Yellowstone Park Fishing Report

This report was updated October 29, 2026 and is valid until sunset on Halloween, the end of the park general season.

General Report

It is now fall-run brown trout season, and this is the main draw until the close of the general season at sunset on October 31 and beyond. The best waters for chasing big browns are the Madison, Gardner, and Lewis, but there are some elsewhere, too. Reminder that the lower Gardner River and the Madison River between the upstream-most Montana state line crossing (near the park’s west entrance) and the park boundary downstream remain open year-round nowadays.

If you’re just looking for action, the lower Gardner River is probably a better bet than any of the above, and you might also check out the Firehole.

Home Waters in YNP

Home waters are those within roughly 1hr 15min of Livingston, Montana, not counting hiking time.

Gardner River

Gardner River Gauge

Gardner River Headwaters: Too cold and low.
Osprey Falls to Boiling River: Too cold and low for numbers in the pocket water, but nymphing the deep runs is a good way of getting into some big browns. DO NOT fish the shallow gravel until spring. The browns are now spawning in these areas and it is unethical to target them once they’re over the gravel making the next generation. Stonefly nymphs trailing attractor nymphs or eggs will be the best options for the pre-spawn fish in the deep pools on this stretch..
Boiling River to Yellowstone River Confluence: Still weedy, but now cool enough to fish all day. The pocket water will produce numbers. The deep pools may produce some big browns, particularly once it cools off. We prefer Euro-nymphing tactics on this stretch. Fish a stonefly nymph or stonefly/streamer combo like a Buggerlegs (TJ Hooker) trailing an egg, attractor nymph, or BWO nymph. You might also get some streamer eats on cloudy days, and on calm days look for BWO in the pools and bigger pockets. I carry a pre-rigged Tenkara rod for these brief and scattered hatches so I don’t have to break down my nymph/streamer rig.

Other Waters

Yellowstone River – Lower Black Canyon (Knowles Falls to Gardner Confluence): Might still produce on streamers and BWO on warmer afternoons, but this isn’t really where we’re fishing this late in the season.
Small Streams Near Mammoth: Too cold.
Lakes Near Mammoth: Getting awfully cold.

Distant Waters in YNP

Distant water are those more than about 1hr 15min of Livingston, MT, not counting hiking time. Most waters in YNP qualify.

Yellowstone River System in YNP

Yellowstone @ Lake Gauge

Headwaters & Lake to Falls: Nah. Most fish are back in the lake.
Grand Canyon (Falls to Lamar Confluence): Streamers and BWO will bring some fish, but this water is getting shady and very cold.
Upper Black Canyon (Lamar Confluence to Knowles Falls): Similar to Grand Canyon, but with a longer hike than the Tower Falls area.
Yellowstone Tributary Creeks: Too cold.
Lakes & Ponds in the Yellowstone System: We don’t spend really any time on these waters this late in the season.

Lamar River System

Lamar Gauge

Soda Butte Gauge

Lamar River: Winter fishing conditions with water temps in the 30s. Don’t bother.
Soda Butte Creek: Similar to Lamar, but even lower and colder.
Slough Creek: Dead-slow, cold water that has seen tons of pressure since late June. The fish will be lethargic and very spooky.
Other Waters in Lamar System: The creeks are too low/cold. Trout Lake is just not somewhere we fish this late in the season.

Madison River System in YNP

Madison in YNP Gauge

Firehole Gauge

Gibbon Gauge

Madison River in YNP: The most crowded water in the region this time of year, for good reason. That reason? Big run-up browns and some rainbows. Swing streamers and big soft hackles or nymph with a stonefly/attractor nymph/egg combo in the big runs. No need to stay close to the west entrance (Barns Pools, Beaver Meadows) this late in the season, as the browns will be throughout the system. Follow the etiquette if there are others in the same pool: Wade in at the top, take a cast, then take a step downstream. Wash, rinse, and repeat until you’re at the tailout, then go back up to the top. If you catch one, you lose your turn. Sadly, not even a lot of younger guides still keep up with this traditional method of fishing these crowded pools, which is a shame since this is the only way everybody gets to play in this crowded water.
Firehole River: Some tiny-tiny BWO in the meadows are possible on gross days (#22 is not too small), but the main attraction for us is nymphing below Firehole Falls, which can turn out the same browns you see in the Madison with lower crowds.
Gibbon River: While some BWO hatches are possible and the canyon water might fish with attractor dry/dropper rigs or Euro techniques, we suggest hitting the rougher stretches from the Falls to Madison Junction, using the same tactics as mentioned for the Madison but with potentially lower crowds except for right at the Junction.
Grebe, Cascade, and Wolf Lakes: Awfully late in the year.
Other Waters in the Madison System: The creeks are basically too cold.

Other Waters in YNP (All 2.5+ Hours from Livingston)

The Lewis River and the Lewis-Shoshone Channel are good bets this time of year. The Channel requires a substantial hike or non-motorized boat trip, and may be crowded nonetheless. In the river, fish streamers for frisky browns and lost lake trout. In the Channel, streamers can work in the deeper lower channel for browns and lakers, but most people come to nymph for the browns in the middle Channel. This water is glass clear and the fish get hit hard, so smaller but flashy nymphs are usually better choices than big nasties.