Fly-fisherman on the Yellowstone River

The Yellowstone River • The Yellowstone River drainage hosts exceptional scenery and some of the most diverse wildlife on earth. You can see elk, bison, grizzlies, moose, majestic mountains, canyons and waterfalls. And is a world-renowned trout-fishing destination. It begins in the Teton Wilderness in northwest Wyoming’s rugged Absoraka Mountains 671 miles upstream from the confluence with the Missouri, from here the Yellowstone winds unencumbered by dams all the way to South Dakota's rolling prairies. The upper Yellowstone is pretty much as it always has been, and is being managed by Yellowstone Park and Montana Game and Fish for the welfare of the fish and wildlife that live around it. This has preserved one of the best trout rivers, outside of Alaska or Canada. Winding through Yellowstone Park and into Montana to the town of Big Timber, the famous trout water of the Yellowstone flows for nearly 250 miles. ---------------------> More......

Gardiner River • Rising on the northeast slope of Joseph Peak in the northwest corner of Yellowstone Park the Gardiner River is born. The river starts at 10,000 feet. By the time it reaches the northwest corner of Gardner's Hole it has been joined by several other icy small streams. After it reaches Gardner's Hole, Fawn, Panther, Indian and Obsidian creeks join it. All are small, winding, willow lined, clear and cold, and all host numbers of brook and rainbow trout. The streams of Gardner's Hole are the only ones in the Park that may be fished with worms-but only by children twelve years and under.  Twenty miles from its source from where it passes under the Norris-Mammoth road bridge, there is a mile or so of very pleasant water. But proceed with caution as the walls of the canyon steadily constricts the river, bank fishing becomes tough and wading becomes risky. The river becomes a torrent and soon drops over 150 foot Osprey Falls, and the even steeper canyon below. It is dangerous to continue.-------------> More

Fly-fisherman landing trout on the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park

The Firehole River   • The Firehole River is one of two major tributaries of the Madison River. It flows north approximately 21 miles from its source in Madison Lake on the Continental Divide to join the Gibbon River at Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park. The Firehole flows through several significant geyser basins in the park to include the Upper Geyser Basin, which contains the world-famous geyser Old Faithful. Early trappers for the steam that makes it appear to be smoking as if on fire named the river.-------------------------------------> more

Lamar River • The Lamar River is the largest tributary of Yellowstone River within Yellowstone National Park. We are fortunate not to have to use the full moniker, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, of the Secretary of the Interior for whom the river is named. It originates in the high peaks, steep ridges, U-shaped valleys of the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains and it is approximately 40 miles long. Large herds of Bison and Elk lazily graze along the river in the Lamar Valley. Wolves can even occasionally be spotted if you are an early riser or get lucky in the evening and it is one of the best places in Yellowstone to spot Grizzlies. The Upper Lamar River is another tremendous cutthroat fishery. The main river along with tributaries such as Cache, Miller and Cold creeks fish very well with dry flies for 12"-18" cutthroats. As with all of backcountry trips the wildlife, wildflowers and scenery are tremendous. wolves, grizzly bears, elk, bison, deer and moose are among some of the wildlife you may encounter in this area of the park. -----------------------> More

Boys fly-fishing the Gardiner River at Swan Flats in Yellowstone National Park

The Lewis River • The Lewis River is a tributary of the Snake River and is a popular destination for Yellowstone backcountry travelers, fishermen, and campers. The entire course of the river is located within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming about 70 miles north of Jackson Hole. The river is named for Meriwether Lewis, commander of the Lewis and Clark Expedition though Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery never saw Yellowstone. The Lewis River begins at the southern end of Shoshone Lake and flows southerly approximately 3 miles to Lewis Lake; here the river is called the Lewis River Channel. The river reemerges at the southern end of Lewis Lake and flows in a general southerly direction through a steep canyon roughly paralleling the south entrance road toward the south entrance of the park. Shortly before leaving the park, the Lewis River merges with the Snake River just north of Flagg Ranch, changing its course southward. The Snake soon flows out of Yellowstone into Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Lake ------------------------------------- > more

Gibbon River • The Gibbon River begins its short journey into the Madison in the center of Yellowstone National Park, at Grebe Lake from there It flows for a short distance into Wolf Lake. Upon its exit from Wolf Lake, the Gibbon River twists and turns through narrow canyons and great meadows and thermal areas until meeting with the Firehole River for the genies of the Madison River. The upper section of Gibbon River has very difficult access, not much volume and involving bushwhacking through difficult terrain. You will catch brook trout, cutthroat trout and grayling, all on the small side, rarely exceeding 10 inches. But the difficulty is worth it for the opportunity to catch grayling, as they require the cleanest of waters.-----------------------------> more

