Plan Carefully

BEARS, CONSTRUCTION, CONFUSION

Early Season Closures

don't be disappointed
29 days and counting

-------

.. Early season fishing in Yellowstone National Park is about as good as it can get. The catching is pretty spectacular as well.
.. If your plans include visiting the park prior to June 30, 2010 you need to be aware of the streams and areas that are open and those that are closed.
.. With the increasing bear populations come additional and longer closures. Many of these closures are in the stream valleys that previously were classic Spring haunts for fly fishers.
.. The bear management closures are detailed on a web page at the YNP site: LINK.
.. These areas are shown on the map below, (right where you want to be.) In some of the closed areas provision is made for "Streamside Use." In some areas travel is limited to parties of four or more.
.. Local "temporary" closures are well signed. In recent years the Fountain Freight Road and the Nez Perce Creek Meadows have been occasionally closed. These closures are regularly patrolled by law enforcement rangers, and warnings are not the norm !!

-------

.. The road construction along the Gibbon River continues this year with similar hours and closures as last year, (closed at 10:00 PM - open at 8:00 AM.)
.. The Biscuit Basin Parking Lot will be closed for repairs to the boardwalk and steam vent replacements.
.. Road conditions and closures are detailed on the YNP web site HERE. This page is regularly updated as conditions change.
.. With the recent passage of the restrictive stream access law in Utah, Yellowstone Park and it's gateway communities are expecting additional visitation from that state's disenfranchised anglers.
.. Early Spring access and pressure promises to be a circus of confusion, congestion, and elbow mania. Planning will go a very long way toward alleviating parking problems, stream access, and in-stream anxiety.
.. Fishing regulations can be found HERE (PDF.)

-------

.. Wader-friendly lodging is filling up fast. If you plan to stay where conversation and amenities are in keeping with your mind set, now is the time to make your reservations.
.. A phone call or two will acquaint you with the tying bench contents, expertise, and other things that make your time off the water a bit more endurable.
.
.