Fly Fishing in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is 3.2 million acres of pristine trout water and wildlife habitat. An angler could fish 100 days in a row in Yellowstone and never cast over the same water twice. Our guides know these waters intimately, and we are one of a small number of outfitters legally permitted to guide inside the park (Commercial Use Authorization 18-369). If you want to fish legendary water with someone who knows where the fish are on a given day, this is your trip.

Where We Fish in the Park

We fish many of the world-famous rivers in Yellowstone: the Yellowstone, Lamar, Soda Butte, Slough Creek, Gibbon, and Firehole. We also fish a number of less famous but equally beautiful rivers and lakes that we've tucked away over the years.

All trips in the park are walk and wade. Many of the best fishing spots are within a one-mile walk from the road, so you don't have to be a serious hiker to access great water. Anglers looking for a true Yellowstone adventure can hike two or three miles in to fish water that sees almost no other people.

Lamar Valley and Slough Creek

The Lamar Valley and Slough Creek hold native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in some of the most beautiful country in the lower 48. Slough Creek in particular is famous for its meadow sections, where careful anglers can sight-fish for big cutthroat sipping mayflies. These are the kinds of fish and the kinds of waters that build the case for Yellowstone as a bucket-list fishery.

Lamar Valley fishing combines exceptional trout water with the chance to see WILDLIFE in their native habitat. Most days on the Lamar feel as much like a wildlife trip as a fishing trip.

Yellowstone River Inside the Park

The Yellowstone River inside the park is its own fishery, distinct from the river outside the park boundary. The upper Yellowstone is closed until July 15 each year to protect spawning cutthroat, but once it opens, the fishing through Buffalo Ford, Sulphur Caldron, and the Hayden Valley meadows can be exceptional.

These are technical, dry-fly waters where cutthroat trout rise consistently to the right pattern. The scenery alone (steam vents, bison herds, deep canyons) makes the trip worth it before you even pick up the rod.

Park Fishing Regulations You'll Need to Know

Fishing in Yellowstone National Park has its own set of rules separate from Montana state regulations. The main things to know:

• Yellowstone Park fishing permits are required for all anglers 16 and older. Permits can be purchased the morning of your trip or the day before in Gardiner, Livingston, or Emigrant, MT. Kids 15 and under do not need a permit.

• Park entrance pass is required for everyone entering the park and is not included in trip costs.

• All fish must be released in most park waters, with very limited exceptions for invasive species. Our guides will explain the rules for the specific water you're fishing.

• Barbless hooks are required on most park waters.

• No felt-soled wading boots allowed in the park (invasive species prevention).

We handle the regulatory details on the water. You just need to have your permit and park pass ready before we head out.