Yellowstone Park
YELLOWSTONE PARK
ReportThe Madison River drainage remains totally closed to fishing, but the hoot owl regulation on all other park streams has been cancelled. Water temperatures have improved to favorable levels on all streams outside of the Madison River drainage. Nevertheless, early in the day and during evenings remain the best time to fish all park streams.
Beula Lake continues with some of the fastest still water fishing in the park, with cutthroat trout feeding on speckled dun, cinnamon caddis, and damselflies. Best shoreline fishing is at the Fall River inlet, but packing in and using a flotation device opens the whole lake to fishing.
Riddle Lake, with a shorter walk (a bit more than a mile), has good shoreline fishing and is not far behind Beula with respect to fly fishing action.
| Insect | Size | Activity | Prime Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speckled Dun | #18–20 | Active | Morning & Evening |
| Cinnamon Caddis | #16–18 | Active | Morning & Evening |
| Damselfly | #12–14 | Active | Midday & Afternoon |
- EARLY MORNING (first light to 9 AM): Best window on all open park streams; cooler water temps and active feeding on speckled dun and caddis
- EVENING (6 PM to dark): Second prime window for stream fishing; cinnamon caddis and speckled dun activity picks up again as temps drop
- MIDDAY (10 AM to 4 PM): Focus on Beula or Riddle Lake still water only; damselfly activity peaks and cutthroat cruise open water — use a float tube on Beula for maximum coverage
