Yellowstone National Park
Lewis, Shoshone and Yellowstone Lakes are ice free. Yellowstone River within the park opens for fishing on July 1st. Yellowstone boating permits and a passed Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) inspection obtained before boating are required on any still water in the park. Yellowstone Lake tributaries open on July 15th to protect spawning cutthroat trout. Campsites on all these lakes are subject to a reservation system meaning each site is to be occupied by the group that has signed up for it first. Successful fishing by wading shorelines to present streamer and woolly bugger patterns is diminishing because shallow water is warming up. Boating on Lewis and Shoshone is the best way to find action. Concentrate casting streamer and wooly bugger patterns toward submerged weed beds. Fishing on the Firehole River remains the best dry fly location with white miller, BWO and PMD life cycle, and soft hackled patterns providing action for fly fishers with the afternoon caddis activity adding to make for excellent top water fishing. When the river warms enough a “hoot owl” restriction or total fishing closure will be applied. Caddis activity is also good on the Gibbon River below the falls. Northeast corner streams are still a bit high and discolored. The Gallatin River is running high and discolored with run off. Park fishing licenses are available through the park web site, and visitor and ranger station offices within.
