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i've been to madison campground and am looking at indian creek and pebble creek. bringing my wife and her parents for two days in late june. i want to get some good fishing in while staying married. they are pretty game for things, but we will be restricted to car camping. wwmd?
Not going to be the best option for staying married....but I would not make a trip to Yellowstone without fishing the confluence of Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River. I don't know how crowded it usually gets, but when I was there, I saw very very few other people fishing and it was some of the best trout fishing I have experienced in my entire life.
is there a bad campsite in yellowstone? Or water without fish?
In YNP, the more relevant questions are "which of the park roads is closed for repairs?" and "when will run-off conclude?". As far as fishing goes, the park's catch and release rules means most sizable creeks have trout and feature decent fishing. The Firehole River is the iconic stream in the park. I'd warn you off Pelican creek and the surrounding streams on Yellowstone Lake. They've had a bad whirling disease outbreak, I hear.
Just so you are mentally ready, visualize clouds of skeeters. Yes, you'll be camping at the height of mosquito season. More importantly, I wouldn't go into the woods up there without bear spray. Too many bears, not enough space. Plenty of incidents and some deaths over the last few years. Creeps me out, being in a babbling brook with my back to the woods and unable to hear anything......I prefer the company of rattlesnakes. Decent critters considerate enough to warn you when they are around. They may be poisonous but they don't knock you down and chew on your face.
Be sure to check the regs since the streams that are part of the Yellowstone system don't open till July 15th. I have been to the park fishing a couple times and we have camped at Tower Creek campground, which was nice but follow the rules relating to food since there is a healthy black bear population around the camp.
Last year, we fished just about every major stream and river in the park during our two weeks out there. Pebble Creek did not produce much while we were there and the Grizzlies were present in the area.
The Norris Camp ground isn't too bad either and it is pretty centrally located, and has indoor plumbing (which may help the wife enjoy camping more).
If you really want to catch big fish I would skip Yellowstone and hit the Madison below Quake Lake.
Slough Creek. Just go there.
Just want to second this!! My preference is the soda butte, and even right along the road at times (sometimes the best things are right underneath our noses). There are some monsters in there, lots of fish in the 20+ range. Totally boofed this past summer on what would have probably been my biggest fish of the year, a nice 22+ cutty...Quote:
Originally Posted by gretch6364
And also as ND suggested, don't go without bear spray.. lots of grizzles up there.. lots. Especially near slough creek, where I've heard it's unusual to go in there without seeing a grizzly.
yup, Slough Creek.
+1 for Slough Creek.
Had some decent fun on the Firehole last summer too, but man I love fishing Slough Creek. We hiked back there one summer when I was in high school and camped out for a few days. Got so cold in the mornings we had to clear ice out of the eyelets. Never imagined there'd be such consistently good and big fish in that small stream.
Btw, as was mentioned above, the fishing anywhere in YNP will really depend on the run off and weather in general. My dad and I once drove all the way from N. Idaho (where the fishing was a little slow) just to fish Slough Creek - we got there right after a huge rain storm, just looked at each other and drove back to Idaho. Still a great trip though. :)
And yes, bring the bear spray regardless of where you go around Yellowstone. Though we never saw a grizzly in Slough Creek, we had a semi-frightening encounter last summer on the Firehole. Stupid people getting out of their cars along the road drove the bear upriver towards us. I swear, stupid people congregate in national parks.
Well the OP said late June trip and everyone is talking about Slough and Soda Butte? Negative. Late June in the Lamar drainage = Trout Lake and MAYBE hucking streamers in the flooded lower meadow of Slough.
Best bets for YNP late June:
Firehole- AM only probably. Caddis and PMD's
Gibbon/Madison- Should be fishing all day unless it's really hot. Probably your best bet.
Gardner- Maybe salmonflys, good nymphing. Could challenge the above for best bet.
Yellowstone- Probably be fishing subsurface above Lamar confluence
Stillwaters- Grebe/Cascade/Trout best bets
Gallatin- Probably fishing subsurface. Very slight chance of salmonflys
Everything else falls into one of the following:
1. Will suck
2. Is closed
3. Can't be mentioned on the internets
Late June kind of a weird time in the Park. PM me if you want and realize that 99% of the advice you have gotten so far sucks.
thanks for the advice all. the camping at the madison campsite got nixed, now we are at grant lodge near the lake for two days. any decent fly fishing to be done from the banks? anythign decent close to that lodge in case i can't get away for too long?
Slough, & The most remote spot on the Yellowstone,east of Gardiner you can get yourself to.
Good camping on Henry's Lake. A few miles to Yellowstone; a few miles to Henry's Fork.
Sent you a PM with the goods for close to Grant.