Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing Heading to Yellowstone in a Month - need advice on Wadeable Streams

Heading to (West) Yellowstone in a month. Doing one day float on the Madison and the rest of the week to concentrate on the northern half of the National Park’s streams and creeks.

My knees are starting to go weary on me so I could use some advice on access points to places I can wade using nymphs and dries Bringing 3wt (incl a euro nymph set-up) and several 5th as well. Have wading staff … will fish (but not long hikes thru the trails and canyons).

Any advice on access points / flies to use / local bourbon to buy?

Thanks ahead of thyme

Just west of Hebgen Lake on 287 across from Cabin Creek Campground there is decent wading access to the Madison. Turn onto Ghost Village Road and go past the resort. The river follows that road with easy access and parking. Be very careful wading, the Madison has big rocks and is very slick-something about owls. You can actually cast from the edge of the river in that area—your knees will thank you.

I would also suggest fishing the Gallatin River in that same general area. It’s easier to wade than the Madison.

Sounds like a great trip! Good luck!

I rented a pontoon boat on Hebgen Lake one day a few years back and used it as a flycasting platform. We had a great day out on the water. Lots of people on boats doing the same thing.

Within Yellowstone Park itself there’s great Cutthroat fishing at the Buffalo Ford section of the Yellowstone River. I’ve had excellent luck with Wooly Buggers there for spawning Cuts. My other hotspot is the Firehole River, directly across the street from Old Faithful. I’ve had luck with #16 Adams and #14 Elk Hair Caddis.

I would be asking your guide a ton of questions and stopping in at a few of the flyfishing shops for info as well. Enjoy your time there, Yellowstone is a pretty special place!

Thanks guys! Dually noted:
* Ghost Village looks great - streamers & hopper/droppers there (will stop at Jim’s shop first
* Gallatin River - there’s a spot north of Big Sky on some of the big bends near 191
* Hebgen Lake - if the gulpers are there, going to try parking spots on Denny Creek Rd
* Yellowstone River - Buffalo Ford, gotta research that one to see if it’s better than the confluence area with the Lamar River
* Firehole - that’s one on my bucket list if I can get there before the traffic jams
* other shops I am calling/stopping by: Blue Ribbon; guide from Madison River Outfitters (most likely the Upper Madison); Slide Inn (seen a lot of Kelly’s tying videos)

Any leads for the Lamar & Soda Butte? We are thinking of driving back thru the Cooke City Entrance. But that depends on their water levels. If we arrive in a decent hour, we might do Henry’s Fork, iD too.

If you fish the Firehole near Old Faithful be on the lookout for grizzlies. The last time I was there I stumbled upon a grizz eating the remains of a bison. Luckily the wind was right and I smelled the rotten bison first. When I looked about 100 yards upriver I spotted the Griz and the carcass. I did an immediate aboutface in my waders and walked back to my car parked near the Old Faithful Lodge.

Good luck

Good luck with your trip. Please let us all know how you do in those spots.

I'm really interested in hearing about the fishing in the Yellowstone River below Yellowstone Lake. There was fabulous fishing there decades ago in mid July when the season opened. In 2017 I was told that that fishery had been devastated by lake trout invading the lake. I'm hoping that report was not true.

If you are up for a little hike go fish hoppers on slough creek. One of my absolute favorte places on earth. Also a few grizzlies and wolfs in that area.

duff, like others have said, ask your guide for some general recommendations (a tip is always appreciated) and visit the local fly shops for additional information (buy some flies and a river map). Also, there are plenty of trout bums around West so ask some people where you are staying or when out to breakfast/dinner for some pointers. The Three Dollar Bridge to Lyons Bridge is a designated wade section on the Madison River. Good luck and have fun.

I just booked a wading guide trip. I don’t where we will be fishing, but it will be outside the Park. Hopefully the guide will also provide some wading spots inside the Park. Debating if I want to book a float trip.

If I go onto the Slogh, the first (of three) meadows is as far as I will hike. Going to have a 3wt euro nymphing and a 5wt presentation rod with me in a daypack. I am getting bear spray next week. But I was wondering if I can conceal carry within the park. I have a MI CPL, and debating if a 44Mag or 45lc pistol.

I just bought some streamer and euro nymph flies from several shops in West Yellowstone.

Going to tie some parachute flies and hoppers during the next few weeks.

Thanks for the shares everyone!!

Slough Creek is fun. I caught some nice fish in the first meadow. Carried bear spray plus a handgun (.44 Mag w/ HC).

I also really like the Lamar valley. It's easy to walk over to the Lamar River from the highway and there is often wildlife around.

