Upland Natural Lake · Mixed · Wyoming

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake venue image

Yellowstone Lake is the great high-altitude lake at the heart of the Park, and it holds the largest population of native Yellowstone cutthroat left on earth — a fishery that nearly collapsed under illegally-introduced lake trout and is clawing back through a hard, ongoing suppression program.

Marginal · Cutthroat 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
  • WindE 15 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
CN
Callibaetis Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Gentle breeze
E 15 km/h
N
E
from the east
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp—
Air temp19°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Cutthroat Trout
When
Mid-summer after the late opener; sight-fish the warming shorelines
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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
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
Cutthroat Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Yellowstone NP licence
  • Native cutthroat are catch-and-release ONLY; any lake trout caught must be killed under invasive-suppression rules
  • Conservation-critical — follow NPS regulations exactly.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
65%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Lewis Lake
29 km
Brown trout
Lewis River
30 km
Brown trout · Brook trout
Shoshone Lake
30 km
Brown trout
Firehole River
41 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gibbon River
42 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Brook trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Yellowstone Lake is the great high-altitude lake at the heart of the Park, and it holds the largest population of native Yellowstone cutthroat left on earth — a fishery that nearly collapsed under illegally-introduced lake trout and is clawing back through a hard, ongoing suppression program. This is conservation water first and foremost. The cutthroat cruise the shorelines and shoals where you can sight-fish them from the bank or a tube. Park rules require you to kill any lake trout you catch and release every cutthroat unharmed — follow them to the letter; this lake's recovery depends on it.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • summer conditions with mixed skies and breezy wind.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout15 June → First Sunday in November
Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts