The Bighorn River

The Bighorn River is known for its tremendous resources of brown and rainbow trout, many over 18 inches. This is due to the nutrients in the water and catch and release policy practiced on the river.

There are thousands of catchable fish per mile. The Bighorn River is one of the few rivers where the fishing is excellent year-round.

A tributary of the Yellowstone River, the Bighorn is approximately 461 miles (742 km) long, in the western United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The river was named in 1805 by fur trader François Larocque for the Bighorn Sheep he saw along its banks as he explored the Yellowstone River.

The upper reaches of the Bighorn, south of the Owl Creek Mountains in Wyoming, are known as the Wind River. The two rivers are sometimes referred to as the Wind/Bighorn. The Wind River officially becomes the Bighorn River at the Wedding of the Waters, on the north side of the Wind River Canyon near the town of Thermopolis. From there, it flows through the Bighorn Basin in North Central Wyoming, passing through Thermopolis and Hot Springs State Park.

At the border with Montana, the river turns northeast, and flows past the north end of the Bighorns, through the Crow Indian Reservation, where the Yellowtail Dam forms the reservoir Bighorn Lake. The reservoir and the surrounding gorge are part of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

It is joined by the Little Bighorn River near the town of Hardin, Montana. Approximately fifty miles further downriver, it joins the Yellowstone.

Fort Smith and Bighorn Flyfishing

The Bighorn River is legendary tailwater fishery created by the Yellowtail Dam on one of the world's finest tailwater springs in the Bighorn Mountains.  As the blue ribbon trout stream flows through Bighorn Canyon, it creates an incredibly high quality trout habitat, rich in nutrients and insects year round, helping to feed and grow our enormous wild Rainbow and Brown Trout.  

When you fly fish the Bighorn River in Fort Smith Montana with our professional guides, you are guaranteed a flyfishing experience like no other.  Our fly shop, the Bighorn River Fly Shop, and our cabin lodging along the banks of the mighty Bighorn, are legendary among the most experienced Bighorn fly fishers. Your comfortable and affordable stay with the us will include guiding by one of our professional, full time flyfishing guides, giving you a breadth of knowledge incomparable among the few guide services in Fort Smith.  Take out one of our top quality drift boats, go fishing with our exceptional guides, and/or stay the night in one of our many lodging options.