Fishing in Yellowstone National Park 2025
Spend a day angling in the clear waters of this natural reserve full of great fish
Best time: late May–early November
Fishing has been one of the major activities in the park for over a century. Fishing season in Yellowstone usually begins during the last weekend in May, on Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend, and lasts until the first Sunday of November.
There is a range of specific rules and regulations about how the fishing has to be done in the right way within the park area. There are also some places, where rules differ from the rest of the park, such as the Wild Trout Enhancement Area and the Native Trout Conservation Area.
In the Yellowstone area, you should use a barbless hook. Yellowstone Lake, Madison River, and the North Fork of the Shoshone River are the best places to catch the native Yellowstone cutthroat, brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout. Blue ribbon trout fishing is great at the scenic Big Hole River. You can also enjoy fly-fishing on the Madison River and Bighorn River. One more popular fishing spot is Hebgen Lake.
