Yellowstone Park

Yellowstone Park, October 5th, 2021

The crowds seeking brown and rainbow trout encounters along the Madison River are increasing to the point that civility is suffering. The brown trout run into Lewis River Channel (between Lewis and Shoshone Lakes and below Lewis Lake) is going on and will peak after the park angling season ends at the first weekend of November. That event will also bring many anglers as will the late run up the Gardner River. The Firehole River now offers great fishing with BWO life cycle, white miller, and soft hackled patterns bringing the most interest from trout. If you venture there, watch the upcoming weather. Killing frosts are ongoing along Fall River Basin streams, but a well placed hopper pattern presented as naturally as possible can still lure a trophy trout out of the depths.

Yellowstone National Park, September 25th, 2021

Crowds are beginning to arrive to fish the brown and rainbow trout migration out of Hebgen Lake and into the Madison River in the Park and into the Lewis River above and below Lewis Lake. The earliest possible arrival in the day at both places will result in the most tranquil fishing. Unsettled weather, such as predicted for the middle of the upcoming week, means more active fish and fewer fly fishers visiting. The best strategy for encountering these fish is to swing large streamer patterns deep through runs and holes using a sink tip line.

Yellowstone National Park, September 18th, 2021

Other than the fall mayfly peak on the Firehole River, the big event is the brown trout migration in the Gardiner, Madison (with accompanying rainbows),Lewis, and Snake River drainages. Crowds of anglers will descend on these events as they progress. The best time to enjoy these events is during unsettled weather which tends to reduce crowds and improves fishing. So watch park weather reports and break out that store of foul weather fishing gear if you are considering fishing these migrations.

Yellowstone National Park, September 11th, 2021

Nearly all park streams offer sub par fishing because of the unusual hot and dry weather continuing for months. It is cooling off, so lakes at higher elevations, such as Beula, Hering and Riddle offer some fishing. The annual brown and rainbow migration out of Hebgen Lake into the Madison River has begun, and crowds will build along the river as the run progresses. The same will happen along the Lewis River below Lewis Lake and between that lake and Shoshone Lake where the densest brown trout migration in the park occurs. The Firehole River is cooling and thus offering better conditions for trout meaning a visit to fly fish is worthy..

Yellowstone Park, August 28th, 2021

Mountain Ash Creek

The park lifted its hoot owl closures on all streams, but these waters offer sub par fishing even though water temperatures have cooled (except for in the Firehole River). Low flows mean reduced cover that concentrates fish in deeper water and causing stress. Best fishing in the park is found in higher altitude lakes such as Grebe and Cascade Lakes. Beula and Hering Lakes in Fall River Basin and Riddle Lake also offer good fishing. As summer winds down crowding such as is present on northeast corner streams ( Lamar River, Slough and Soda Butte Creeks) will diminish. Migrating browns and rainbows are beginning to migrate out of Hebgen Lake into the Madison River.

Yellowstone Park, August 21st, 2021

Fall River in Yellowstone Park. Note the lack of crowds

The park discontinued its hoot owl closure on all streams yesterday. Most streams, other than the Firehole River, have cooled enough that water temperatures are no longer in the lethal range to trout that have been stressed for a variety of reasons. Walk-in locations on northeast corner streams ( Lamar, Slough, Soda Butte) are very crowded. Fall River Basin streams ( Bechler and Fall Rivers, Boundary and Mountain Ash Creeks) in the southwest corner of the park are seeing much fewer visits. Whichever streams you try, terrestrial insect patterns currently rule the roost for finding success.

Yelllowstone National Park, August 14th, 2021

Beula Lake

The park’s version of hoot owl closures remain on all streams. Lakes are exempt from this closure. Likely the best lake in the park for successful fishing is Beula Lake. If you can pack a flotation device with waders and fins plus fishing gear 2.5 miles off the Ashton-Flagg Road, you can encounter Yellowstone cutthroat trout here ranging to trophy size. Speckled dun, cinnamon caddis, damsel fly life cycle, small leech and scud patterns will bring action. A floating line, 4-5 weight system, 3-4 X, 9′ leader are ideal size gear for this lake that sits at around 7300 ft in elevation. Hering Lake is a few hundred yards to the south and holds the same trout in fewer numbers, but larger in size. You will not find the crowded conditions here seen so much on streams in the northeast corner and other places in the park where roadside or back country waters attract so many enthusiasts.

Yellowstone Park, August 10th, 2021

Hoot owl closures remain on all park streams. There are no such restrictions for fishing park lakes. Go to the Yellowstone National Park Fishing Restrictions web site for more details, and note that if stream conditions worsen the park suggests that fishing in these waters could be curtailed.

An interesting happening is that cutthroat trout are being caught in the Madison River. Where they came from is a good question.

Yellowstone Park, August 7th, 2021

The Park’s version of Montana’s hoot owl restrictions remain in effect. See the Park’s web site for particulars.

Yellowstone Park, July 27th, 2021

Hoot owl restrictions are present indefinitely on all park streams. You can fish only these from sunrise to 2 PM MST. Lakes are exempt from this restriction. Expect crowded fishing on all roadside streams, full campgrounds and lodging, and heavy traffic conditions.