Yellowstone Park
YELLOWSTONE PARK
ReportThe Madison River drainage now has a hoot owl restriction, meaning no fishing after 2 PM daily. The Firehole River offers great early-in-the-day dry fly fishing, with tricos, BWOs, midge life cycle, and soft hackle patterns all producing action. Early in the day and during evenings remain the best times to fish all park streams.
Cooler weather has resulted in a tiny BWO hatch on the Gallatin River. Here, a precise drag-free drift into pockets and near undercuts brings trout up. Tricos are beginning to show during mornings on Fall River Basin streams.
Beula Lake continues with some of the fastest stillwater fishing in the park, with cutthroat trout feeding on speckled dun, cinnamon caddis, and damselflies. Best fishing on Beula Lake is through packing in and using a flotation device.
Brown trout are beginning to migrate from Lewis Lake into the river between it and Shoshone Lake, as well as into the outlet. Streamer patterns will be needed to interest these fish, which range to over two feet in length.
| Insect | Size | Activity | Prime Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trico | #20–22 | Mornings — Firehole & Fall River Basin streams | Early AM |
| Blue-Winged Olive (BWO) | #20–22 | Early AM — Firehole & Gallatin; cool weather driving hatch | Early AM |
| Midge (life cycle) | #20–24 | Firehole River — all stages producing | Early AM & Evening |
| Speckled Dun | #14–16 | Beula Lake — cutthroat actively feeding | Midday |
| Cinnamon Caddis | #14–16 | Beula Lake — stillwater surface action | Midday to Afternoon |
| Damselfly | #12–14 | Beula Lake — cutthroat keying on adults and nymphs | Midday |
- FIRST LIGHT TO 2 PM: Dry fly and soft hackle fishing on the Firehole (tricos, BWOs, midges) and BWO nymphing on the Gallatin — the Madison closes to fishing at 2 PM daily under hoot owl restrictions
- MORNING: Trico spinner falls on Fall River Basin streams and Beula Lake surface action for cutthroat on caddis and damselflies
- EVENING: Return to the Firehole and Gallatin for a second dry fly window — all park streams fish best at first and last light
