Rising from the towering, snow-capped peaks of the Absaroka Range in northwest Wyoming flow some of the finest trout streams in the world. The craggy peaks stand in contrast to the grassy expanse of the valleys below, which are home to an impressive abundance of wildlife. It is here in the northeast corner of Yellowstone Park that prolific hatches of insects bring boiling rises from native trout through the summer months. For the dry-fly connoisseur this is paradise!

The Lamar River (above) is the largest tributary of the Yellostone inside Yellowstone National Park. The Lamar and its tributaries--Soda Butte Creek and Slough Creek--have native cutthroats as well as rainbows and cuttbowsd in the lower reaches

The northeast corner of Yellowstone is one of the least travelled parts of the park, yet it's an area rich in history, wildlife, and scenic splendor. The tourists have no attraction such as Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, or Yellowstone Lake to draw them here, so those of you wanting to avoid the crowds and traffic jams found in other areas of the park can find trout and serenity here.

Local Contacts Anderson's Yellowstone Angler Beartooth Plateau Outfitters Blue Ribbon Flies Bud Lilly's Trout Shop Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers

The two major fisheries in this corner of the park are the Lamar River and Slough Creek, which rank right up there with the Firehole, Henry's Fork, Madison, and Yellowstone rivers as world renowned fisheries. Other lesser known fisheries in the area include Cache, Miller, Pebble, and Soda Butte creeks, as well as Trout and McBride lakes. All of these waters are tributary to the Lamar River which converges with the Yellowstone River near Tower Junction.

Early-Season Lake Fishing
Yellowstone's general fishing season opens the Saturday of Memorial Weekend, yet many waters remain closed until later dates. While the streams mentioned here are legally open to fishing Memorial Weekend, they are swollen with frigid, muddy water from the annual spring run-off. This is a good time to fish the lakes found in the area. Northeast of the park there are over 1,000 lakes on the Beartooth Plateau which hold brookies, rainbows, cutthroats, goldens, lake trout, and grayling.

McBride Lake lies three miles up the Slough Creek drainage, but Slough Creek must be forded in order to reach the lake. This can be a risky proposition during run-off, as muddy water makes it difficult to decipher the pools from the riffles. The strong current can easily sweep away those trying to attempt a crossing. In fact, I came close to drowning a few years back while attempting to cross in the first meadow. The cold water quickly drains your energy and lowers your body temperature making hypothermia a serious threat.

Cutthroats, rainbows, and cuttbows (above) in McBride and Trout Lake provide most of the early season fishing. McBride opens on the regular Yellowstone opening day. Trout Lake historically opens June 15. Check current regulations before you fish.

For those who are successful crossing the creek, the fishing is silly in the lake. Strip woolly buggers and leech patterns, but hold on as the cutts slash at the fly often hooking themselves. Some Chironomids and caddis hatch making for evening dry-fly fishing. The best fishing on the lake is usually in June and early July, unfortunately when Slough Creek is at its highest. Later, the water temperature in the lake rises and the fishing slows.

Trout Lake is located in a beautiful meadow below the southern escarpment of Mount Hornaday. A trail climbs steeply to the lake from the northeast entrance road near the Pebble Creek Campground. It's a short hike of about a half mile and many anglers choose to carry a float tube with them. The National Park Service (NPS) requires a non-motorized boating permit for float tubes and charges $5. These permits along with fishing permits ($10/week or $20/season) can be obtained at ranger stations, visitor centers, or any park entrance.

Trout Lake opens to fishing June 15, but the inlet to the lake is closed until July 15. One look at the creek in June will reveal hundreds of spawning cutts in merely inches of water. The number of fish in the lake is severely reduced during this time, as most of the fish are either in the creek spawning, or in the bay (also closed to fishing until July 15) at the inlet. Once the cutts return to the lake for the summer they are famished and willing to eat readily the first few weeks back. The cutts are mainly 14 to 20 inches and very colorful. Rainbows also occupy the lake and while they make up a small portion of the fish population, they are the largest, strongest, and most difficult to catch. Rainbows over 30 inches can be seen cruising the lake's shoreline and 'bows in excess of 20 inches are common. Once hooked they pull out all the stops often leaping several times and making powerful runs into the depths towards rocks, tree limbs, and thick moss. Landing the larger fish takes skill, patience and a little luck.

Fishing from tubes can be very productive, although I prefer to walk the shoreline and sight-cast to cruising fish. Pheasant Tails, Callibaetis nymphs, Hare's Ears, Disco Midges, Brassies, and scuds are good choices. On the surface Parachute Adams, Griffiths Gnats, X-Caddis, beetles and ants will suffice. Callibaetis and damsels hatch in July and August and provide the best dry-fly fishing of the season. Woolly Buggers and leeches are best fished in low light such as early in the morning, in the evening or on cloudy days. A good snail pattern fished along the weeds can be one of the best methods on this lake. I discovered this several years ago when I observed trout pass up my fly and gobble up my split shot only inches away!