Fishing Locations
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Fishing //
Yellowstone National Park combines serene river and lakeside settings, unique native trout, free roaming wildlife, and endless geothermal activity, to provide anglers of all ages an enriching once-in-a-lifetime experience.
- The fishing season in Yellowstone National Park is short and each month of that season offers its own best fishing.
- With over 2600 miles of streams and a multitude of lake water, Yellowstone has hundreds of great places to fish.
- Most notable locations include Firehole River, Gibbon River and Falls River.
Fishing Season
The fishing season in Yellowstone National Park is short, usually beginning on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend (usually the last weekend in May), extending through, and including the first Sunday in November. There are some exceptions to these dates.
There is no best time to fish; each month offers its own best fishing.
Examples of Fishing Locations
There are over 2600 miles of streams. The Park offers the most water in any one area of the United States and maybe the world that is open to the public to fly fish. The fly-fishing opportunities are diverse and unlimited.
Below are just a few of the many great places to cast your line in Yellowstone.
Firehole River
The turnoff onto the Firehole Lake Drive is only eight miles North of Old Faithful and is one of the best ways to easily access at least a five-mile stretch of the River.
The Firehole River as one would imagine because of its name, has temperature variations, which affect both the number of fish that you may catch, as well as the type of fly to be used.
It is beautiful and it is unique; the hot springs, geysers and other thermal features that cause its temperature problems also make it minerally rich, which benefits the fish in it greatly.
The Firehole’s warm temperatures make it an ideal place to use your waders to get to those deep holes.
Gibbon River
The section of the Gibbon River above Norris Junction can be accessed at several places along the Norris-Canyon Road. Various meadow sections along the Gibbon River make it easily accessible.
The Gibbon River is not very deep, making it an excellent choice for fly-fishing from the edge of the water or wading out a short distance.
Rainbow and brook trout are present in the stream at Norris.
Falls River
It is hard to find many places in Yellowstone where you will not have several other anglers in your line of sight. If you prefer a little more solitude while fishing, then the Falls River is the ideal stream for you.
To reach the river inside the park, you must hike. The Falls River is accessible from the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road that intersects Highway #20 near Ashton, Idaho. The Falls River Campground lies just outside the park. The road continues to the Cave Falls Trailhead. From there you can hike up the river for almost a half-mile but to continue, you must ford the Belcher River. This cannot be safely done if the water is high.
Wading in the Falls River can be on the dangerous side. The bottom consists of layered rocks that are difficult to get around on. It is probably best to fish from along the bank.
Other main waterways to explore include
- Blacktail Deer Creek
- Bechler River
- Gardner River
- Grayling Creek
- Gallatin River
- Lewis River
- Pelican Creek
- Slough Creek
- Snake River
- Yellowstone River – All sections
Hire a Guide
Park Rangers and local fly shops are a great resource for finding that best place to fish in Yellowstone. However, if you are really looking to get away from it all or get a bit of insider knowledge, your best option is to hire a fishing guide for a day. Guides are not only knowledgeable about where and when to go, but they are a great resource for what the fish are biting on and what to use.
An experienced guide is aware of the varying fishing regulations in the Park and can easily identify fish species.
View the local providers:
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