Lake to Falls

General Characteristics

• A flat and generally meandering river flowing from Yellowstone Lake to Chittenden Bridge above Upper Falls.
• Has a seven mile long permanent fishing closure through the Hayden Valley Area as well as around LeHardy Rapids.
• Fishy looking river characteristics in this section will not be overly apparent.
• Easy and convenient access along the road.
• Small and easily wade-able river substrate.
• Almost completely resilient to rain caused blow outs.
• Does not experience a very significant runoff even on high water years.

Fishery

• Yellowstone River Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout are the only fish found in this section, no exceptions.
• These fish are extremely picky and do not easily rise for flies.
• Prime spots rare and fish numbers for this section are not as high as the rest of the park. Please share the water and respect each others personal space.

Fishing Season

• This section operates on a special season that typically runs July through the season close. This closure protects spawning Yellowstone River Cutthroat Trout which ensures a healthy population for seasons to come.
• The peak time frame for the season is during the month of July and will begin tapering off significantly once river temperatures begin rising.

Recommended Access points

• Fishing Bridge Trail
• LeHardys Picnic Area
• Cascade Picnic Area
• Otter Creek Picnic Area

Skill Level & FIsh Size

• Difficulty: About as difficult as the park can get for fishing. We only recommend this section for trophy hunting and advanced anglers.
• Fish Quality: High Teens with the potential for low to mid 20s.

General Characteristics

• Please be very careful to avoid fishing or walking through spawning beds known as Redds. These areas have deposited fertilized eggs and can be identified by looking for areas of cleaned marble sized substrate on the river bottom.
• Crossing this section of river is almost impossible and is not advised. The only access to the eastern shore we recommend is via Fishing Bridge Trail Head.