The feed
Yellowstone: Fishing Reopens on Most Rivers
After closures in late July because the water was too warm, most Yellowstone rivers reopened to fishing on August 12. Three remain closed.
Good news if you're planning to cast a line at Yellowstone: since August 12, the park has lifted fishing restrictions on most of its rivers and streams. They had been put in place on July 29, when low flows and water that was too warm directly threatened trout, which are especially sensitive to heat stress. Cooler weather and a forecast drop in water temperatures were enough to reopen nearly all waterways.
The reopening isn't complete. Three rivers remain closed to fishing until the water cools down: the Madison, the Firehole, and the Gibbon downstream from Norris Campground. Everywhere else, fishing is back under the park’s usual regulations, as long as you have your permit. If your trip is coming up, check the day’s conditions before you get in the water. These heat-related closures can change quickly with the weather.
In practical terms, nothing changes in your plans if you weren't planning to fish. For everyone else, this episode is a reminder of a simple rule at these latitudes: in the middle of summer, mountain river water can warm up enough that anglers need to ease off until cooler conditions return. We put fishing alongside the other things to do at Yellowstone and cover the full preparation in our park guide. If you're coming this far for a bigger loop, the river fits easily into our Yellowstone and Grand Teton itinerary.