Fly-Fishing in Yellowstone Park

Few places on Earth can match the scenery and abundance of fishing opportunities in Yellowstone National Park. Spanning more than 2 million acres across three states, the park is home to hundreds of miles of rivers and streams that provide year-round opportunities for fly-fishing. Anglers can cast flies for brook, brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout in sparkling streams that wind their way through rugged mountains, primeval forests and open grasslands.

  1. Spring and Early Summer

    • Yellowstone's waters are locked under ice and snow until well into spring, and the spring trout fishing season does not begin until late May. The Firehole River is often the only fishable river at the beginning of the season, its waters warmed early by geothermal activity. Dedicated anglers can be found here while most streams are still clogged with ice or torrential with snowmelt. This is the only game in town in May, so expect a crowd. As the first weeks of June progress, the Gibbon, Lewis and Madison Rivers open up and provide excellent fly-fishing, with smaller streams like the Glen, Straight and Indian not far behind. As June turns to July, nearly all rivers in Yellowstone are fishable and free of snowmelt.

    Late Summer and Fall

    • July is the yearly peak for insect hatches -- one of the top food sources for local trout -- and fish often bite most readily during this month. July also sees lakes like Trout Lake, Grebe Lake and Yellowstone Lake finally break free of their icy shell, and August is arguably the best time of year to go fly-fishing on the region's many backcountry lakes and ponds. Most rivers remain productive through summer, with the exception of the Firehole and the Madison, which become too hot for trout due to a combination of direct sunlight and geothermal heat. Additional insect hatches in September provide late-season fishing opportunities, and October is the best time to cast for migrating trout on the Madison and Lewis Rivers.

    Fishing Tips and Tactics

    • Insect hatches are key to fly-fishing in Yellowstone. Dry flies are the bait of choice throughout most of the trout fishing season, and casting flies that match the current hatch is often the surest route to success. Mayfly and caddis hatches occur throughout the months of May and June, often in the afternoon, with salmonflies appearing late in June. Ant, bee and grasshopper imitations are often productive in summer. Mayflies and caddis reappear in September, along with midges and blue-winged olives. Toward the end of fall, nymphs, streamers and wet flies that imitate baitfish often become productive.

    Know Before You Go

    • The fishing season in Yellowstone National Park begins on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and ends on the first Sunday in November. Many streams don't open in June. Location-specific regulations are in place, so it's important to know the rules before you go. A detailed guide to Yellowstone fishing regulations is available through the National Park Service. A state-issued fishing license is not required, but anglers over the age of 16 must have a valid Yellowstone National Park fishing permit, which is issued by the National Park Service. Daily limits for brook, brown and rainbow trout vary throughout the park, and some areas are completely closed to harvest. Cutthroat trout must always be released immediately.