Patty and I are planning on a trip to Yellowstone this summer for two weeks. Initially thought about flying out to Jackson Hole and fish there for a couple of days and then move onto Cody, Cooke City and end our trip in West Yellowstone. Then I realize that we might not truly enjoy the experiences if we bounce around too much.
Currently, I'm just thinking about staging our trip in one or two area (West Yellowstone and Cody) and throw in as many different fishing experiences as possible.
Any suggestions on itinerary, timing, guide services and etc..? Thanks in advance for your help...
before I moved to Chicago. i spent every september vacation in jellystone. There is obviously alot of water to fish, but if I went back there is only one place I would go. Slough creek, second meadow. I can give you some more info on other spots if you'd like. I even have an old employee who guides on the yellowstone. The fishing outside of the park is better than in. unless you WALK. almost anything you can drive up to is mediocre. I reccommend a guided trip outside the park on the yellowstone or gallatin, floating. A hike into slough creek if you can do it and maybe the yellowstone under the lake. There are some smaller creeks that are quite good, I'll look at my notes and get back to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee. Yeah, the Slough creek is defintely on my list. There are quite a few outfits that specializing in pack trip to the creek using horses. Thinking about doing 3days trip. Looking forward to your note...
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ReplyDeleteCharles, this is from a talk I did at Orvis on small stream yellowstone fishing.....
ReplyDeletep.s. I've heard the pack trips into slough are awesome. I once saw jimmy Carter on one. You dont need to do that however as the hike in is not difficult nor steep just long. If it was a choice between a pack and float trip. i would reccommend the float for a day. Anyway here's the info. i hope it will be useful to anyone else interested in the park
Cascade Creek: Meadow stream full of cutts in the north-central part of the park. Take the Howard Eaton Trail one-half mile west of Canyon Junction. The stream parallels the trail more or less. Cascade Lake lies at the end of the trail about five miles in.
Fan Creek: West side of park, 20+ miles north of West Yellowstone. Reach this Gallatin feeder from Fawn Pass Trail onto the Sportsman Lake Trail. Fan Creek is a great place to see moose or bear. Fan Creek is a smallish meadow stream but holds some nice cutts and rainbows with a few solid browns.
Duck Creek: West side of park, up Highway 191, then east on Duck Creek Road. Wide, shallow stream that winds its way back and forth, slowly, through wide grassy fields. Most anglers bump nymphs up tight to the bank and on bottom to reach the athletic, big rainbows and browns and brook trout.
Obsidian Creek: At Indian Creek Campground south of Mammoth near the Gardner River. Small brook trout for sure but it's a great place to teach kids how to fish. The river stops and starts in the down-timber forest, then smoothes out through the open meadows.
Cougar Creek: On the west side of the park, take Highway 191 north, then east on Cougar Creek Road. Met a mad moose here a few years ago. Mostly brooks with a few lunker browns hiding here and there
Specimen Creek: Feeder stream to the Gallatin River. Take the Specimen Creek Trail from Highway 191 north of West Yellowstone. Fish this more for the thick brush scenery than the big fish. Catch rainbow and cutthroat hybrids in the two rugged forks of the creek.
Nez Perce Creek: Medium-size meadow stream that enters the Firehole River less than six miles south of Madison Junction. Fishing is good for brown trout and the occasional rainbow and brook trout. Many bison in and around the stream. Concentrate on the water above the bridge to Spruce Creek (where you'll find fun fishing for small brookies and a few browns and rainbows). You can park at Fountain Flats Road and fish the 4 and a half miles upstream or take the Mary Mtn. Trail. If you see Mary Lake on the map at the stream's headwaters, don't think of fishing it. It has no fish.
Cache Creek: In the northeast section of the park, on the Northeast Entrance Highway. Take the Lamar River Trail or Cache Creek Trail. Underfished even though its confluence with the Lamar lies near the highway. Anglers can expect to catch bigger rainbow and cutthroat than in many similar-sized streams.
Soda Butte Creek: In the northeast section of the park, this diverse stream parallels the Northeast Entrance Highway. Soda Butte Creek has lots of changing characteristics, ranging from a bumpy run in its upper reaches to a wide, meadow stream as it meets up with the Lamar. The rainbows and cutts are above average in size.
Upper Gibbon: At Virginia Meadows, at the Norris-Canyon Road river crossing on the downstream side. The brook trout are small but plump. This is a good place to learn how to cast or fly fish.
Damn!!! Muchas Gracias
ReplyDeleteOkay, these notes go in my "goto yellowstone" folder. Thanks for the info. Have a good trip FF, what a joy it must be, planning such a trip.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great Charles! I would love to go one day. Take a lot of pictures.
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ReplyDeleteWow! I really envy you.
ReplyDeleteOne place I’d really like to visit is the yellowstone.
I hope you have a great trip with your wife.
happy new year....
Happy new year to you Joon. I am so looking forward to this trip as well. Hope we can all fish there together someday....
ReplyDeleteI spent five years in the north part of Yellowstone. The list of creeks is spot on, except that some of the creeks don't fish early or late in the summer. The Madison, Gibbon, and Firehole usually fish until late June and again in late September till the end of the season. The Lamar, Slough, And Yellowstone don't fish until after runoff, which ends about July 4. Early in the summer (July) the bugs can be awful on Slough. The fishing can be sick then. Oh, and think about fishing the Yellowstone at Tower Falls. It is some of the be attractor dry fly fishin out there. And a hike up the Lamar is a great way to spend a day. Cache runs out of water and fish by Late July most years.
ReplyDeleteThanks SRF! I will be sure to check them out!!!
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