As of November 3, 2024, the Yellowstone River in Montana is offering some excellent fall fishing opportunities, despite the approaching winter.

### Weather and Conditions
The weather is expected to be cool and cloudy, with temperatures ranging from the mid-40s to low 50s, making it ideal for both dry fly and streamer fishing. Sunrise is at around 7:30 AM, and sunset will be at approximately 4:45 PM.

### Fish Activity
Fish activity has been picking up with the cooler temperatures. Trout have moved into deeper and slower runs, as well as the bottoms of gravel bars and tailouts. Brown trout, being fall spawners, are becoming more active and less cautious, making them more susceptible to large streamers on cloudy days.

### Types and Amounts of Fish
Anglers have been reporting good catches of rainbow and brown trout. The fall baetis hatch is encouraging pods of rainbows to feed actively in current seams and eddies. While the Blue-Winged Olive mayflies have not been as active due to the recent warm weather, their smaller counterparts, the "pseudo" mayflies, are still hatching consistently.

### Best Lures and Bait
For dry fly fishing, consider using extended body Blue-Winged Olives, film critics, or hatchback Blue-Winged Olives if you see the larger mayflies hatching. October caddis patterns like the royal chubby or orange stimulator are also effective. Nymphing with tandem rigs featuring generalist nymphs such as san juan worms, perdigons, egg patterns, and stoneflies is highly effective. Streamers like Kill Whitey's, Barely Legal's, and Sculpzilla are great for targeting trophy-sized fish.

### Hot Spots
One of the best spots right now is near Livingston, where the river flows through Paradise Valley. This area has seen consistent fishing reports with both nymphs and streamers. Another hot spot is the section of the river from Livingston up into Yellowstone National Park, where the cooler temperatures have improved fishing conditions significantly.

### Additional Tips
When floating, be cautious of the low water levels, which have exposed gravel bars and altered some channels. Target the top of longer and slower runs, as well as the deeper water next to shallow water, off riffles, shelves, and banks. Trout are looking for consistency in flow and food sources, so areas with steady current are key.

Overall, the Yellowstone River is in great shape for fall fishing, offering a variety of fishing options and some fantastic scenery with the changing leaves and early snows in the surrounding mountains.