The fishing season begins the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, or May 23rd, and extends through and includes the first Sunday in November. Exceptions to this are noted in each of the Regional Regulations sections within the Fishing Regulations handbook issued by the National Park Service.
Also, note that there are areas within the park that are permanently closed to human entry and disturbance, have seasonal area and trail closures, off-trail travel and daylight hour limitations, and party size recommendations. See the Bear Management Area restrictions within the Yellowstone Backcountry Trip Planner for specific rules and information.
In addition, some streams may be temporarily closed to fishing on short notice to protect fish populations in mid-summer due to low water levels and high water temperatures.
Gear, Equipment and Trout Flies:
We will help make sure you have the right kind of gear and equipment for the streams you want to fish, as well as provide you with a list of recommended flies for any of the streams at any given time frame. We base this on having taken samples using professional entomology equipment of the food including the aquatic insects in all the streams in the park, at various times of the season over a period of several years. Fly recommendations are based on the most available and plentiful food for the trout at the particular time and place you fish, not a trial and error basis or what Joe Blow caught fish on the week before. Our suggestions are based on the time of the month, water temperatures, weather history and its affect on water temperature, weather forecast, hatch charts we have developed, and other factors we have in our huge data base. We also happen to be the only company in the World with specific imitations (flies) of all of the important aquatic insects in all stages of life applicable to fishing.
Do You Need A Fly Fishing Guide?
If your plan on fishing inside the Yellowstone National Park and you have fly fishing for trout anywhere else in the world, you shouldn’t need a guide. The streams are easy to access and easy to fish. If you have never fly fished before, you may want to consider hiring one. Drift boats are not allowed inside the Yellowstone National Park.
If you fish the rivers outside the park and you have fly fished anywhere in the world, you probably don’t need a guide. If you want to fish from a boat drift boat and/or want to hire a guide, we will be glad to help you. If you want to make a backcountry fly fishing and camping horseback trip, we will help you set that up with a reliable outfitter. We do not guide and we do not receive any compensation or kickback from any we recommend. We only recommend outfitters and guides that we are very familiar with.
Let us help you plan your 2016 Yellowstone Country fly fishing adventure. Just give us a call anytime at 800 – 594 – 4726, or drop us an email at sales@perfectflystore.com, and we will help you anyway we can. We can set you up with everything you need and recommend the best times and places for you to stay and the best streams and lakes you can fish based on the time and your experience and preferences.
Streams Outside Yellowstone National Park: These still have open seasons in many sections of the rivers.
Madison River (from Hebgen Lake to Ennis) – Weekly Updated Fishing Report
Yellowstone River (Outside the Park) – Weekly Updated Fishing Report
Gallatin River (Outside the Park) – Weekly Updated Fishing Report
Shoshone River, Wyoming – Weekly Updated Fishing Report
Snake River near Jackson, Wyoming – Weekly Updated Fishing Report
South Fork of the Snake River, Wyoming – Weekly Updated Fishing Report
Ruby River, Montana – Weekly Updated Fishing Report
Henry’s Fork Snake River, Idaho – Weekly Updated Fishing Report