Yellowstone Park opened for the fishing season on the 25th of May. Spring runoff is currently a limiting factor. Your best options over the next two weeks will be the Firehole, Lower Gibbon, and the Madison Rivers. The Yellowstone River system is currently in a full blown runoff. Both the Grand and Black Canyons are bad off color. The Canyon of the Yellowstone and the lower Gardner River may not be in a good enough condition to fish for another week or two.
The Gardner isn’t a good stream to consider yet. Keep in mind that the Yellowstone River between Yellowstone Lake and the Falls is closed until July 1 to protect spawning cutthroat. The Lamar River, Slough Creek and Soda Butte Creek are won’t be clear enough to fish until for a couple more weeks.
The best option and also the most popular stream in the park for the next couple weeks will be the Firehole River. Pale Morning Duns, Spotted Sedge caddis, and White Miller caddis. Fish the PMD nymphs, Spotted sedge and White Miller caddis pupa in the morning until you see surface action and then switch to the PMD duns and Caddis adults.
The lower section of the Gibbons, below the falls, should offer some good opportunity. The Firehole canyon, downstream of Norris, should be okay at this time and for the next few weeks. The lower Madison and the Firehole Canyon should be another decent choice for the coming three or four weeks.
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