Fishing Reports

Long story short - Things in the Northeast corner of the park are looking better every single day. The Lamar and Soda Butte, though still high, are fishing very well. Slough Creek is dropping and clearing. The dry fly game up there isn't up to speed but the fish are absolutely catchable subsurface if they won't eat your foamie.

Firehole- time to lay off and seek cooler water elsewhere

Gibbon river- You should really only consider fishing the Gibbon early in the morning. The flows are tiny and the water is warming up VERY quickly when the sun comes up.

Upper Gardner river- definitely shaped up and fishing well from what we have heard.  Great brook trout fishing on small dry flies.  Fun classic patterns like rat faced McDougals (remember that??) parachute adams, royal wulffs, elk hair caddis all are working.  Keep it simple here!  it's not that tough.  Smaller streams in the area like Indian Crk, Panther Crk, Winter Crk have also been a lot of fun.

Gardner river-  Good water conditions are responsible for happy fishermen along the Gardner river from Lava Crk to its entrance into the Yellowstone river mainstem.  While salmonflies are pretty well wrapped up, goldenstones, yellow sallies, and PMDs as well as caddis are still very much in the play.  Grasshoppers and other terrestrials are also a hit and will be from now through Sept.

Lamar river-  flows are definitely continuing to drop here and fishing is beginning to show signs of happening.  River still has considerable volume compared to what it should have for this time in July.  You still can't wade across the Lamar in a majority of places.  But reports are starting to come in that there fish to be caught.  Lots of bug activity as well.  Salmonflies, goldenstones, yellow sallies, green drakes, PMDs, and caddis are all coming off in good numbers.

Soda Butte Creek- Soda Butte is coming into prime shape right now. Bugs are hatching and trout are eating. The usual array of terrestrials along with some drakes and PMDs should get the job done.

Slough Creek-  The creek is totally fishable now. The reports we've heard as of late is that its 90% there. The dry fly fishing hasn't come into its own yet but people have definitely been picking up fish on the surface. If you can't get them to look up, hit them in the face with the usual array of nymphs and hold on. Also, since the Lamar and Soda Butte are in primo condition, there will be a good number of anglers on these two streams. Slough might be a good way to escape some of the pressue.

Stop by the shop on your way to the Park for licenses, flies, and gear.  Or feel free to call for up-to-the-minute reports 406-333-4401.

Look for fishing to continue to improve over the coming days in the Park.  More and more rivers are starting to come into their own as the days go by.  Granted its late July and things are pretty much a month behind.  Still, this next month if not all the rest of the days till it starts snowing in earnest around here again should be really really good!

Firehole- time to lay off and seek cooler water elsewhere

Gibbon river- is decent to good.  Staying above the falls definitely helps things out.  The lower river will come back around come middle Sept.  In the meadows fish are tough, but a well laid small dry fly on light tippet along with some good timing and luck should pay off. Small emergent mayfly patterns, olive or rusty spinners, ants, beetles, as well as spruce moths are all good ideas right now.

Upper Gardner river- definitely shaped up and fishing well from what we have heard.  Great brook trout fishing on small dry flies.  Fun classic patterns like rat faced McDougals (remember that??) parachute adams, royal wulffs, elk hair caddis all are working.  Keep it simple here!  it's not that tough.  Smaller streams in the area like Indian Crk, Panther Crk, Winter Crk have also been a lot of fun.

Gardner river-  Good water conditions are responsible for happy fishermen along the Gardner river from Lava Crk to its entrance into the Yellowstone river mainstem.  While salmonflies are pretty well wrapped up, goldenstones, yellow sallies, and PMDs as well as caddis are still very much in the play.  Grasshoppers and other terrestrials are also a hit and will be from now through Sept.

Lamar river-  flows are definitely continuing to drop here and fishing is beginning to show signs of happeing.  River still has considerable volume compared to what it should have for this time in July.  You still can't wade across the Lamar in a majority of places.  But reports are starting to come in that there fish to be caught.  Lots of bug activity as well.  Salmonflies, goldenstones, yellow sallies, green drakes, PMDs, and caddis are all coming off in good numbers.

Soda Butte Creek- nothing definitive on the creek just yet, but if the Lamar is starting to turn the corner and come on, Soda Butte will surely be right there with it.

Slough Creek-  definitely dropping to a very fishable level and good clarity.  We've had a few reports on Slough with some decent and other reports that were pretty sour.  This one may still be a few more days away from really turning on.

Stop by the shop on your way to the Park for licenses, flies, and gear.  Or feel free to call for up-to-the-minute reports 406-333-4401.

Yellowstone Park rivers are fishing decently enough.  Flows on the Firehole remain higher than optimum and have taken a little bump upwards the past 2 days likely as more high elevation snow continues to melt with the warmer, sunny weather we have had as of late.  Gibbon River waters are maintaining their slow drop making for improving conditions.  Upper Madison in the Park is starting to see some action as well.

Look for primarily PMDs and caddis on the water and on the lower Firehole as well as uppe Madison sections there are reports of salmonflies.  We had some folks saying they got a number of good fish on salmonfly dries yesterday!  With the high flows, nymphing continues to be the most effective means to catching fish. 

In other parts of the Park, we had some reports that the Garner was fishing decently in the pocket water.  This may not be the case today or for the next few days, however, as the flows have once again bumped up due to runoff.  Keep an eye here however as the Gardner starts to drop again hopefully it will clear to some extent and become another option.  Trout Lake is another area in the NE section of the Park worth the hike into.  Nice cutthroat can be had stripping smaller buggers and beads.  Take some time to check out the Lamar in the Narrows on your way up.  It's hugely impressive to see how much water is careening through here!