Fishing Restrictions for Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has enacted a daily river and stream closure from 2pm to sunrise the next day. This applies to all rivers and streams inside the park boundary. Lakes and other stillwaters are open all day still. These closures are a lot like Montana’s Hoot Owl fishing restrictions and serve the same purpose. Stream flows are very low all over the west and trout populations are suffering. By eliminating afternoon pressure and stress, fish mortality numbers go down significantly. The official notice can be found here and you can check YNP’s official fishing page for the most up-to-date information.

Remember the following advice for catch-and-release angling during hot water and times of high stress:

Anglers can help reduce stress for fish by following these practices when catching and releasing fish, though fish mortality may still occur:

• Fish during the coolest times of day, where permitted.
• Land the fish quickly.
• Keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
• Remove the hook gently. Using artificial lures with single and barbless hooks can make hook removal faster and easier.
• Let the fish recover before releasing it.