It's hard to imagine a better time of year to be exploring Yellowstone Park's waters with a fly rod, especially one well suited to casting dry flies, than the middle of July. These days offer more opportunities on more waters for the dry fly angler than any other. You could literally throw a dart at a map of YNP and almost certainly hit a body of water that has some dry fly fishing going on right now. 

The upper-Yellowstone River in the caldera continues to be a shining example of what makes Yellowstone such a special place to fly fish. Large Yellowstone Cutts can be found rising to good hatches of PMD's, caddis, drakes, and golden stones from Chittenden Bridge all the way up to the limit below Fishng Bridge. 

The Cutthroat Corner Triumvirate (Slough Cr, Lamar River, Soda Butte Creek) are all in their prime right now with good hatches of pmd's, caddis, and drakes. It's also worth carrying a good assortment of terrestrials in the park these days, certainly when visiting the northeast corner. Ants and hoppers should be in anyone's batting order when fishing here. 

The Gallatin River in YNP continues to provide great dry fly opportunities with the same assortment of hatching insects found throughout the park right now - Pmd's, caddis, drakes, and terrestrials. As we've noted many times, the Gallatin is the coldest river in our area which means it's a great place to fish on warm afternoons. 

As water temps have risen in recent weeks the Park has instituted fishing closures on the Firehole, Madison, and Gibbon Rivers. These rivers routinely see water temps rise naturally by this point in the summer season ass they drain the largest of the thermal geyser basins in the park. We are glad to see the park service take this action to give these great fisheries in our back yard a rest during the warm summer months. Soon enough, the days will be getting shorter, the nights colder, and we'll be back to fishing these three rivers in the Fall. 

From the Park Service: "The following rivers, and all associated tributaries, are closed to fishing due to warm water temperatures and low river flows: Madison River, Firehole River, and Gibbon River. All other rivers, streams, and lakes not listed will remain open per the existing regulations."

As always, be prepared with some bear spray when fishing and exploring off the beaten path in Yellowstone.

We're in the throws of peak tourist season in Yellowstone. Millions of visitors flock to the world’s first National Park every summer, and crowded roadways are to be expected. If you’re planning to head in for a day of fishing, we have a few tips to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.

START EARLY.

We can’t stress enough the value of an early start to your fishing day in the park even if the Hatch are hoping to find won’t begin until 10 or 11 AM it’s worth getting through the gate in West Yellowstone before 7 AM.

GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME, AND BE PATIENT.

Traveling through Yellowstone during peak tourist season can be a slow affair. Be sure to give yourself some extra time to reach your destination so you’re not sitting in a Bison jam while the hatch of the century is rolling off your favorite fishery.

STAY LATE.

Whenever possible, plan to spend the whole day in the park. Pack a bunch of food, some chairs, and your favorite beverages. There are tons of great picnic areas and vistas to enjoy a picnic dinner while you wait for the evening rush of traffic to leave the park. Evening fishing is also pretty good on most of our favorite fisheries.

BE A TOURIST.

Even if you have been in the park a million times, and you’re just on a mission to fish your favorite hatch on your preferred water, take some time to look around. Check out the visitors centers. Grab an ice cream cone. Go gawk at the Upper Falls. There’s a good reason millions of people come back to Yellowstone year after year.