Fly Fishing Lamar River - Tower Falls Area

Overview

The lower Lamar River flows from the Soda Butte Creek confluence toward the Yellowstone River near Tower Junction. Valley water gives way to more confined lower-river terrain, with seams, eddies and pools that call for different presentations. Snowmelt and rain can muddy this freestone river and change its current.

Yellowstone cutthroat trout are the focus here. Green Drake and PMD patterns suit visible mayfly feeding, while hoppers, ants and beetles offer bankside options during terrestrial activity. Watch a feeding lane before casting, keep a low profile where cover is sparse, and give the fly a drag-free drift through the seam.

Mayflies and feeding lanes

When mayflies are on the surface, look for repeated rises in an eddy or along the edge of a run. A Green Drake or PMD imitation gives you a starting point; match the insect size and the way it rides on the water. Place the fly upstream of the rise and follow its drift before changing the cast.

Open banks provide little concealment. Approach quietly, study the fish's position, and choose a casting angle that keeps the line away from the feeding lane. Longer casts can be useful where the water is open, but accuracy and slack matter more than covering distance.

Terrestrials and fall presentations

During hopper activity, explore bankside edges with a hopper, ant or beetle. Let the fly drift beside the cover and through the next seam before casting again. In confined runs and deeper pools, a small nymph or streamer offers a way to change the depth of the presentation.

Cool, overcast fall weather can bring smaller mayfly feeding. A baetis pattern suits visible rises; otherwise, work the pool's depth changes below the surface. Tie the approach to the clarity, current and feeding you see.