Fly Fishing Yellowstone Country
Yellowstone National Park &
Southwestern Montana Offer Abundant World-Class Fly Fishing Opportunities In A
Concentrated Area That Is Unrivaled By Anywhere Else In The World.
INSIDE Yellowstone National Park Waterways
THE YELLOWSTONE
RIVER
Fed year 'round by melting snow high in the
southeastern peaks of Yellowstone and the adjacent
forest land is this namesake river. It is currently
the largest undammed river in the lower 48 states.
Within Yellowstone Park this river has three
distinct and separable stretches as defined by John
D. Varley and Paul Schullery in their 1963 book
"Freshwater Wilderness."
The Upper Yellowstone is a wild and boisterous
stream, gathering many similar sized tributaries
into a small river as it enters the southern margin
of Yellowstone Lake. The "Upper Stone" is protected
by the Absaroke Mountains, the marsh-lands of the
Thoroughfare Bottoms, its remote location and
mosquitoes with ravenous appetites. It contains
exuberant populations of native cutthroat trout that
are eager and willing to oblige the fisherman who
takes the time and trouble to explore its
untrammeled shores.
It is a river of legend and tale, and fluctuates
wildly in response to spring run off, downfallen
trees, and oscillating meanders in the bottom lands.
Fish are found right up to the very headwaters, and
at Two Oceans Plateau the waters and fish
intermingle with the headwaters and fish of the
Snake River. It is possible to observe fish swimming
across the continental divide given the right
circumstances.
The Middle Yellowstone, within the park arises as it
debauches from Yellowstone Lake and flows north at
near grade through the fertile Hayden Valley. This
is the "famous Yellowstone River," that produced the
market fish for the early hotels and visitors. This
is the stretch of river that flows so gracefully
past Buffalo Ford and Sulfur Cauldron and the other
world renowned Fly Fishing destinations. This is the
Stretch of river that opens later than the rest of
the parks' rivers and is eagerly anticipated by by
anglers hoping for trophy fish and continuous
'action.'
This is the river segment that is ideal trout
habitat; nutrients from the lake, tributaries, and
glacio-volcanic soils of the valley bottoms
contribute to a dense and varied population of
aquatic insects as well as other plant and animal
life. As a destination within Yellowstone Park, this
bit of geography offers scenic beauty, abundant
terrestrial and avian wildlife, geothermal features,
and of course great fishing (on the right day, and
with the right techniques.) Enormous pools, swift
runs, giant riffles and cascades (such as.Le Hardy
Rapids), shaded meanders, undercut banks, snags and
quicksand, all await the fisherman in this stretch.
The rewards can be enormous (both in size of fish,
and in the gorgeous setting.) This stretch is also
paralleled by a major park road, and access is
available easily along its length.
The Lower Yellowstone starts after the river plunges
over the Upper & Lower Falls of the Yellowstone
(currently barriers to upstream migration of fish,)
into the Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone. This
stretch of the river is infrequently explored by
visiting fishermen (about 20 miles of lightly fished
water that harbors enormous fish.) Because of its
steeper gradient, and its very few gentle meanders
and holes the fish of the Lower Yellowstone River
are concentrated in the undercuts, backwater eddy's
and other places where it is not to strenuous for a
fish to make a living. Because of this, it is
possible to experience a day full of spectacular
fishing and sightseeing within a very short and
limited stretch of water. (such as the stretch
around 'seven mile hole'.)
The Yellowstone River is joined by its largest
tributary The Lamar River just before it enters
Black Canyon and secrets itself from roads and most
fishermen until it arrives near the town of
Gardiner, Montana. There are many tributaries to
this river segment, and most of them are worth the
time to explore and fish. Because many species of
fish have been stocked at numerous times by both the
National Park Service and the state of Montana the
hodge-podge of species and hybrids is mind boggling.
In the upper stretches of the Lower Yellowstone
River the cutthroat is still the fish most commonly
seen & caught. In the middle reaches (from about
Knowles Falls to Livingston, Montana) the introduced
Brown Trout [several spps.,] rapidly become the most
common.
YELLOWSTONE LAKE (A Part of the River)
Between the upper reaches of the Yellowstone River
and its middle section is Yellowstone Lake. This is
a spectacular body of water from any perspective. It
is the barometer of Yellowstone's weather, it
freezes solid in winter, it becomes violent during
storms, it rests as a placid pool during the soft
summer days, it has geothermal features in its
depths, it is the resting place of boats and other
motor vehicles as well as people, it is a fishery
unique in its history and composition, and it is
studied by scientists from around the world. The
justly famous Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout was once
the top predator in this lake. Populations of these
trout were well on their way to speciation in the
various tributaries of this great lake. Populations
that ran "upstream" to spawn and populations that
ran "downstream" to spawn were geographically
separated. Populations that spawned early in the
spring and even others that spawned late in the fall
were present. These spawning 'runs' provided a
constant and dependable source of food for bears,
coyotes, pelicans, mergansers, and other of the
park's animals, as well as providing a variety of
adaptive strategies for the fish.
The coming of the Euro-Americans has altered much of
this diversity, and only remnants of these patterns
can be seen today. Because of the apparent abundance
of the Yellowstone Cutthroat in the lake and in the
river, early on commercial fishing for the park
concessionaires and visitors took place. Stories of
giant trout abound in the early literature of the
park. Few 'giants' are seen today, (or, perhaps, the
criterion for gigantism has changed.)
Recreational fishing has also taken its toll. Early
in the park's history there were no regulations to
protect the trout and they were taken and eaten (or
worse) in great numbers by the visitors. Fishing on
the lake is enjoyed today by both shore anglers and
boat anglers.
The growing population of non-native lake trout in
Yellowstone Lake has placed in jeopardy the native
populations. When caught in Yellowstone Lake these
fish (Lake Trout,) must be killed and reported to a
ranger. As the population of lake trout has
increased over the years, a sport fishery that
utilizes the specialized techniques of deep trolling
has expanded. This has led to more boats, more
fishermen, more congestion, and more pollution of
the lake. The unanticipated, unacceptable,
unauthorized, and unwanted population of these
interlopers has started a cycle of increased use,
and increased degradation of the lake. More fish,
more fishermen in boats, more exhaust and petroleum
products, more land traffic for access, more RV's in
Grant Village. All because of an unauthorized fish
from the upper Midwest of the United States.
The Lake Trout may be taken by fly fishermen in
shallow bays and inlets when these fish leave the
depths to spawn and feed in the shallows. The dogged
and persistent fighting power of these fish is
legendary whether taken on a fly or with gear.
The best shore fishing (with fly or with spinning
tackle,) is generally near one of the many streams
or thermal discharge areas that feed the lake. Silt
plumes after a thunder shower are frequently very
productive, and fish of large size may frequently be
seen feeding on the food that is washed into the
lake during these periods. Be careful to observe the
fishing regulations because some areas close to
streams are closed.
The most notable closed area is that area near the
outlet of the lake as the Yellowstone River
continues it's journey downstream and under "Fishing
Bridge." The grovels at the lake outlet are prime
spawning and feeding grounds for the largest of the
native Cutthroat trout. This was, in the past, a
prime location for taking these fish. It is now a
closed area that allows visitors to observe these
fish feeding and breeding unmolested in the
discharge waters of the Yellowstone Lake. |
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