Sportscaster Curt Gowdy and fly-fishing legend Lee Wulff fishing the Snake River in Jackson Hole

Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park's Snake River • The source of the mighty Snake River is in Yellowstone National Park, from there it flows past Flagg Ranch south through the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, and into postcard perfect Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Below Jackson Lake Dam, the river meanders through Grand Teton National Park. Above the river to the west, the Grand Teton mountains rise suddenly, with no foothills to soften their dramatic rise to the sky. These are mountains the way we always expect mountains to look, The snowcapped, Grand Tetons are America's quintessential mountain range, rearing up with sawtooth like exaggeration crowned by the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. More.......

Jackson Hole Wyoming's Snake River • The Snake River as it leaves Grand Teton National Park is equally as breathtaking as it is as it flows through the Park but allows you to see the Grand Teton Mountain Range from different angles and vantage points. This escarpment of perpendicular granite is awesome no mater which angle you view it from. There also good views of the Sleeping Indian in the Gros Ventre Mountains to the east. More.......

Snake River Canyon • A blue sky overhead hosts a few cumulous clouds, the towering Snake River Range overwhelms you on the right but the majestic Wyoming Range balances it on the left, an osprey plucks an unsuspecting trout from its watery home with a quick swoop from the sky and some handy work with it's talons. You can count your blessings when you're floating down the mighty Snake River that divides these two mountain ranges here in the bottom of Wyoming's Snake River Canyon. The Snake River is a gorgeous ribbon of blue, green and white that comes alive and deposits itself in you face on a regular basis in this imposing canyon where towering spruce, pine and fir trees wear rags of moss and bald eagles perch watching the parade of kayakers, fishermen and rafters float by. More...........

Whitewater fun in the Snake River Canyon

The Gros Ventre River • The Gros Ventre River (pronounced 'grow-vont') flows from it's headwaters in the Gros Ventre Wilderness which forms much of the eastern boundary of Jackson Hole and lies mostly to the south of the river. The Gros Ventre is a swift medium-sized freestone river providing plentiful pocketwater, runs and pools. There are not many riffles on the Gros Venture. The River contains expansive open terrain with exposed sedimentary rock layers of many colors, cliff bands, dense forest, and narrow canyons. In places the color scheme of this beautiful river valley resembles the southwest. The river alternates between a broad cottonwood-lined bottom and narrow canyons. Views of the Grand Tetons Range are spectacular. It is a beautiful, undeveloped region with abundant wildlife. The Gros Ventre River is home to the Snake River Fine-spotted Cutthroat Trout, and whitefish. Brookies are in some of the tributaries of the upper Gros Ventre drainage. Early season kayaking is classic, the fishing is remarkable, and photographers will have no shortage of subject matter. More......

The Salt River  •  The Salt River is a small river that originates on the western slope of the Salt River Mountain Range just south of the town of Afton. It flows north through scenic Star Valley Wyoming between the Salt River Range of Wyoming and the Caribou Range of Idaho into Palisades Reservoir at its confluence with the Snake River. On it's way it meanders through miles of ranch land until it reaches on Idaho-Wyoming border. The Salt River is home to Brown, Rainbow, Brook and Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat and Trout. The Salt is a flat-water river but does offer scenic canoe, kayak, rafting and tubing floats.------------------------≥ More......

The Green River in the moment before the kids wake up, the quiet soon dissipates

The Green River • The Green River a major tributary of the great Colorado River system, it is born from the glacier melt water high in the Wind River Mountains, it dumps from the glaciers into a pair of large scenic lakes in the northern region of the Winds and emerges suddenly as a fast-flowing, freestone river with a deep emerald color which appropriately gives the Green its name. From Green River Lakes, it runs 730 miles to join the Colorado deep in Utah's Canyonlands National Park, passing through Flaming Gorge Canyon along the way. The Green River joins the Colorado River to form the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Beginning in the Bridger-Teton National Forest at Green River Lakes, one of the prettiest places on earth, the river makes a big bend and then turns south before entering private property. Unpaved National Forest roads skirt the river and afford many places along this 20-mile stretch to fish, watch wildlife, and enjoy the sound of tumbling water. --------> More

