Spring Creek · Limestone · Montana

Paradise Valley Spring Creeks

Hornád & Hnilec (Slovak Paradise overview) terrain map
Terrain map

The Paradise Valley spring creeks — Armstrong's, DePuy's, and Nelson's — are three private, spring-fed jewels strung along the Yellowstone near Livingston, and they're the closest thing to graduate school that dry-fly fishing offers.

Species

About as good as it gets

Low and clear — careful approach country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.

90% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Ideal
11°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time8013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6212% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
10.9°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
18°C
Wind
NW 10 km/h
Light breeze
Pressure
1015 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Rain · ahead
3.0 mm
Light rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Brown SedgeHatch
2
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Blue Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Daily rod-fee, reservation-only private access on all three creeks
  • Catch-and-release ethic; book ahead.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Paradise Valley spring creeks — Armstrong's, DePuy's, and Nelson's — are three private, spring-fed jewels strung along the Yellowstone near Livingston, and they're the closest thing to graduate school that dry-fly fishing offers. Gin-clear, weed-lined, stable water with big wild rainbows and browns that get a long, hard look at every fly. You pay a daily rod fee and you book ahead, and in return you get glassy currents, PMD and baetis and trico hatches, and fish that will school you politely all day. It's flat-water, fine-tippet, on-your-knees fishing, and people save up for a day on it.

  • Limestone
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 5