When to Come and What To Expect:
Fly Fishing: Outside Yellowstone National Park – July – Shoshone River
The North Fork, South Fork and Lower Shoshone River offers some of the best trout fishing in the greater Yellowstone area. The North Fork actually starts in Yellowstone National Park and flows east mostly along highways leading from Cody Wyoming to the park’s East Entrance. Access isn’t a problem for the most part because it flows through the Shoshone National Forest and Washakie Wilderness. Only about eighteen miles of the river, out of about sixty-eight miles, flows through private and BLM property. The river has plenty of wild rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. The trout probably average about 16 inches.
The North Fork of the river gets into its prime season the first part of July. Most anglers prefer to fish the Shoshone River from a drift boat but that isn’t always necessary. There are plenty of areas it can be waded and fished. In addition, there are plenty of tributaries that can be fished.
The South Fork of the Shoshone River flows from the Washakie Wilderness. The lower 32 miles of the river can be accessed from state highway 291 that runs southwest out of Cody Wyoming. When you reach the forest it turns into forest road #479. The upper part of the river, about 35 miles in length, must be hiked into or reached by a horseback trip. This is an excellent, little fished area well worth the trip. We suggest arranging this with a local outfitter because it is very remote and rugged country. The fishing is excellent in the upper part of the South Fork.
The Lower South Fork is a tailwater formed by the confluence of both the North and South Forks that flow into Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The best part of this tailwater flows right through the city of Cody Wyoming. Floating is the best way to fish the lower river. Although it is possible to fish the taiwater section in July, we recommend the South and North Forks of the river over the tailwater during the month of July.
This river is one of the most overlooked rivers in the West. It sees few anglers in comparison to other rivers, many of which do not provide near as good of fly fishing opportunities. This is true of the North Fork even though it has miles of access. All three sections of the Shoshone have excellent populations of wild trout. The South Fork has some huge brown trout. All of them have native Yellowstone Cutthroats. All three have trout that average a very large size. What are you waiting on?
Copyright 2012 James Marsh