The Wind River  • The Wind River is the name for the upper reaches of the Bighorn River in Wyoming. As the story goes, a miscommunication between 19th century explorers led to the portion of the river that enters the Wind River Canyon to  be  named the Wind River, while the one that exits the canyon is called the Big Horn River. The Wind River begins its journey in the icy waters of Wind River Lake and Brooks Lake at the top of Togwotee Pass in the Absaroka Mountains. Glacier fed creeks pour into it from the glacier studded Wind River Range, Dunior, Horse Creek and the East Fork of the Wind River just east of Dubois all which drain the southern Absaroka Range join it before it hits the desert of the Wind River Indian Reservation. It flows southeastward, across the Shoshone Basin and the Wind River Indian Reservation and joins the Little Wind River near Riverton. It then veers northward then is temporarily tamed at the juncture of the Owl Creek Mountains, where the river is dammed to form Boysen Reservoir, the Wind River officially becomes the Bighorn River at the Wedding of the Waters, on the north side of the Wind River Canyon.---------------------------> More

Grey's River and the Salt River Range outside of Alpine Wyoming

The Greys River • The Grey's River is located just east of the Idaho/Wyoming border near Alpine, Wyoming. The river is about 55 miles long and flows into Palisades Reservoir. The Grey's River area is considered by many northwest Wyoming locals to be a one of their favorite multiple use playgrounds, the river offers great trout fishing, kayaking, rafting and canoeing and there are many access points along the road to access the river. The towering Salt River Range to the west and the matching Wyoming Range to the east, both hosting several peaks that reach above 11,000 feet in elevation, this results in an awesome place to be. The surrounding mountains and their many canyons offer OHVing, horseback riding, hiking, and trophy elk and deer hunting with many Boon and Crocket records to prove it. This mountain valley is alive with the sweet smell of wildflowers, the green forest floor is shared with yellow Balsamroot, red Indian Paintbrush Yellow Arrowleaf, and purple Fireweed. More..........

Hoback River • Twelve miles south of Jackson you will find the Hoback River which is one of the more accessible rivers in the Jackson Hole, Yellowstone region. Highway 191 parallels it the river most of the Hoback's length from the confluence with the Snake River to about five miles south of the town of Bondurant where the river turns west into the Wyoming Range. Much of the lower section is private land but there are several access points and patches of national forest and BLM land, which provides access points. Here there isn’t a lot of drop but there are several good waves and fishing holes. During the spring, winter and late fall you can often see Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep on the cliffs by Camp Creek Inn.-------------------------------------> more

The Greybull River • The Greybull River south of Cody Wyoming runs through some of the most remote backcountry in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The river rises near Francs Peak in the Absaroka Mountains in the southwest corner of the Big Horn Basin. The Wood River, which drains a part of the Absaroka Mountains to the south, joins it west of Meeteetse, continuing through the southern parts of Park County and Big Horn County before flowing into the Big Horn River near Greybull. Along its 90-mile corridor, water travels from snow-capped peaks in the Absaroka Mountains to sagebrush flats and prairie at its confluence with the Bighorn River.------------------------------------- > more

The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River high in the Absaroka Mountains west of Cody Wyoming

Clarks Fork Of The Yellowstone River • The Clarks Fork is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, flowing southeast through Montana, and Wyoming. It carves a path from the Beartooth Mountains in the north to the Absaroka Range this river is famous for its recreational opportunities and breath-taking views. It is in the northwest corner of Wyoming adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. Originating in the high mountain peaks close to the Montana/Wyoming border at the western end of the Beartooth All-American Road, The Upper Clarks Fork headwaters are near the town of Cooke City, Montana, some 12 miles north of the Wyoming border. The Upper Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River parallels the highway for seventeen breathtaking miles which facilitate easy access.-------------------------------------> more

Shoshone River • The Shoshone River is a northern Wyoming river whose headwaters are in Yellowstone National Park, and is a heavily traveled corridor for people visiting Yellowstone Park via the east entrance of Yellowstone. The Shoshone River here has been rated among the top ten freestone trout fisheries in the Rocky Mountains. Teddy Roosevelt once called the North Fork corridor the most scenic 50 miles of land in America. Cities it runs near or through are Cody, Powell, and Byron It ends when it runs into the Big Horn River near Lovell, Wyoming. The Shoshone River combines all the streams, rivers, and waterways to create the main eastern drainage of Yellowstone National Park. The scenic vistas of Red Rock Canyon and Lower Canyon are sure to have you looking back in time. It runs through a volcanically active region of fumaroles known as Coulter’s Hell. This contributed to the river being named on old maps of Wyoming as the Stinking Water River.----------------------------------------> More

The South Fork of the Snake River is big water and is best fished from a drift boat

South Fork of the Snake River • The South Fork of the Snake is in southeastern Idaho close to the Wyoming border. The South Fork begins as it flows out of 20 mile long Palisades Reservoir in the community of Swan Valley, forming a 64-mile stretch of legendary tail-water fly-fishing. The South Fork is also a beautiful river for flat water rafting, canoeing and kayaking. If you float this river in a canoe know what you are doing as it is big water and its flat-water appearance can fool you to its dangers. More.........

