With flow out of Mackay Dam around 150 cfs, wading is quite easy. Some PMDs and western green drakes with PM caddis are emerging, so life cycle patterns will produce. Traditional attractors such as renegades, Wulff series patterns, stimulaters, and humpies. Terrestrial insect are coming on. With the Conservancy’s Silver Creek closure and the low flows in the Wood River drainage, visitors are arriving here and along Copper Basin waters.
Flows have been nearly steady at !6300 cfs at Irwin (16500 at Heise,12200 cfs at Lorenzo). All these are a few thousand feet above normal for this time of the season. Fishing from a boat or raft is the way to enjoy the PMDs, pink alberts, sallyies and on the upper river a few remaining stone flies. With the somewhat high flows wading can be a bit treacherous. There are plenty of boating anglers, but by early evening most have gone making the river and launch sites a lot more tranquil. With terrestrial insets, especially hoppers coming on, another item will be added to make top water fishing even more rewarding. Don’t overlook hanging a rubber leg pattern from that high floating hopper pattern.
Bear Gulch
It is time to try terrestrial patterns on nearly the whole river above St. Anthony. Catching and releasing will be toughest on fish from Ashton Dam downstream. From Ashton Reservoir to Warm River as well as the Cardiac Canyon section provides the best fishing on the lower river. You will find the Cardiac Canyon section to be the least crowded section because hard sided boats are not legal ( rafts and flotation devices only) there and walk-in fishing is pretty much the name of the game. Flow out of Island Park dam is down to near historic levels and top water fishing below has picked up. Bead head nymphs are producing in Box Canyon and any pattern the size of a hopper or golden stone fly will also bring action there, but be tolerant of recreationists.
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High-water temperatures and low stream flows prompt fishing closures in Yellowstone National Park
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Effective Saturday, July 24, Yellowstone National Park’s rivers and streams will close to fishing in the afternoon and evening due to high-water temperatures and unprecedented low stream flows. This closure will protect the park’s native and wild trout fisheries.
What will be closed?
What will be open?
Water temperatures have exceeded 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) in recent days, and flows on many rivers are approaching historic lows. These conditions are extremely stressful and can be fatal to fish. The extended forecast calls for continued hot and dry conditions with a slight chance of isolated afternoon thunderstorms, which contribute to continued low stream flows and high-water temperatures.
Anglers: Please fish during the coolest times of day and land fish quickly–do not play hooked trout to exhaustion. Gently handle fish in the water as much as possible and let them recover before release . Your cooperation will protect the park’s fisheries and may preclude the need to prohibit fishing at all times of the day on some rivers and streams if conditions worsen.
Aldous Lake
Aldous Lake is known mostly to area anglers, and it has enough advantages to be considered for a visit. A mile and a quarter walk up a well maintained trail to reach it keeps out many visitors. Cutthroat trout ranging to trophy size are it’s only salmonid inhabitants, and it is in a scenic setting. Submerged springs keep its water temperature at ideal levels for trout activity. Its only disadvantage is that its shoreline is almost totally timbered (excepting a small portion on its west side). Nevertheless for the fly fisher willing to pack a flotation device from which to fish, the reward for the next several weeks will be gulper activity as speckled dun mayflies emerge during morning and mid-day hours. Action on this rather small lake may not be as dramatic as that on encountering Hebgen Lake’s Madison Arm gulpers, but it certainly is more tranquil. Aldous Lake sits on a bench on the Idaho side of the Continental Divide. From Kilgore, Idaho head west briefly on Antelope Valley Road to East Camas Road. Follow it north to Cottonwood Creek Road, and from it take USFS Road 027 to the Aldous Lake Trailhead.
Now that the giant stone fly event is mainly “in the rear view mirror,” Hebgen Lake’s Madison Arm gulpers are the big attraction.This strictly morning event will attract a lot of action hungry fly fishers, but it is good to remember that other lakes have gulper activity. Elk, Hidden, Cliff and Wade Lakes are good candidates to find this activity.
Here are new emergency closures recently posted on the Montana FWP News web site. See below.
Emergency Fishing Closure will be in effect on portions of Red Rock Creek from Upper Red Rock Lake to the Hell Roaring Creek crossing at South Valley Road. Flow at USGS Gage 06006000 Red Rock Creek above Lakes have fallen near and below 5th percentile mean daily flow. Flow on July 14 was 24.2 cfs (19.7 cfs as of 7/20 10 AM). Low flows have concentrated Arctic Grayling into isolated pools, making them extremely vulnerable to angling. This river section will remain closed to fishing until lifted by FWP administrative action when mean daily flows are adequate to provide cover for Arctic Grayling, or until October 15. The entire Madison River in Montana now has a hoot owl closure
See the FWP NEWS web site for hoot owl and other southwest Montana fishing closures.
Beula Lake
Main roads are crowded with record numbers of tourists and most streams are warm and at or near base levels. There are some waters that do not experience the crowding found on road-side waters and retain water temperatures suitable for active trout. Beula Lake,at near 7500 feet elevation, is one of these if a 2.5 mile walk to get there is not a physical obstacle. It’s trailhead is off the lightly traveled Ashton-Flagg Road near the east end of Grassy Lake Reservoir. Currently it is offering good fishing for those carrying a lightweight flotation device or those willing to wade its southeast and east shore lines. Yellowstone cutthroat trout are the sole inhabitants and they range to near trophy size. Speckled dun, damsel flies and cinnamon caddisflies are the most numerous aquatic insects with leeches and scuds also important. Terrestrial insects become more important as summer advances. Three primitive campground are along the west shore and can be reserved through the park’s back country permit system. Riddle Lake, sitting very near the Continental Divide and off the park’s south entrance highway with a walk of just under 2 miles is similar to Beula in many respects but offers smaller cutthroat.
Flow out of Island Park Dam is dropping. Look for top water fishing to improve. Do not overlook presenting terrestrial insect patterns from Last Chance on downstream, but such as may fly spinner patterns and caddis fly life cycle patterns will be effective. The lower river is warming enough to be good for daytime swimming!
Presently Warm River is likely the top small stream in our area for fishing success. It’s best waters for finding this begin at Warm River Spring and continue on downstream to the head of the cascades. This quality resumes from the base of the cascades down to Warm River campground. Caddis flies are the predominant the aquatic insect throughout with scattered PMDs, but terrestrial insect are becoming more important for trout every day. Brown, brook and rainbow trout are hosted. Traditional attractor patterns (renegade, Wulff series, humpy, stimulator) also work well. The best route to the portion below the spring is the Warm River Spring Road that heads east from the Mesa Falls Scenic Highway near the Upper Mesa Falls access. Parking places are nearby the spring but a way to find fewer anglers is to walk or bike the old railroad grade downstream from where it crosses the road. Access is off the railroad grade for the section below the cascades.
Great fishing continues thanks to stone fly activity and mayfly (PMD) activity around riffles, banks and drop-offs. Any day hoppers will become numerous enough to attract trout. Flow out of Palisades Dam has experienced a few minor variations up and down recently which have not influenced fishing success. Flow is strong enough, however, to make walk-in fishing somewhat hazardous, so wade with studied care.