After a long off season, Yellowstone National Park will reopen to fishing this Saturday, May 28th! The Firehole, Gibbon, and Madison should all be in good shape for the opener. Most anglers will focus on the Firehole this weekend, and for good reason, as baetis and pale morning dun hatches will have trout rising. In the event that rain brings water levels up and reduces clarity, larger soft hackle patterns will take fish on the swing.
A few patterns to have on hand for the Firehole this weekend include:
- Sparkle Dun, #16 and 18… you’ll want to have both the PMD and baetis version on hand. A simple tie that typically fools even the wariest of trout. Its hair wing makes it easy to see and aids flotation.
- Parachute Adams, #16 and 18. While it doesn’t specifically match the hatch, the parachute Adams is a classic impressionistic pattern that performs well during mayfly hatches. And as a bonus it’s white post makes it easy to see.
- Light Cahill, #16 and 18… an East Coast classic that will serve you well anywhere PMD’s are hatching.
- CDC Emerger, #16 and 18 in both PMD (pale yellow) and baetis (olive).
- Peacock & Partridge soft hackle, #14 to 18. A classic soft hackle for a classic river.
Stop by the shop to purchase your YNP fishing license and to stock up on the patterns you’ll need for the opener.
GALLATIN RIVER FISHING REPORT
Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway MT
Flows on the Gallatin River have dropped substantially over the past few days. The extended forecast is calling for moderate temperatures, which may keep flows stabilized.
Flows on the Gallatin have been dropping, but conditions are day to day as the Taylor Fork has been pumping in mud following any significant rainfall. The forecast is calling for continued cool weather through Memorial Day weekend, which should keep the river from spiking. Next week’s weather looks like we’ll be back to seasonal norms with highs in the 70’s… there’s still quite a bit of snow up in the hills and the warmer weather will put us back into full runoff mode.
Anglers who are hoping to fish the Gallatin over the holiday weekend will find the best conditions up high, above the Taylor Fork confluence. The Yellowstone National Park portion of the Gallatin will reopen to fishing on Saturday, May 28th, but cold water temperatures will limit the productivity of this portion of the river. Below the Taylor Fork confluence, anglers will want to stick with runoff tactics… big nymphs fished in the soft water along banks.
Currently: Large nymphs or dead-drifted streamers in the #4-6 size range such as the Pat’s Rubber Leg, Bitch Creek, Yuk Bug, Mega Prince, San Juan Worm, Bow River Bugger or Sparkle Minnow.
Patterns to stock up on for post-runoff:
Dries: Flutter Bug #6-8, Cat Puke (salmonfly & golden stonefly) #6-10), Rogue Stone (salmonfly and golden stonefly) #6-10, Chubby Chernobyl (Golden) #8-10, Stimulator (Yellow) #10-14, Elk Hair Caddis (Yellow/Tan/Olive) #14-16, X-Caddis (Olive) #14-16, Lime Trude #14-16, Sparkle Dun (PMD) #16-18, Purple Haze #14-18
Nymphs: Pats’ Rubber Legs #8, Mega Prince #8, San Juan Worm (Red) #12, CDC Pheasant Tail #16-18, Pheasant Tail #16-18, Lightning Bug #16-18, Copper John #14-16, Beadhead Yellow Sally #14, CDC Emerger #14-18, Shop Vac #16
Streamers: Sparkle Minnow #4-6, Bow River Bugger #4-6, Home Invader #2-6, McCune’s Sculpin#4, Gonga #4. Be sure to have an array of colors represented in your streamer box including: white, yellow, olive, natural/tan, and black.
UPPER MADISON FISHING REPORT
Madison River at Kirby Ranch near Cameron MT
The upper Madison remains a great option. From a clarity standpoint, flows are still in that favorable green zone, offering excellent nymph and streamer fishing.
The Madison “between the lakes” continues to fish well with stable releases out of Hebgen Dam. Cabin Creek has been pumping in some mud, but this stretch of the river remains very fishable. Small nymph patterns have been the most consistent producers, but larger stonefly nymphs are attracting some attention. This is a favored stretch of river during runoff for many of our guides, and for good reason – clear water and the potential for big fish.
Below Quake Lake the river has a decidedly green hue to it, with roughly a foot of visibility. With the recent cool weather flows have remained stable and the river is fishing well on a variety of nymph patterns ranging from tiny #18 baetis imitations to giant #4 salmonfly nymphs. Conditions on the upper Madison, including through the float stretch (Lyons Bridge to Ennis) should remain good for the holiday weekend. With warmer temperatures in the forecast for next week we expect the West Fork to spike and muddy the mainstem.
