Yellowstone
YELLOWSTONE - THE NUMBER ONE FLY FISHING DESTINATION ON THIS PLANET!
Undoubtedly, the number one fly fishing destination in the world is Yellowstone
National Park. Nowhere on this planet are there so many unparalleled fishing
rivers, lakes and streams in such a condensed area as Yellowstone National
Park's 2.2 million acres. And nowhere on earth is there such a variety and
consistency of aquatic insect hatches as there is in and around Yellowstone. more info
Yellowstone Listings: (add your listing)
Greater Yellowstone Fly Fishers Fishing Pack Trips
Yellowstone backcountry fishing trip specialists. Free advice on do-it-yourself walk-ins or can secure a full-service outfitter. We have Park licenses, maps and gear.
(406) 585-5321
Madison River Outfitters - Yellowstone permitee
No matter where you fish in Yellowstone Park, MRO has the flies, equipment, guides and advice to help make your dream trip a reality. Booking trips now!
(800) 646-9644
FIshing in the Fall
© Vertical Media
Seven varieties of game fish live in Yellowstone: cutthroat trout, rainbow
trout, brown trout, brook trout, and lake trout. There's also Arctic grayling
and mountain whitefish. However, only cutthroats, grayling, and mountain
whitefish are native to Yellowstone.
Fishing begins when Memorial Day weekend comes around. Often fishing the
Firehole River opens the season in late May as it offers excellent dry-fly
fishing with its afternoon mayfly hatches. Until the end of June, this river and
the Gibbon, Madison and Lewis Rivers are the best places to fish.
Opening on 1st June, Yellowstone and Trout Lake offer their own style of best
fishing.
YELLOWSTONE LAKE - THE LARGEST BODY OF STILLWATER
Although there are so many excellent lakes like Lewis, Grebe, Fish and Trout
inside Yellowstone for the fly fisher, Yellowstone Lake deserves special
mention. A beautiful crystal clear lake located in the middle of Yellowstone
National Park, at 87,000 acres and more than 110 miles of shoreline, Yellowstone
Lake is the largest body of stillwater in the area. The entire north shore is
accessible by road while the remainder of the lake must be reached by boat or on
foot.
Quality fly fishing for native Yellowstone cutthroat, the only trout species
available, can be found right alone the shoreline where the bulk of all aquatic
insect activity occurs. The trout averages 15 inches with a maximum size of
about 18 inches.
In early summer, the trout also follow the shoreline to locate their spawning
streams, and some of the best fishing is near the mouths of these streams.
Fishing Under a Rainbow
© Vertical Media
The recent discovery of lake trout in Yellowstone Lake is posing some management
challenges. Currently, a fishermen is required to kill any lake trout caught as
these fish are predatory and do present a major threat to the native cutthroat
trout.
YELLOWSTONE RIVER - THE LONGEST FREE FLOWING RIVER
Yellowstone fishing is all about the variety of its Blue Ribbon rivers, and
Yellowstone River is synonymous with truly spectacular western fly fishing.
Originating in northwest Wyoming at 12,000 feet in the Teton wilderness, the
Yellowstone is the longest free flowing undammed waterway in the lower forty
eight states.
This 671 mile river holds rainbow trout, cutthroats, browns and mountain
whitefish. With a multitude of feeder streams and other nearby rivers that also
teem with trout, the Yellowstone River is a must fish river!
No matter where you are in Yellowstone you will be rewarded. Even if the fish
aren't biting, there is the enormous diversity of the park's terrain, wildlife,
scenery and geology.
The fishing and wildlife in Yellowstone is something that can only be
experienced!
ROAD GUIDE
The Park is divided into four sections by a network of roads called the Loop
Roads.
- Northwest: West Entrance (West Yellowstone, Montana)-Madison Junction-Norris Junction-Canyon Junction-Tower Junction- Mammoth-North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana).
- Northeast: East Entrance-Fishing Bridge-Canyon Junction- Tower Junction-Mammoth-North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana). Cody, Wyoming, is one hour east of YNP's East Entrance.
- Southeast: South Entrance-West Thumb-Fishing Bridge-East Entrance. Jackson, Wyoming, is one hour south of YNP's South Entrance.
- Southwest: South Entrance-West Thumb-Canyon Junction- Norris Junction-Madison Junction-West Entrance (West Yellowstone, Montana).
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