Yellowstone Park

Yellowstone Park, September 9th, 2023

Firehole River and Nez Perce Creek

With respect to fishing this time of the season, Park waters seem to offer something for every fly fisher. For example, the fall season has begun on the Firehole River where cooling weather has dropped water temps to levels where trout become active especially during AMs. BWO and caddis life cycle and terrestrial insect patterns are effective once again. For the still water enthusiast, Shoshone and Lewis Lakes have cooled enough where resident brown and lake trout will respond to streamer patterns presented around submerged weed beds and drop-offs. Killing frosts are yet to arrive on a widespread basis, so terrestrial insect patterns remain effective on streams having meadow reaches. Such include the Lamar River and its tributary Slough and Soda Butte Creeks, meadows on the Gibbon and Yellowstone Rivers, and all Fall River Basin streams. Brown and rainbow trout have begun migrating out of Hebgen Lake and into the Madison River drainage within the Park, and will respond to streamer patterns. Tourist traffic is diminishing, crowds are down or yet to come on many waters, and fall colors will soon peak throughout the Park. So September is a great time to visit Park waters for some good fishing and to enjoy its unique scenery.

Yellowstone Park, September 5th, 2023

Colonade Falls

September is perhaps the best month to visit the park for fly fishing and tranquility as well as enjoying scenery. Fall River Basin is one of the best location for doing so. Bechler River Soldier Station is where to begin a visit. A walk of a bit more that three miles from the station gets one into Bechler Meadows the home of a river that holds a trout population undisturbed by human development. Hosted here are cut-bow hybrids with a few Yellowstone cutthroats. No rough fish or other salmonids are present! With a huge population of terrestrial insects, it is obvious what to use for top water fishing. Streamer patterns of choice are also effective when presented into holding water. The trout population inhabits the river upstream into the timbered reach with Colonade Falls being its limit. It is a seven mile walk to this unusual waterfall, but it is worth the effort from the fishing and sight seeing standpoints.

The river along the way offers an unheard of number of points to stop and offer a hopper or ant pattern. For sure, getting to Colonade Falls and back makes for a long day, but the experience of doing so will not easily leave your memory.

Yellowstone Park, September 2nd, 2023

Lamar River

With a stormy weekend in the works, consider that certain streams will be discolored. For example, northeast corner streams in the Park can color up quickly after storms. It’s a long trip to fish such as the Lamar River and Slough and Soda Butte Creeks. If you intend to try these, consider contacting one of the West Yellowstone fly shops for information on each.

Look for the Firehole River to begin returning to water temperatures that favor trout comfort and activity. Anywhere you fish in the Park (and elsewhere), try not to play fish to exhaustion and release them facing into the current. We want as many as possible back in the water for the remainder of the season as well for as upcoming years.

Yellowstone Park, August 19th, 2023

Hering Lake Cuttie

We continue to suggested that Beula Lake is one of the best places for still water fishing success in the region. We also suggest that although the lake offers good shoreline and wading opportunities, the best way to realize what this lake offers is through packing in a flotation device. If using such a device is chosen, consider trying it on nearby Hering Lake which is an easy quarter-mile walk south of Beula. Hering is about two-thirds the size of Beula but offers very little wading locations. Using a flotation device allows fishing the west side of the lake where deeper water host a good poulation of Yellowstone Cutthroat trout and the forested shoreline holds an abundance of terrestrial insects as well as damsel flies, cinnamon caddis and speckled duns. Although fewer trout are present, Hering Lake trout grow to larger sizes than those in Beula Lake. Consider fishing Hering Lake when upcoming flying ant activity becomes dense enough to attract the trout population here.

Yellowstone Park, August 15th, 2023

Meadow Section on Fall River in Yellowstone Park

Fall River in Idaho appears mostly as a riffle and run stream occupying a canyon. However, in Yellowstone Park it is of much different character. Here are stair-step meadow reaches punctuated by runs through thick forests and the most beautiful waterfalls anywhere. Some of the best fishing in Fall River Basin resides here, but access is not always easy. Two of the easiest access points are off the Ashton-Flagg Road. The nearest to Idaho of these is through turning off at the Loon Lake-Fish Lake Road and following it to the wilderness area boundary. From here a walk of about a mile takes one to the Park’s south boundary. A short connector trail into the Park connects to the South Boundary Trail where a decision must be made on where to fish: the meadow reach upstream or the same downstream. Making such a selection is more difficult because forested portions are present where overhead cover means more active fish but tougher casting conditions. Long, drag free floats of terrestrial insect and traditional attractor patterns work best in these portions. The other relatively easy access to Fall River is further east of the Ashton-Flagg Road. This is the Terrace Falls Trail with its short walk to the river. From here the visiting fly fisher should go upstream to enjoy some classic riffle and run water where caddis and traditional attractor patterns bring fishing success. Bring a camera as this part of the river features some unique cascades and waterfalls.

