Late Summer Yellowstone Fishing Trips
Posted on January 31st, 2021
Introduction to Late Summer Yellowstone Fishing Trips
Late summer, which begins in late July or early August and continues until the first cold nights in late August or early September (henceforth just called ‘August’), continues to offer excellent hike-in fishing, and both the hikes and the wading are usually not so onerous at this time as in early summer. In addition, this is prime time for small, rough mountain creeks that might still be too high in early summer. Regardless of locale, August Yellowstone fishing trips are excellent bets for anglers who like fishing terrestrial dry flies, and can turn out some big fish on subsurface flies, as well.
The downsides of late summer are continued crowds, especially on famous waters that flow through meadows, and potentially low, clear, and somewhat warm water than might mean we have to start fishing early in the morning and quit at midafternoon to avoid stressing the trout. The latter issue is much more common during drought years.
The Black Canyon of the Yellowstone remains a key hike-in destination on our August Yellowstone fishing trips. This fish ate a grasshopper.
Early Summer Yellowstone Fishing Trips
Posted on January 31st, 2021
Introduction to Early Summer Yellowstone Fishing Trips
Early summer (basically the month of July) is prime time for hike-in walk-wade fishing on all larger streams as well as many small creeks suitable for beginners and experts alike. This is a particularly good period for those eager to chase cutthroat trout on the Yellowstone River and rugged portions of the Lamar River and Slough Creek. It’s also a good bet for those hoping to hit the fabled Salmonfly hatches without the crowds that accompany this major hatch on rivers large enough for float trips.
On the other hand, this is also prime time for crowds, so to find good fishing or at least uncrowded fishing, hiking is basically required, and the hikes can be hot since this is also the hottest time of year.
July is prime time for those who want to make aggressive hikes. This angler is fishing the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone during the Salmonfly Hatch.
Late Spring Yellowstone Park Fishing Trips
Posted on January 31st, 2021
Introduction to Late Spring Yellowstone Fishing Trips
Yellowstone Park opens to fishing at sunrise on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. On the opener, usually only one to three rivers are low enough and clear enough to fish due to spring snowmelt. These rivers, the Firehole, Gibbon, and the headwaters of the Madison (created by the junction of the Firehole and Gibbon), are fed by lakes and geyser basins, so they never get as high and muddy as other rivers in the park. This makes them by far the best options for late spring Yellowstone fishing trips.
Angler fishing a pool on the Firehole in early spring.