The Henry's Fork • The Henry's Fork of the Snake River, located in eastern Idaho, is one of the most famous trout streams in all of the United States. It's legendary hatches and abundant large wild rainbow trout make the Henry's Fork one of America's top fly-fishing destinations. The river flows for approximately 150 miles and within its journey passes some of the more classic dry fly water in the United States. Gentle flowing meadowland, pocket water, and spring creek like sections make up much of this legendary fishery made popular by Avril Harriman the railroad man. The Henry's Fork of the Snake is a spectacular river and fishery. Anglers come from all over the world to this river to fish its diverse and productive waters. More........

The Teton River is rather bucolic as it winds its way through Teton Valley below the Grand Tetons but its character changes rapidly after entering Teton Canyon.

The Fall River • Tucked in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park, the Falls River basin is truly a fisherman's and waterfall lover's paradise. The Fall River is aptly named because of the many waterfalls along its tributaries. This is the major river that drains the Cascade Corner, of Yellowstone Park. The four major streams in the Fall River drainage are the Belcher River, Boundary Creek, Mountain Ash creek and of course the Fall River. They begin on the Madison and Pitchstone plateaus and they carve canyons across Yellowstone Park's southwest corner. Some of Yellowstone's most beautiful waterfalls are in this area. As the runoff of many creeks drop off the Madison and Pitchstone Plateaus, many waterfalls are formed. With nearly 80 inches of annual precipitation, the Falls River drainage is one of the wettest portions of Yellowstone National Park. The Falls River is a backpacking, fisherman, and photographer's nirvana. More......

The Teton River  • The Teton River begins its journey to the Columbia in the upper reaches of postcard perfect Teton Valley. Much of this mountain valley is pasture, grain and potato fields, and open range bordered by the forested hills of the Big Hole Mountains and the famous peaks of the Grand Teton Range. The rugged peaks of the Tetons and the forested hillsides of the Big Hole's stand in stark contrast to each other, this diversity adds character to the Teton River Valley. The upper Teton River is a meandering spring creek that is a fly-fishing nirvana. Huge rainbow and cutthroat trout live throughout the entire river. This is a dry fly paradise! Mayfly hatches are prolific and often there will be four or five different hatches at the same time. The Narrows (the lower Teton) has all the adrenaline rush attributes of any class IV and V whitewater river. The Teton River is a diverse waterway providing the gamut from tubing to world class whitewater and trout fishing. More......

The Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley Montana

Whitewater rafting is big fun on the Gallatin River at House Rock

The Gallatin River • The Gallatin River of southwestern Montana is a beautiful freestone trout stream that doubles as a whitewater adventure destination, it is an amazingly scenic The Gallatin is a well-known, easily accessible, and heavily fished, trout stream that, despite those pitfalls, offers three species of trout that eagerly take dry flies and nymphs in one of the most beautiful and rugged portions of Montana. The Gallatin has 120 miles of appealing trout water, including a delicate upper portion that flows through lush meadows, a roily middle section that cuts through a spectacular, heavily forested canyon, and a lower stretch that twists across a broad valley before meeting the Jefferson and Madison rivers at Three Forks. Parts of the movie A River Runs Through It were filmed on the Gallatin. The River winds through high alpine meadows, dropping into the rocky Gallatin Canyon, and flowing out into the Gallatin Valley. It is also known as a blue-ribbon trout water. It is a tremendous asset to the communities of Bozeman, Big Sky and West Yellowstone.--------------------------> More

Madison River • The legendary trout waters of the Madison River originate at Madison Junction inYellowstone National Park where the Gibbon and Firehole come together to form the Madison. It was here in late summer of 1870 in what is known as National Park Meadows that the Langford-Washburn-Doane expedition conceived making Yellowstone a national park. It's logical to think that the river's origin in the high plateau region of Yellowstone Park, which is notoriously cold, would keep the river cold, however, the Madison and its upper tributaries run right through the most thermally active region in the United States, the water temperature on most sections of the river is remarkably warm for a high mountain river, often more than seventy degrees in the summer. Despite its high, mountain environment, which usually leads to low nutrient content, the Madison has an amazingly high nutrient level fostering great fishing. ................... More