Expanded Fishing Season In Yellowstone National Park
Recently, Yellowstone National Park announced they are opening the Madison and Gardner rivers within the park’s boundaries for fishing all year round. This regulation change goes into effect starting November 2024, when the rest of the park’s waters close with the general season. Previously, all waters within Yellowstone National Park opened on Memorial Day weekend and closed on the last day of October. Here is the press release put out by the National Park Service.
Yellowstone National Park Expands Access For Year-Around Fishing In Two Locations
A few friends and readers have asked my opinion on the regulation change. I am no expert on the park’s waters, and there are many experienced anglers I would rather hear the opinion of on this subject. However, I figured I would write a quick article sharing my opinion on the topic for no other reason than to look back on it when we all forget these waters were closed in the winter.
Again, I am no expert on the park’s waters or managing fisheries. Luckily, there are many people much smarter than me who implement these changes and understand this topic better than I do.
I have spent many days fishing in Yellowstone over the last six years, and it has grown to be one of my favorite places to cast a fly. I have read many books on fishing in Yellowstone and done my fair share of research on the park’s fisheries and history.
The regulation change was a surprise to me. Initially, I was skeptical and a little upset about it. After thinking on it in for a week or so, I have mixed emotions about the change and am excited to see how it plays out. Here, I share a few of my thoughts on opening the fisheries and what I expect the fishing to be like on these rivers.
Why The Change?
At first, I was disheartened by the news of Yellowstone opening the Madison and Gardner rivers for year-round fishing. For me, there’s a certain magic in the opening and closing days of the YNP fishing season. Knowing that it’s my last day of the year fishing in the park always evokes a sense of nostalgia.
Over the last year, I have begun appreciating many waters with finite fishing seasons. The shorter the fishing season is on a fishery, the more special each day fishing the water is. I wonder why we don’t close more fisheries with heavy fishing pressure, not only to allow the fish to spawn uninterrupted but also to give the ecosystem a rest from human traffic. This is partly why I believe the Ranch section of the Henrys Fork is so special: It is closed for much of the year.
What left me confused was why they made this change when other changes could be made that I believe would have a much greater impact on the quality of the fisheries in Yellowstone. In my opinion, I wish they would take action on the high water temperatures the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon experience in the heat of the summer. By early to mid-July, these fisheries are often above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This high water temperature is stressful for trout, and catching fish in these temperatures drastically increases the chances of mortality. I would like to see them implement stricter hoot owl or fishing closures for these rivers during the summer months.
The number of times I have seen anglers fishing in these sections when water temperatures are too hot for trout is sad. Even when hoot howl is in place, I have witnessed multiple anglers fishing these waters after 2pm. Rather than expanding the fishing season, I would have rather seen them implement more restrictive rules on these waters in the hot summers.
Lastly, this change opens the Madison and Gardner rivers during the prime spawning seasons for brown and rainbow trout. This allows anglers who target fish on spawning redds a better opportunity to do so in the late fall and spring on these fisheries. The Madison and Gardner rivers hold significant runs of spawning fish as they offer prime spawning habitats for trout.
Previously, anglers left these fish alone when the fishing season was closed. Now that they are open, fishermen will intentionally fish redds on these fisheries. Sad but true, I still meet many anglers who deliberately fish spawning redds, especially on the Madison. Catching a trout while it is actively spawning is considered unethical as it puts excess stress on the fish during an already stressful time. It puts the potential for that fish to successfully spawn and create the next generation of trout at risk.
What To Expect?
While I am confused and timid about the change, part of me is excited to have these Yellowstone fisheries open throughout the winter. The Madison and Gardner will be epic winter and spring fishing options I look to take advantage of.
Since both waters have geothermal influences, I expect the spring hatches to start early and provide phenomenal early-season dry fly fishing. With midge hatches throughout the winter and blue wing olives in the spring, I expect these watersheds will be the first to offer stellar dry fly fishing in this region.
I am most excited about the opportunity to combine snowshoeing and fly fishing in Yellowstone. These fisheries will be perfect for a day of snowshoeing and fishing, allowing anglers to get off the highway in the winter and experience the silent beauty of the park during the non-busy season.
Also, I am excited to walk through the thick willows of the Barnes Hole without screaming at the top of my lungs, worried about a bear mawling me.
While somewhat skeptical, I plan on taking advantage of the winter fishing in Yellowstone and look forward to many days next winter exploring the open waters. I would love to hear your opinion on the fishing regulations changes within Yellowstone National Park. Please send me an email or reply in the comments below!
Also, Todd Koel will present on the Yellowstone Native Fish Conservation Program on April 30th. I’m sure he will touch on why they made this change in the park. This will be a great meeting if you enjoy fishing in Yellowstone National Park. Information about the meeting can be found here.
Virtual Event: Yellowstone’s Native Fish Conservation Update
