1. YELLOWSTONE LAKE AND ITS
TRIBUTARIES (STREAMS FLOWING INTO THE LAKE)
Beginning with the 2001
Fishing Season, all native sport fish species in Yellowstone have been
placed under catch-and-release-only fishing rules. The native species
affected by this change are the cutthroat trout and its several
subspecies, Montana grayling, and mountain whitefish.
a. Fishing Season in Yellowstone Lake
opens June 15.
b. Streams flowing into Yellowstone
Lake and areas within 100 yards of these streams' outlets open on July
15.
c. Clear and Cub creeks open
August 11 due to bear activity.
d. Areas permanently closed to
fishing include:
i. Pelican Creek from its
outlet to a point two miles upstream (to protect wildlife).
ii. The shoreline of
Yellowstone Lake from West Thumb Geyser Basin to Little Thumb
Creek (to protect fragile geothermal resources).
iii. Bridge Bay Marina/Harbor and
Grant Village Marina/Harbor and their connecting channels to
Yellowstone Lake.
e.
All lake trout caught in
Yellowstone Lake, its tributaries and the Yellowstone River must
not be released alive. If you do not want to keep the fish
puncture the air bladder and drop it into water as deep as possible.
Anglers that catch lake trout must report the number and catch
location to the NPS (verbally or by using the report card provided
with the permit).
2. THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER AND ITS
TRIBUTARIES BETWEEN CHITTENDEN BRIDGE (NEAR CANYON) AND YELLOWSTONE LAKE
a.
Fishing season opens July 15.
b. This area is
CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY.
c. Areas permanently closed to
fishing include:
i. Fishing Bridge, including
an area one mile downstream (toward Canyon) and one-quarter mile
upstream (toward Yellowstone Lake) of the bridge.
ii. The Yellowstone River and its
tributary streams through Hayden Valley: from the
confluence of Alum Creek upstream (toward Yellowstone Lake) to
Sulphur Caldron.
iii. The Yellowstone River for
100 yards upstream and downstream of LeHardy Rapids.
iv. The entire west channel of the
Yellowstone River near the road at
Buffalo Ford.
3. THE MADISON RIVER, THE FIREHOLE RIVER,
AND GIBBON RIVER (DOWNSTREAM FROM GIBBON FALLS)
a. These three rivers proper (not
including the tributaries are restricted to fly-fishing only
(artificial flies only may be used to attract and catch fish
regardless of the type of rod or line).
b. Anglers may keep two
brown trout UNDER 13 inches in the Madison, Firehole, and
Gibbon Rivers proper and the tributaries of the Firehole River.
c. CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY for
rainbow trout on the Madison River, the Firehole River and its
tributaries, and the Gibbon River below Gibbon Falls.
d. The Firehole River
from the road bridge one-half mile upstream of Old Faithful to the
road bridge at Biscuit Basin (two and one-half miles downstream of Old
Faithful) is closed to fishing.
4. MISCELLANEOUS AREA-SPECIFIC
REGULATIONS
a. The Yellowstone River,
from Chittenden Bridge downstream through the Grand Canyon of
the Yellowstone to a point distinctly directly below Silver
Cord Cascade, is closed to fishing.
b. Agate and Cottonwood creeks,
and portions of the Yellowstone 100 yards of these creeks, open to
fishing on July 15.
c. Trout, Shrimp, and Buck
lakes, and their connecting waters open to fishing on June
15. The inlet (stream that drains into) to Trout Lake opens to fishing
on July 15.
d. CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY FOR RAINBOW
TROUT on the Bechler River.
e. The Lamar River upstream
from Calfee Creek and all tributaries upstream from and
including Calfee Creek: anglers may keep two cutthroat trout, any
size.
f. Children 11 years of age or younger
may fish with worms as bait on the Gardiner River, Obsidian,
Indian, and Panther Creeks, and Joffe Lake.
g. Sylvan Lake opens
to fishing on July 15.
h. The Lewis River proper below
Lewis Falls: CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY FOR BROWN TROUT.
i. Heart Lake opens to
fishing on July 1 due to bear activity. All lake trout caught on
Heart Lake must be kept and killed. Under no
circumstances should they be released.
j. The daily creel limit for brook
trout on Richard's Pond, Fawn Lake, and
Blacktail Pond is five fish UNDER 13 inches.
k. All brook trout caught in
Pocket Lake must be kept and not released.
l. All waters in the park not mentioned
in AREA-SPECIFIC REGULATION SECTION are regulated by general fishing
regulations and the species regulations
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