7-Day Flow

Section Map

Gauge Access Site Fly Shop Full Map →