Nymphs: Pats’ Rubber Legs #8, Mega Prince #8, Pheasant Tail #12 & #18, Soft-Hackle Lightning Bug #16-18, Lightning Bug #18, RS-2 #18-20, WD-40 #18, Shop Vac #16, $3 Dip #16-18, San Juan Worm #12
Dries: Parachute Adams #18, Purple Haze #14-18, Sparkle Dun (olive) #18 and #12 (brown), X-Caddis #14-16, Elk Hair Caddis #14-16
Streamers: Sex Dungeon #4, Circus Peanut #4, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnow #4-6, Bow River Bugger #4-6, Home Invader #2-6, McCune’s Sculpin#4, Gonga #4. Be sure to have an array of colors represented in your streamer box including: white, yellow, olive, natural/tan, and black.
YELLOWSTONE RIVER FISHING REPORT
Yellowstone River near Livingston MT
The Yellowstone continues to surprise anglers with windows of opportunity. The river has been dropping like a rock this week, and boasted a solid 2 feet of visibility today.
We can’t recall a spring in recent memory when the Yellowstone was this clear and fishable in late May. This latest round of cool weather has the river back in shape with 1.5 to 2 feet of visibility. The streamer bite has been good, with fish aggressively attacking large streamers in a variety of colors. They nymph bite is undoubtedly good as well, but most anglers fishing the Yellowstone at this time are targeting big fish with streamers.
Nymphs: Pats’ Rubber Legs #8, Mega Prince #8, San Juan Worm (Red) #12, CDC Pheasant Tail #16-18, Pheasant Tail #16-18, Lightning Bug #16-18, Copper John #14-16, Beadhead Yellow Sally #14, CDC Emerger #14-18, Shop Vac #16
Streamers: Sex Dungeon #4, Circus Peanut #4, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnow #4-6, Bow River Bugger #4-6, Home Invader #2-6, McCune’s Sculpin#4, Gonga #4. Be sure to have an array of colors represented in your streamer box including: white, yellow, olive, natural/tan, and black.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK FISHING REPORT
Yellowstone National Park’s fishing season reopens this Saturday, May 28th. The Firehole River will welcome anglers back with good conditions and hatches of baetis and pale morning duns.
Opening day (Saturday, May 28th) will greet anglers with opportunities for quality fishing. Opening weekend typically finds most of the park’s streams and rivers swollen with snowmelt. Many river systems such as the Yellowstone and its tributaries (the Lamar, Slough Creek, etc.) are virtually unfishable during the early portion of the park’s fishing season. The portion of the Gallatin River within the park is typically fishable from a clarity standpoint, but the river and its tributaries will be flowing high and water temperatures will be cold.
Some of the best early season fishing opportunities in the park can be found along the Madison River and its two primary tributaries: the Firehole River and the Gibbon River. These fisheries are located near the park’s west entrance and are go-to destinations for most of our guide trips in the park. The Firehole is a popular opening weekend destination for anglers, and for good reason – flows are typically moderate and it’s a fairly safe bet that trout will be found rising to hatches of baetis, PMD’s and caddis in the classic meadow water above the falls. Below the falls on the Firehole anglers may still find a few large, holdover fish that migrated up from Hebgen Lake during the fall spawning run. These fish can be taken on large stonefly nymphs imitating the giant salmonfly, a hatch that occurs in early June on the lower Firehole due to its thermal influence. Should opening weekend find the Firehole flowing high and turbid, anglers can still find success, but may need to shift gears and trying swinging soft hackles or nymphing.
The Gibbon River is a very diverse fishery that provides less reliable fishing for opening weekend – some years it fishes very well on the opener, and during other years it is too high and off color to be productive. If conditions allow, anglers will do well nymphing below the falls with stonefly patterns, or with baetis imitations along the river’s upper meadow reaches.
Opening weekend in Yellowstone is a tradition for many anglers, give us a call (800-423-4742) to discuss planning your own trip.
Patterns to have on hand for the opener:
Dries: Adams #18-20, Sparkle Dun (olive) #18-20, Purple Haze #18-20
Nymphs: Pheasant Tail #18-20, Soft-Hackle Pheasant Tail #18-20, CDC Emerger #18-20, Partridge & Olive Soft Hackle #18-20, Lightning Bug #18-20, WD-40 #18-20, RS-2 #18-20, Pat’s Rubber Leg #8
