FLY FISHING YELLOWSTONE'S HIGH WATER:

Fly Fishing At High Discharge Rates,
Warming Proceeds.
-- The Firehole River in Yellowstone Park is still responding to the nocturnal/diurnal swings in temperature and is running about 100 cfs above the 76-year average. Fly fishing should be excellent come opening day.

-- The Madison River at West Yellowstone is running at or above the 76-year average and mirrors the Firehole River discharge at about 200 cfs higher - probably due to the input of the Gibbon River at National Park Meadows. The river segment in Yellowstone Park may be a bit colored by opening of fly fishing.

-- The Hebgan Reservoir is at full pool, and the discharge rate is high for this time of. The dam keeper has increased flows to about 1,000 cfs, and intends to do so to keep the pool from overflow. By the time the Madison River reaches Cameron, Montana it is flowing at about 1,150 cfs. This is a good 200 - 300 cfs above the 76-year average. Fly fishing in the early float season along this portion should be interesting. There are a couple of places where you will need to duck - if you can get under the bridge at all.

-- The USGS charts below are from the links in the sidebar. They are constantly updated on a near-real-time basis. If it doesn't warm up too quickly Fly fishing the opening day in Yellowstone should be better than average. If the warm-up is combined with significant rain, the rivers on the west side of Yellowstone could present problems for the Fly Fishing visitors.


Firehole River

Madison River

W. Yellowstone

Madison River

Cameron

-- Check the weather forecast (sidear & below,) and keep the big nymphs handy. Bright may just be the order of the day.