Yellowstone National Park Area-Specific Fishing Regulations

Yellowstone National Park Fishing Regulations
General Regulations
Area Specific Regulations
Species Regulations
Exotic Threats
Advice to Anglers

a. Fishing Season in Yellowstone Lake opens June 1.

b. Streams flowing into Yellowstone Lake and areas within 100 yards of these streams' outlets open on July 15.

c. Clear and Cub creeks open August 11 due to bear activity.

d. Areas permanently closed to fishing include:

i. Pelican Creek from its outlet to a point two miles upstream (to protect wildlife).

ii. The shoreline of Yellowstone Lake from West Thumb Geyser Basin to Little Thumb Creek (to protect fragile geothermal resources).

iii. Bridge Bay Marina/Harbor and Grant Village Marina/Harbor and their connecting channels to Yellowstone Lake.

e. Beginning July 15, anglers may keep two cutthroat trout UNDER 13 inches in Yellowstone Lake and its tributaries.

f. ALL lake trout caught in Yellowstone Lake must be kept and not released. The fish must be kept intact and presented to a ranger (the angler may keep the fish after a ranger verifies identification).

g. To continue catch and release fishing on Yellowstone Lake, an angler may possess no more than two cutthroat trout and/or any number of lake trout.

a. Fishing season opens July 15.

b. This area is CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY.

c. Areas permanently closed to fishing include:

i. Fishing Bridge, including an area one mile downstream (toward Canyon) and one-quarter mile upstream (toward Yellowstone Lake) of the bridge.

ii. The Yellowstone River and its tributary streams through Hayden Valley: from the confluence of Alum Creek upstream (toward Yellowstone Lake) to Sulphur Caldron.

iii. The Yellowstone River for 100 yeards upstream and downstream of LeHardy Rapids.

iv. The entire west channel of the Yellowstone River near the road at Buffalo Ford.

a. These three rivers proper (not including the tributaries are restricted to fly-fishing only (artificial flies only may be used to attract and catch fish regardless of the type of rod or line).

b. Anglers may keep two brown trout UNDER 13 inches in the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers proper and the tributaries of the Firehole River.

c. CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY for rainbow trout on the Madison River, the Firehole River and its tributaries, and the Gibbon River below Gibbon Falls.

d. The Firehole River from the road bridge one-half mile upstream of Old Faithful to the road bridge at Biscuit Basin (two and one-half miles downstream of Old Faithful) is closed to fishing.

a. The Yellowstone River, from Chittenden Bridge downstream through the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to a point disticntly directly below Silver Cord Cascade, is closed ot fishing.

b. Agate and Cottonwood creeks, and portions of the Yellowstone 100 yards of these creeks, open to fishing on July 15.

c. Trout, Shrimp, and Buck lakes, and their connecting waters open to fishing on June 15. The inlet (stream that drains into) to Trout Lake opens to fishing on July 15.

d. CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY FOR RAINBOW TROUT on the Bechler River.

e. The Lamar River upstream from Calfee Creek and all tributaries upstream from and including Calfee Creek: anglers may keep two cutthroat trout, any size.

f. Children 11 years of age or younger may fish with worms as bait on the Gardiner River, Obsidian, Indian, and Panther Creeks, and Joffe Lake.

g. Sylvan Lake opens to fishing on July 15.

h. The Lewis River proper below Lewis Falls: CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY FOR BROWN TROUT.

i. Heart Lake opens to fishing on July 1 due to bear activity. All lake trout caught on Heart Lake must be kept and not released.

j. The daily creel limit for brook trout on Richard's Pond, Fawn Lake, and Blacktail Pond is five fish UNDER 13 inches.

k. All brook trout caught in Pocket Lake must be kept and not released.

l. All waters in the park not mentioned in AREA-SPECIFIC REGULATION SECTION are regulated by general fishing regulations and the species regulations.