Hoot Owl angling restrictions remain in place this week in Yellowstone Park. Fishing is closed after 2pm to limit angling activity to the coolest times of the day and reduce stress on fish during periods of warm, low water conditions.

Beginning July 29, Yellowstone National Park’s rivers and streams will be closed to fishing daily from 2 p.m. to sunrise due to high water temperatures and low stream flows. These restrictions are in addition to the existing full fishing closures on the Madison, Firehole and Gibbon (downstream of Norris Campground) rivers that have been in effect since July 15. 

What will be closed?  

• Fishing on all park rivers and streams will be prohibited daily from 2 p.m. to sunrise the following day. 
• Fishing remains temporarily prohibited on the Madison, Firehole and Gibbon (downstream of Norris Campground) rivers. 
• These closures will remain in effect until conditions improve to protect the park’s native and wild trout fisheries.   

What will be open?  

• Anglers can fish on most park rivers and streams daily from sunrise to 2 p.m. 
• Yellowstone Lake and other lakes will remain open to fishing from sunrise to sunset as specified in the 2026 Fishing Regulations booklet.  

You can read the full press release from the Park Service HERE. 

We ask everyone to take extra care these days when handling fish. Do your best to land them quickly. Keep them wet when releasing. Try to take a picture or video of the fish in the water, in the net, or during the release, or choose to skip the photo all together.

Be sure to carry a stream thermometer and call it quits when water temps reach 70 degrees.

Despite these limitations, there remains some good opportunities in the Park this upcoming week. 

So, set those alarm clocks, pour yourself a cup of strong coffee, and get through the gate early to take advantage of cool temps and rising trout in the mornings. Then find some shade and crack a cold one on those hot afternoons.

HERE'S THIS WEEK'S STANDOUTS. 

YELLOWSTONE RIVER

The "Big River" remains one of the best options if you're heading into the park this week. Water temps and flows are good from the Caldera Stretch (between the Lake and Canyon) all the way down through the Canyons. 

Green Drake spinner falls are still the main attraction in the Caldera Stretch with fish looking for these size 12, olive spinners each morning. Hoppers and ants are becoming more important here as well. 

The Canyon stretches of the Yellowstone are in good shape and fishing well with terrestrials like hoppers, nocturnal stones, and spruce moths. Hoot Owl restrictions may have squeezed the available fishing hours, but it's still worth the hike into these rugged waters. Get an early start, enjoy hiking in the cool morning air, and fish straight through to the 2pm limit. Save your lunch and walk out for the afternoon, and you'll still find yourself with a full day's adventure. 

GALLATIN RIVER (in YNP)

While we appreciate the need for Hoot Owl restrictions on some Park waters, there are many that remain cold, even on the warmest days of the summer. If you were looking for the best example of a river that doesn't need to be placed in Hoot Owl restrictions look no further than the Gallatin River. 

Anyone who fishes the Gallatin River in YNP regularly can attest to the foot-numbing water temperatures that persist here, even on the hottest summer days. On Monday of this past week, we recorded a 56.5-degree water temperature at 6 pm above the bridge near mile marker 23. 

Fish are beginning to look for terrestrials in this reach. So, take advantage of the constantly cold water here, and spend the late-morning and early-afternoon drifting hoppers along juicy undercut banks. 

Keep your fingers crossed that Park officials take a more thoughtful approach to their angling restrictions in the coming weeks, and adjust the Hoot Owl closures to include only those waters where it makes sense. 

SLOUGH CREEK

Sight fishing for selective Yellowstone Cutthroat trout on Slough Creek is a great way to spend the mornings these days. Fish are feeding early on midges, Pale Morning Dun Spinners, Caddis, and small terrestrials like ants and beetles. Hopper patterns will garner some attention as well once the wind picks up and puts a chop on the surface. 

LAMAR RIVER & SODA BUTTE CREEK 

A week of dry stable weather has benefited both of these Cutthroat Corner favorites. Water clarity is good, but flows remain below average here for this point in the summer. Pale Morning Duns, ants, beetles, and small hopper patterns round out the most productive patterns. 

As flows continue to slowly drop through the summer, fish will become increasingly concentrated in only the best holding water on both Lamar and Soda Butte. Be prepared to cover a lot of ground when fishing these waters, and concentrate your efforts on only the best water. 

LAKES

Hoot Owl restrictions do not apply to any of the lakes in Yellowstone Park, making Lewis, Shoshone, Yellowstone, Grebe, and Heart Lakes a few of the many stillwater options available to anglers all day.

Breezy afternoons can be challenging, but calm mornings and evenings present opportunities to find fish rising to Callibaetis mayfly spinners, Caddis, and Damselflies. When fish aren't rising, leech pattterns and Callibaetis Nymphs stripped on intermediate sinking lines can be the ticket to some hard-fighting lake dwellers. 

As always, check in with the shop for the latest conditions, fly recommendations, and river updates. We’re here to help you stay dialed in for your next adventure!