Things to do / Travel Guide
Montana, Wyoming and Yellowstone Fly Fishing
The Yellowstone area has an almost mythical status when it comes to fishing; it boosts some of the best fly-fishing in the United States along with some of the most complicated in-park fishing regulations. Yellowstone faced a period of over-fishing in the 1970's at which point regulations were implemented to control the take. In the park, bait fishing has been banned, catch-and-release rules for native species are in place, and the popular Fishing Bridge over Yellowstone River was closed to fishers. Fish stocks have inevitably been boosted as a result, and today the most commonly caught fish in the region are cutthroat, rainbow, brown, lake and brook trout, Montana grayling, and mountain whitefish. With 400 fishable waters in Yellowstone Park alone, the region has certainly earned fishing fame for good reason.
Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Yellowstone Fishing Permits
Depending on where you choose to cast your line, one of four different fishing permits may be required for fishing in the Yellowstone region. Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho fishing permits can all be purchased at most sporting goods stores or from the states' Game and Fish offices. Fishing inside Yellowstone National Park does not call for a state license, but does require you attain a license from the park. This license is available at the visitors' center, ranger station, or fishing shops in surrounding towns. Fishing season generally runs from Memorial day to early November.
Fishing in Yellowstone and Grand Teton Lakes
Yellowstone Lake is a popular fishing spot, stocked with cutthroat trout, longnose dace, redside shiners, long-nose suckers and lake chub. The lake trout (or Mackinaw) was illegally introduced to the region and is upsetting to the lake's ecosystem, so park officials certainly encourage their being caught. They are certainly plentiful, and there are no restrictions on their take. Grand Teton National Park, Leigh and Jenny Lakes are filled with lake, brown, brook, and Snake River cutthroat trout, with some of the best fishing in the spring and fall. Jackson Lake is also a popular spot for fly-fishing. In the Big Horn Canyon Recreation Area, the Afterbay Lake below the Yellowtail Dam is a great spot for trout fishing.
The Shoshone National Forest has about 2,100 lakes, ponds and reservoirs, with 500 supporting fishery. While historically many of these lakes have been barren of fish, Wyoming's Game and Fish office has helped to stock them with Yellowstone and Snake River cutthroat, rainbow, brown, brook, golden, and lake trout, in addition to splake, grayling, and mountain whitefish.
Fly Fishing in Yellowstone and Wyoming Rivers and Streams
The Yellowstone River is considered one of the best spots in the world to catch cutthroat trout, and Madison River, outside the park, is famous for fly-fishing. The Gibbon is also highly recommended, and Slough Creek, in Yellowstone's northeast corner, is a haven for anglers, filled as it is with rainbows and cutthroats. Some areas of the park are closed to fishing and some rivers are only open to fly-fishing. Madison River, Firehole River, and the Gibbon River are all considered a Mecca for serious anglers.
Jackson Hole is known for having some of the best angling in the state, its rivers and streams hosting the native Snake River cutthroat and brook trout. Snake River is a great place for beginning fly-fishing, with some popular spots below Jackson Lake Dam and near the Wilson Bridge. Idaho's portion of the famed Snake River, especially at Henry's Fork, is reputed to have some of the best fly-fishing in the world. Railroad Ranch is the most famous stretch in southeastern Idaho, about 40 miles from the western reaches of Yellowstone National Park.
The rivers and lakes of Grand Teton National Park contain cutthroat, lake, and brown trout, as well as white fish. The Bighorn River below the Afterbay Dam in the Big Horn Canyon Recreation area is considered a world-class area for trout fishing.
Fly Fishing in Montana
Montana is one of the major international homes of fly-fishing, an area where the sport is taken quite seriously. The whole trout family (brown, rainbow, brook, cutthroat, and grayling) is represented. Big Hole River is a legend, as is its sister the Beaverhead. A famous fishing lodge in the area is the Complete Fly Fisher, which has close proximity to the Wise, Beaverhead, Bitterroot, Clarck Fork, and Missouri Rivers.
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