Yellowstone Pre/Post Flood- Thanks for a great 2022 season!
Dear Friends,
It is now December; Thanksgiving has come and gone, which means our 2022 fishing season has come to a close. Wow, what a season it was! We are so thankful to all of you who made it out to Yellowstone Country this year to fish with us. We had great river flows, and our water stayed cool. Every season has its own unique surprises, challenges, and big hopper eats. 2022 was no different in that respect! In some ways, the 2022 season was almost the opposite of our 2021 season; in other ways, they are more similar. Here are some highlights from our 2022 Montana and Yellowstone fishing season:
Pre-Flood
-Our Winter and Spring snowpack was very light through March. In the middle of March our Upper Yellowstone Watershed had about 76% of our average snow pack. We were planning on an early fishing season and probably low, warm water in August. Wow, were we in for a surprise!
-March and April 2022 were much warmer than usual and produced some great Spring days on the Yellowstone River.
- In the middle of April it started snowing (finally), and we saw snow and/or rain almost every day through the middle of June. By early June our snowpack was over 200% of average, and the snow was still coming. It was cold and wet.
-June 13, 2022 the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone National Park experienced a massive flood. Gardiner, MT was cut-off from the Park and Highway 89 for more than 2 days. The future of our fishery was unknown. Yellowstone initially stated it would be 3-5 years until visitors could enter the Park through Gardiner. Things were looking grim.
-June 21, 2022 Gardiner reopened and the Highway 89 bridge at Point of Rocks had been repaired.
Post Flood
-July 2, 2022 Yellowstone announced that guided trips, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) workers, and contractors were able to use the “New-Old Gardiner Road” to drive into Yellowstone through Gardiner… And things started to get AWESOME.
-Because of our huge snow pack, runoff on the Yellowstone River lasted through about July 14. The Fishing in YNP was terrific, and the Boulder River season lasted through July 20th or so.
-The Yellowstone River fished well from July 15 through October…. Yes, the fish are still here!
-The traffic in Yellowstone National Park was beyond minimal. On any given day, there were 60% of the parking spots in Mammoth available at noon, and almost no one on the hiking trails. It was like the Yellowstone of the 1970s… pretty amazing!
-Slough Creek opened on June 13, it had lots of cold, clear water, and the fishing was phenomenal. By June 13, 93% of Yellowstone’s roadways and 88% of its backcountry was open.
-August brought sunny skies, no fires, great hopper fishing, and lots of smiles.
-September followed suit with lots of cold water still left in our rivers.
-October this year may have been the best month of all. We were blessed with temps in the mid 60s, sunny skies, very little wind, and some absolutely prolific dry-fly fishing.
We are very grateful to everyone who came out to Montana this year! For those who couldn’t make it in 2022, we would love to show you what Montana and Yellowstone have to offer in 2023!
If you are thinking about coming to visit next year, please let us know! We have the best fishing guides in Montana, and they do get booked quickly. Please enjoy your winter. As the snow falls here in Livingston, we are getting pumped for deep powder, relaxing by the fire with family and friends, and tying flies for next year.
Stay safe, stay warm, relax, and laugh.
Tight Lines,
Brogan, Lady, and the Yellowstone River Outfitters Crew
