Upland Natural Lake · Mixed · Wyoming

Lewis Lake

Lewis Lake venue image

Lewis Lake sits in the quiet southern end of the Park and holds brown trout and lake trout in deep, cold, timber-fringed water — one of the few places in Yellowstone where the lake trout are a legitimate, legal target rather than an invader to be killed.

Marginal · Trout
Callibaetis Nymph · 12-16
A patient day, if you fancy it
Good wave on — drift country. Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
44% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindW 8 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
CN
Callibaetis Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
W 8 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp21°C
CloudClear
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
Autumn for staging browns near the channel; summer for the deeper water
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
1
Gray DrakeHatch
1
1
CallibaetisHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Yellowstone NP licence and special regulations — check current NPS rules.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
66%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Lewis Lake sits in the quiet southern end of the Park and holds brown trout and lake trout in deep, cold, timber-fringed water — one of the few places in Yellowstone where the lake trout are a legitimate, legal target rather than an invader to be killed. You can launch a boat or tube here, and in fall the browns stage near the channel mouth before running up toward Shoshone Lake to spawn. It's a peaceful, big-water place. Strip a leech or a streamer along the drop-offs and enjoy the lack of a crowd.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • TroutSaturday of Memorial Day weekendFirst Sunday in November
Related guides
Booking & contacts