2022 Snowpack Report!

Summer floats are almost here!

We have been blessed here in Montana with ALOT of snow, rain, and moisture over the past month. It has made our Spring a little chilly and wet, but has been a HUGE positive for our streams and rivers this coming summer. It is no secret that the Rocky Mountains and the West have been in a drought. Last season we had Hoot Owl restrictions from the end of July-August because our water was warm in the afternoons. We had low flow and hot days. The fishing stayed consistent, but we got on the water early!

Our 2022 snowpack started pretty poorly. We get the majority of our snow from December-the middle of March. This year, we had limited snowpack until the end of April! For the past month, we have been getting snow, rain, and cooler temps (below 55 degrees). There have been a few days in the 70s….. but, these have been few and far between. Long story short, our Upper Yellowstone snow pack has gone from 72% in April to now over 100% in the middle of May. See the below snapshot of snow-pack photos over time:

January 3, 2022 we had 88% of our average snow with a lot of the winter still infront of us.

April 13, 2022 with most of our winter behind us…. 78%

…Then Winter started to come in May!

May 3, 2022 The snowpack was looking much better!

May 5, 2022

Middle of May, 2022 we made it over 100% and it was pouring rain last night!

May 9, 2022…. Bring your waders for Spring fishing in Montana!

We can still use more moisture in our mountains… Continue to pray for snow! We are currently in the ebbs and flows of pre-runoff and the Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch right now. Warm days are bringing prolific caddis hatches, but mud from slow melt the few days. After a few days of cooler temps, the River clears up again. We will continue in this trend until the runoff really blows.

Yellowstone National Park opens to fish on May 28, 2022! Give us a call to book your 2022 fishing trip today! Our July, August, and September fishing will be fantastic with our current snowpack. See you in Montana!

Tight Lines!

Yellowstone River Outfitters

Brogan Ballard