Fishing the Lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region

June 5, 2025

Fishing the Lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region

The Greater Yellowstone Region is renowned worldwide for its numerous rivers, famous for fly fishing. Anglers travel from around the world to fish rivers like the Henry’s Fork of the Snake, Madison River, and the many rivers in Yellowstone National Park.

While the rivers draw numerous anglers to the area, the lakes in the region are equally worthy of a trip, offering excellent fishing, stunning views, and enormous trout. Many anglers I speak with shy away from stillwater fishing for various reasons. This preference for rivers among fly anglers causes the numerous lakes in the region to go underfished.

In this article, I describe what it’s like fishing the lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region and offer insights from my seven years of experience. I may even convince you to spend a little more time on the lake this year.

Famous Stillwater Fisheries

Just as there are many famous rivers, a few lakes are world-renowned for their fantastic trout fishing in the Greater Yellowstone Region. A few to mention include Henry’s Lake, Hebgen Lake, Quake Lake, Wade Lake, Cliff Lake, and Yellowstone Lake. These fisheries are popular amongst stillwater addicts and make for some incredible trout fishing. While there is always a place to find solitude on these fisheries, they do draw crowds during certain times of the year.

Some of the best fishing and most popular times on these stillwaters include the damselfly hatch on Henry’s Lake (June/July), gulper season on Hebgen Lake (late summer), and mid-summer fishing on Yellowstone Lake. These fisheries are famous worldwide for their large trout, abundant hatches, and stunning scenic views. Some of the largest and most beautiful trout are caught in these fisheries, making for many anglers personal best. The chance to catch these huge trout is worth planning a trip and fishing the lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region.

Backcountry Lakes

If you are interested in an adventure off the beaten path, many of the backcountry and lesser-known lakes around the Yellowstone Region are full of beautiful trout. These fisheries are much harder to access, but they are home to less wary trout who are often willing to take a fly. Many require a hike or, at the very least, a long drive down a dirt road (many require a 4WD vehicle) to reach the lake. The effort it takes to get to the lake weeds out many anglers who do not have the time or enthusiasm to make the journey. This combination results in a serene experience with little crowds and fantastic fishing.

I love the many lesser-known lakes of the region and have a long list of lakes I want to fish. Many of these lakes are home to native cutthroat trout, some of which grow to surprisingly large sizes. If there is one word to describe these backcountry lakes, it is unpredictable. You never know if you’re going to experience the best fishing of your life or one of the worst days of your life. At least when the trip is all said and done, you can reflect on an epic adventure, no matter how poor the fishing was. I invite you to get out a map and explore the backcountry lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region.

It's Not Just Staring At a Bobber

Now, before you get the wrong impression, not all stillwater fly fishing is staring at a bobber, waiting for something to happen. While some days bobber fishing is the most effective method, many of my best and favorite days of stillwater fishing have been spent sight fishing for cruising fish, often using dry flies or dry droppers. This way of hunting fish is some of the most challenging and rewarding fishing you can do in the Yellowstone region, and many lakes across the region offer opportunities to do so.

Stripping flies on sinking lines is also a wildly productive and exciting way to catch fish in the lakes. Some days, the trout prefer an active retrieve, so stripping minnow or leech patterns puts many fish in the net. Feeling a fish pick up your fly on a sinking line in a stillwater is an addicting sensation. You just have to experience it for yourself.

All I am saying is don’t discount stillwater fishing for its lack of excitement. It’s up to you on how you choose to fish the lakes in the Greater Yellowstone Region.

Time Of Year

One can fish the lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region beginning in April and lasting into the last week of October. The spring and fall are known for producing the largest fish of the season, especially on the lower-elevation lakes. The shoulder seasons bring large fish to shallow waters with more food to forage on, ideal water temperatures, and trout migrating to spawn.

Midsummer offers the best opportunity to fish the backcountry lakes, often sitting at higher elevations. The summer weather is ideal for a backpacking trip, and the mountain lakes remain cold throughout the hot summer. Summer is also when you see the best hatches of callibaetis mayflies, damselflies, and many terrestrials falling into the water. It is prime time to toss dry flies to cruising trout.

If I were to spend a season fishing the Greater Yellowstone lakes, I would start on the lower-elevation lakes in April. Many of these lakes ice off in April and fish well into June as water temperatures warm and bug activity increases. As the days grow longer and the backcountry opens up, I start fishing the many higher-elevation lakes off the beaten path, usually around the middle of June. I would fish these through the middle of September before transitioning back to the lower and more popular lakes for the fall season.

The Subculture

Stillwater fly fishing truly has its own subculture of anglers. Stillwater anglers talk about fish in pounds, customize their boats with fancy gadgets, and are some of the friendliest anglers you will ever meet. They park their campers for weeks at a time, chasing the best stillwater fishing around.

I have met many of these guys over the years and am always delighted with our conversations. They are so friendly and kind in sharing information and tactics, as well as many stories of unbelievably large trout. Stillwater anglers know that if the bite is good, there are enough fish for everybody, and the more rods bent, the better. Many stillwater anglers come to mind that I’ve met on the banks of Henry’s Lake, Hebgen Lake, and various ponds across the region. They tend to make their stillwater trips around the same time every year, and it is a treat to run into them a few years in a row.

If you find yourself fishing a Greater Yellowstone lake, I recommend getting to know the crew at the boat ramp, as it may result in some unforgettable little connections along your fishing journey.

A Rabbit Hole

Fly fishing has many rabbit holes an angler can get sucked into and spend years learning. Stillwater fly fishing is one of them. There is so much to learn to be successful on a stillwater. Where to locate fish, pinpoint what they are feeding on, rig your lines and leaders for success, and the many nuances of each lake, to name a few.

Fly fishing a stillwater is one of the greatest challenges I have faced as a young angler. They are complex puzzles where you must connect all the pieces to achieve success. This challenge spurs an addiction, and if you spend the time learning the game, it may reward you with a trout of a lifetime. Believe me, it’s a rabbit hole worth going down.

Try It For Yourself

If this article has piqued your interest in the lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region, I highly recommend planning a stillwater fishing trip. If you are new to lake fishing and would like to learn more about the tactics, check out my Beginners Guide To Stillwater Fly Fishing. If you have further questions about fishing the Greater Yellowstone lakes, please let me know, as I love chatting about these epic fisheries.