Yellowstone Park, August 12th, 2023

Soda Butte Creek

A word of caution: Soda Butte Creek will be closed to fishing from August 14th to 18th. This closure is in place as activities to remove brook trout will be undertaken by Park fisheries staff. Brook trout have been removed through past actions, but the the mechanism for their return is being studied. This closure will certainly transfer anglers to nearby Slough Creek and the Lamar River.

Yellowstone Park, August 8th, 2023

Beula Lake

We continue to suggest that if you want the best still water action in the area during mid summer, Beula Lake is the place to try. A walk of about two and a half miles is required and packing a flotation device gets one onto the whole lake. But places along the inlet, east side shoreline, and near the outlet can be waded. Currently, speckled dun mayflies, cinnamon caddis and damsel fly life cycle fly patterns will be taken by all trout ( only Yellowstone cutthroat trout are present) present. Traditional nymph and small leech patterns always produce here.

If the walk to Beula is too far for comfort, the walk to Riddle Lake is about half the distance and through flatter country. The same trout as in Beula Lake are just as active, but they run smaller in size. Both lakes are in “bear country.” so take proper precautions.

Yellowstone Park, July 22nd, 2023

Areal photo of Beula ( foreground) and Hering Lakes

You can experience perhaps the best still water fishing in the whole region by visiting Beula Lake at the head of Fall River drainage. Here is how to get there and how to fish once there.

Travel the Ashton-Flagg Road from where it leaves US Highway 20 just south of Ashton all the way to the east end of Grassy Lake Reservoir in Wyoming. After leaving pavement at the Caribou-Targhee N. F. boundary, There is a long, dusty, pot hole pocked drive but with great scenery. At this point there is a small parking lot on the left with the Beula Lake trailhead. Your first quarter mile will be uphill, but the two miles afterwards features gentle ups and downs until the last few yards where the trail drops to the southeast corner of the lake. If you have not packed a flotation device, use the above photo to guide your walk east to the Fall River inlet where a sandy delta and meadow offers room for a number of folks to cast to and land fish. Yellowstone cutthroat ranging to trophy size are the only fish present other than forage minnows. If speckled dun mayflies are hatching, something like a parachute Adams, size 14, is all you will need to have a day of landing as many as thirty cutties. The same result can happen if you present your favorite dry damsel pattern. If fish are not rising to these, try any small dark leech pattern, traditional nymph ( prince, gold ribbed hare’s ear, zebra, etc)pattern or a small fly rod jig, and you could have the same results. If you have packed a flotation device, you can fish the entire lake and expect the same results. No hard sided boats, no motors, no man made development: just a hard to find tranquility and plenty of eager fish.

Looking at the above photo that is Hering Lake in the background. We will look at it in a later report.

Yellowstone Park, July 18th, 2023

Upper Slough Creek Meadow

Nearly all streams are in fishing condition, excepting the Firehole River where water temps have risen to the point making it difficult for caught, played, then released trout to survive. Major northeast area streams ( Slough and Soda Butte Creeks and Lamar River are in great shape). Drake mayflies, PMDs and caddis emerging and trout taking. Terrestrial insects will soon be dominant as a fish food especially in meadow areas which are plentiful on each of these. On the down side, much of these streams are roadside, and thus are heavily fished and visited. All the above comments apply to Fall River Basin streams, excepting the latter on crowding, which are physically equivalent in terms of meadow reaches. But Fall River Basin streams require some walking to approach. Thus they are less “hammered” waters.

On the Lamar River, crowds of anglers and tourists can be escaped the further one walks upstream above the Soda Butte Creek confluence. For Slough Creek, one must travel as far as the uppermost meadow to escape crowding. That requires a walk of several miles from the trail head. For Soda Butte Creek, there is no way to escape crowds on the best fishing locations.

Fishing in the largest Park Lakes, Heart, Lewis, Shoshone, Yellowstone ( excepting its endangered cutthroat) has slowed as warming waters mean fish are migrating to deeper areas until cooling fall weather brings them back to shallower waters either to spawn (lake trout ) or forage.

Yellowstone Park, June 30th, 2023

Bechler Meadows with June High Waters

The Firehole River still offers good fishing, even though water there is warming. ShoshoneLlake still offers the best still water fishing if you follow the strategy offered in our last fishing report.

Fall River streams are rounding into shape, but water is high. Best current strategy is to fish patterns that simulate drifting earthworms (annelids) until waters drop. All meadow sections are wet and mosquitos within the timbered areas are NUMEROUS and fierce! Bring DEET to survive walks through these areas. The Ashton-Flagg Road, rough in places, is open to Grassy Lake Reservoir. It is closed just beyond at the Bridger-Teton USFS boundary