All Fishing Reports

Yellowstone Park Fishing Report

This Yellowstone Park fishing report is valid from September 3 until the first cold snap, usually around September 20.

In general, the larger and more remote waters in YNP will be more productive than the smaller waters and the popular meadow waters right next to the road in the Lamar System. The Lamar Drainage trout are pounded mercilessly all summer and they’ll be beat-up, have hook scars, and not fight well. In addition, these rivers are very low, so anglers are packed cheek by jowl into the few remaining big pools. The most crowded area will be near the confluence of Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar, where “eastern-style” combat fishing with numerous parties per pool sometimes occurs. Yuck. This is the most crowded period in the Lamar Drainage; it’s awful.

Most fisheries closures in YNP (related to warm/low water) have now been lifted. The only remaining closure is a 2:00PM to dawn closure on the Firehole River and its tributaries. Fishing is open until 2:00PM on all waters in the Firehole system, closed thereafter.

Check the Park News Releases page for the most up-to-date info on closures.

Park Waters are presented in roughly their distance from us, then by water type for generalities like “small streams” and “lakes.”

Gardner River: Too low upstream from Sheepeater Cascade. From Sheepeater Cascade to Osprey Falls is fading fast, but will still fish okay for small brook and rainbow trout in the afternoons. Use attractor dry-dropper rigs. From Osprey Falls to the “High Bridge” east of Mammoth and a bit downstream, hopper-dropper rigs can work okay as long as you’re fishing unpressured water. If the dry-dropper rig isn’t working, Euro-nymphing with Perdigons and similar is a better bet. We don’t use indicators on the Gardner except maybe in the largest pools. The Gardner can sometimes be crowded this time of year with guided parties pushed out of the Lamar System by crowds. Downstream of Boiling River is still too warm and weedy until late September.

Yellowstone River – Black Canyon: Hopper-dropper combos are tops, but streamers are always good bets in the rougher and more remote stretches. The closer you get to Gardiner, the more likely it is you’ll want to use flies/techniques mentioned on the standard Yellowstone River report.

Yellowstone River – Grand Canyon: Pretty similar to the Black Canyon, but nymphing is a better tactic than in much of the lower Black Canyon, since there aren’t any whitefish. We should start seeing Drake Mackerals and Baetis hatch here on cooler afternoons soon. We tend to otherwise fish streamers on this stretch. Aggressive waders might be able to cross the river upstream from the island complex upstream from the Tower Falls access, which opens up the “Sulphur Beds” side to much easier access compared to the aggressive hike on (and off) the Specimen Ridge Trail that’s required earlier in the season. THAT SAID: This is a very rough river crossing. It’s waist-deep and fast, so don’t try it unless you’re a very strong wader, and be prepared to turn back if need be.

Yellowstone River – Headwaters and Lake to Falls: Trout numbers are probably 10% what they were in July. As such, swinging streamers is the most valid option. The fishing is definitely best upstream from LeHardy’s Rapids for the remainder of the year. On the other hand, crowds will be very low.

Lamar River, Slough Creek, and Soda Butte Creek: Horribly crowded except in the roughest sections. The Lower Meadow of Slough and the confluence area of the Lamar and Soda Butte are the worst offenders. Most pullouts will be filled to capacity all day, and most pools will likewise be jam-packed. Why? All the people who come in early September who say “We’ll go after the kids go back to school and the crowds leave.” These folks make their own crowds, and they slant older/creakier and thus don’t hike as much as the summer crowds.

If you opt to fish here, expect to have less than 50 yards to yourself more often than not.

Hoppers might work, but ants, beetles, and even bees are more likely. Hatches don’t look likely with the current forecast, but Baetis, Flavilinea, Western Green Drakes, and Drake Mackerals aka Tan Drakes are all possible, along with midges and Tricos in the mornings. The best hatches will occur on cooler, cloudy afternoons.

Madison River, Firehole River, and Gibbon River: (Updated 9/16): Getting better daily, and all closures have been lifted. Fish soft hackles or match White Miller hatches on the Firehole. Fish dry-dropper rigs in the rough water on the Gibbon, or nymph below Gibbon Falls and on the Madison. Near the Barns Pools, swinging big soft hackles and streamers is the classic way to fish, though this method will be less effective than nymphs except during cruddy weather. This water will get progressively more crowded through the second half of September, even as everything else thins out.

Park Small Streams: Most park small streams are honestly too low to fish well now. The largest creeks such as Hellroaring or Fan will fish okay until the first cold snap hits. Hopper-dropper rigs are good bets.

Park Lakes and Ponds: Improving daily with the cooler nights. While there might be some Callibaetis, chironomid, or Traveling Sedge hatches, with the proportions depending on the specific lake, this time of year we often fish terrestrials on the YNP lakes. Run a big beetle or small hopper with a #16–18 soft hackle or midge pupa on a long dropper underneath. A little wind doesn’t hurt. Stick to smaller lakes. The big lakes stay too warm until at least late September.

Yellowstone Park Fishing Report – Relevant Links

We update our "general" fishing report a lot more often than these detailed reports. Check it out below.

Livingston-Area Fishing Report