Fishing - Angler's Paradise
Park is an angler's paradise
- from Park County (Montana) Visitor's guide 2000
Anglers will find few fishing opportunities to rival the clear, trout-filled streams and lakes of Yellowstone National Park.
Some of the best trout fishing in the world can be found on the many rivers coursing over southwest Montana, so there is no need to visit the park to hook a trophy brown or rainbow, but the gorgeous scenery, abundant wildlife, unique thermal features and the wide variety of back country destinations available in Yellowstone make it a genuine angler's paradise.
Some Yellowstone waters are restricted to fly-fishing only, but the rules vary from stream to stream and even riffle to riffle. Eager anglers should be careful to obtain a Yellowstone Park fishing license and pick up a free copy of the fishing regulations before wetting a line.
Wonderful fishing can be found virtually anywhere in the park, but the best known streams flow north into the Yellowstone River or west into the fabled Madison.
Closest to Livingston, the Gardner River cascades through a deep canyon near Mammoth Hot Springs before it empties into the Yellowstone at the park boundary. Bigger fish lie in the lower sections of the Gardner, but the upstream portions hold plenty of small brook trout.
The other major tributaries of the Yellowstone that attract fisherman include Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek and Hellroaring Creek. Each stream is a healthy hike away, but worthwhile for the angler willing to make the trek.
The most prized fish, though, dwell in the mighty Yellowstone, where large cutthroat trout lurk beneath the foaming surface.
Getting to the Yellowstone in the park can be tough. Most of the river plunges through the deep gorges that form the Black canyon and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Easily accessible points like Buffalo Ford draw crowds of anglers. But for those willing to contend with a steep walk and the swift, narrow river channel, unwary lunkers await.
The western half of the park drains into the Madison River, widely regarded as one of America's premiere trout streams. From Madison Junction, where the Gibbon and the Firehole rivers meet, the Madison runs 23 miles to West Yellowstone. A road closely follows the course of the river, giving even casual fisherman a chance to fish.
But all of this talk unfairly focuses on the rivers and streams, when any cagey angler knows the park is dotted with splendid lake fishing opportunities. Try Grebe Lake, Heart Lake, Fawn Lake and Lewis and Shoshone lakes.
Boaters are banned from most of the park's open water, but motorized craft can be launched on sections of Yellowstone Lake and are also permitted on Lewis Lake.
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