I have fished (wading) the Lamar River a couple times, both times with decent success. Very accessible from the road, at least in spots. IIRC grizzlies in that drainage frequently, so you are aware.
Last time there I was playing a cutthroat hooked on a hopper pattern, while watching a herd of buffalo cross the river a couple hundred yards up! Fond memories of that day!

Latest local fishing report: the gulpers at Hebgen Lake, are just starting. Upper Madison is starting to see action early mornings and late afternoons. Gallatin River near YNP is running clear and bugs are starting to come out. Firehole is unseasonably warm and too unethical to fish. Good action on the northern part of the Slough and Lamar.

Packing a couple of 3wts (incl a euro nymph set-up), a 4wt, several 5wts (incl a long two handed rod) and a 6wt for big streamer action.

Driving out on Thursday and expect to be fishing around Island Park, ID on Saturday morning. A guide will take us on Sunday morning (don’t know where yet). Planning to hit some wading spots on the Madison for a little “dusk” fishing. The rest of the week, we will hitting the northern streams of YNP. We got bear spray and I am bring my 40cal M&P Shield. Keeping are fingers crossed that we aren’t surprised by some of the wildlife there.

Just got back from Big Sky/Gallatin gateway area roughly 30ish mins from west Yellowstone. The Gallatin is very wadeable, I booked a guide from my sons and father inlaw. None of them had ever fly fished before they all hooked up and landed multiple rainbows. They found places that were suitable for my 4 and 9 year old to wade out safely. I used JD Wild trout outfitters.

Trip Update:
Sat: Henry’s Fork, ID: three cutthroats (biggest 16”) and 6 rainbows in one of the tributary creek
Sun: guided trip on the Madison River (Eagles Nest put in Palisade take out). Euro Nymphing in the morning (several 16” rainbows and one 20” brown). Indicators in the afternoon (several rainbows again 16” to 18” range and lots of whitefish). Learned lots of new techniques on reading the river currents for nymphing and he added additional tips were to dry fly fishing on the same location. Guide was top notch from MRO at West Yellowstone.
Mon: kind of a slow day: caught lots of small cutthroat and even smaller grayling in YNP @ Virginia Cascade; went to winter creek - total bust low water; went to the Madison for an hour to kill time in YNP - caught one 12” rainbow; just got back from Three Dollar Bridge in a slow score of 13” rainbow.
Might do the West Fork of the Madison tomorrow

Tues: did the Madison just below the dam, but before Quake Lake; stopped in at Slide Inn and talked with the staff - bought some small streamers and some bead nymphs before hand. Got three cutty (13 - 15”) using a 5wt two hand rod to launch across the River at Campfire Lodge location. Went to back to Three Dollar Bridge and Euro nymph a 15” cutty
Weds: got up early to drive into YNP and headed to the Lamar: fished below the first bridge and caught six small trout (4 cutty and 2 rainbows) I did not know the recent YNP rule about not returning rainbows back into the water); went to the the big bend just past Slough Creek vault) and fished where there were no kids swimming in the river. Saw some bison and caught nothing; decided to fish the Lamar where is is next to the road near the Soda Butte, caught 7 cutty s on parachute Adams and Elk hair caddis; drove to Cooke City to spend the night
Thurs: fished Soda Butte just past Pebble Creek, caught a 16” cutty and lost another bigger cutty - broke my tippet as it went into a submerged roots of a tree; as I was retrieving a new leader from my pack, a huge bison decided to cross the Butte about ten feet from me so I backed off as two othe smaller males decided to cross as well; went I went back to y truck, a NFS worker told me that there was a grizzly about 150 yds above me; hence why the tata ka across the stream to ward off the grizzly from the herd of bison in the valley. That same bull bison came next to my truck to rub the trees with his scent (about tne yards with me); proceeded to go to Slough Creek, but ineffective due start of light rain and a slew of fisherman heading back to the parking lot reporting slow activity; tried to fish near the reconstruction of the bridge on the confluence of the Yellowstone River, but the trail was too muddy due to the light rain so I headed back to my truck; did the tourist thing looked for other areas to fish the Yellowstone but I saw no fisherman on it but some spots looked promising
Fri: did Beaver Creek and caught nothing on beaded nymphs in light rain; drove to Taylor’s Fork and caught one 13” cutty and broke my tippet on the same beaded nymph while the rain got heavier;
Heading home tomorrow driving throu Bozeman and trying to make Souix Falls for a nightcap.

Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I bought a wet wading boot with good ankle support while in West Yellowstone and used a wading staff with me for walking to and in the streams. Ankle and knees held up - a little sore the first days and after resting at night I was got to go the next day.

Sounds like some good hard work at fishing.