Stillwater River Overview Below Map
See also...
Regional Fly Shops and Guide Service
Every reference to the source of the Stillwater's name offers the same conjecture-how did it get its name? Some early explorer left his sense of humor inked on some early map. Like its cousin river in the next drainage, the Stillwater too has boulders and can be treacherous during spring run-off. Wade fishing this river is not for the faint of heart or old guys short on breath with weak knees. Float fishers beware! From the Castle Rock Access down to Cliff Swallow Access, the Stillwater River garners respect and awe from veteran kayakers. Whitewater rafters float from Cliff Swallow to the town of Columbus. So what does this river have to offer visiting anglers? The answer is spectacular scenery, high trout populations, and relatively low angling pressure. Although most of the river tumbles down through private property, public access is provided throughout its length.
The source of the Stillwater lies deep within the canyon walls of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness at the northern edge of Yellowstone National Park. The trailhead is at Woodbine Campground. The wilderness section is not always easy to fish, but rainbows, cutthroats and brookies from 7 to 10-inches eagerly rise to large attractor patterns. Three and a half miles up the trail from Woodbine Campground, hikers will see a three-acre pond named Sioux Charley Lake. The "lake" is marshy in places, very shallow and is host to small brookies. In and around Woodbine Campground are a few protected spots for smaller trout, but the river is scoured and offers poor fishing prospects for the next three miles down to the mine.
The first public access after the mine is a picnic site. Floaters in late June will discover clear but cold water from the picnic site below the mine down to Moraine Fishing Access. Even this section has some tricky water that could spoil a float trip. After the Moraine Fishing Access, rafters should exit the remainder of the river. Keep in mind that a number of commercial whitewater companies ply their trade on the Stillwater from the Johnson Bridge just out-side the town of Absarokee down the river to Fireman's Point. By mid-summer the upper river and mid-section is too low to float. The advantage of this swift and tumbling river for the wade fisher is long stretches of fishing water without the intrusion of floaters, a rarity in Montana. The state of Montana offers a number of access sites beginning just outside the town of Columbus, where the Stillwater River enters the Yellowstone River.
Three
tributaries in-crease the volume of water in the Stillwater River. The first is
the West Fork of the Stillwater River near Nye. The second contributor is the
West Rosebud Creek, which drains Mystic Lakes and enters the Stillwater, after
first joining East Rosebud Creek, three miles south of Absarokee on Highway 78.
During early summer both Rosebud Creeks are quite muddy. During this time,
fishing is best above the Rosebud Creeks.
