Yellowstone National Park Fishing News / Update
Yellowstone National Park expands access to allow for year-round fishing in two locations Public invited to join a virtual Native Fish Conservation Program update April 30th, 2024.
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Beginning Nov. 1, 2024, Yellowstone National Park will expand fishing access by allowing for year-round fishing opportunities at two locations in the park. These two locations are:
Madison River: The Madison River from the Wyoming/Montana state line downstream to the park boundary near the West Entrance in West Yellowstone, Montana.
Gardner River: The Gardner River from Osprey Falls downstream to the confluence with the Yellowstone River near the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana.
Other fishing areas in the park will continue to be available during the standard fishing season, which is from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Oct. 31 each year.
The 2024 Yellowstone annual fishing permit will be valid May 25 through Dec. 31, 2024. Beginning in 2025, the annual fishing permit will be valid for the calendar year, January through December.
Fish of Yellowstone National Park
There are twelve (12) native species in Yellowstone National Park (including three [3] species of cutthroat trout). The native species are: Arctic Grayling, Longnose Dace, Longnose Sucker, Mottled Sculpin, Mountain Sucker, Mountain Whitefish, Snake River Cutthroat (not a formally recognized subspecies), Redside Shiner, Redside Shiner x Speckled Dace Hybrid, Speckled Dace, Utah Chub, Utah Sucker, Westslope Cutthroat, and Yellowstone Cutthroat. The main purpose of the Yellowstone Fisheries Management is to maintain the health and contiuation of these species.
Yellowstone National Park Native Fish | ||||||
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Arctic Grayling |
Snake River Cutthroat |
Westslope Cutthroat |
Yellowstone Cutthroat |
Longnose Dace |
Longnose Sucker |
Mottled Sculpin |
Mountain Sucker |
Mountain Whitefish |
Redside Shiner |
Redside Shiner x Speckled Dace |
Speckled Dace |
Utah Chub |
Utah Sucker |
There are five (5) non-native species and one (1) non-native hybrid species. These six species are: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout x Rainbow Trout Hybrid, Lake Chub, Lake Trout, and Rainbow Trout. Yellowstone Fisheries Management is working to control and regulate these non-native species. Lake Trout were illegally introduced to Yellowstone Lake and are having a devastating effect on the native Cutthroat Trout, which in turn affects the whole ecosystem including the wildlife (otters, eagles, bears, osprey, etc.) that have always relied on Cutthroat as a food source.
Yellowstone National Park Non Native Fish | ||
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Brook Trout | Brown Trout | Lake Chub |
Lake Trout | Rainbow Trout | Cutthroat Trout x Rainbow Trout |
This page contains pictures or graphics of all the fishes of Yellowstone, with the exception of the Redside Shiner x Speckled Dace Hybrid.
Arctic Grayling |
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Thymallus arcticus montanus ~ NPS Photos |
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Snake River Finespotted Cutthroat Trout |
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Oncorhynchus clarkii behnkei ~ Photo by Craig D. Young |
Not a Formally Recognized Subspecies
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Westslope Cutthroat Trout |
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Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi ~ NPS Photos |
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Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout |
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Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri ~ NPS Photos |
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Longnose Dace |
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Rhinichthys cataractae ~ NPS Photo |
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Longnose Sucker |
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Catostomous catostomous griesus |
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Mottled Sculpin |
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Cottus bairdi ~ Forest Service Image |
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Mountain Sucker |
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Catostomus platyrhynchus ~ USGS Image |
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Mountain Whitefish |
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Prosopium williamsoni |
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Redside Shiner |
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Richardsonius balteatus hydrophlox ~ Dept of F&W, OR |
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Speckled Dace |
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Rhinichthys osculus ~ NPS Photo by John N. Rinne |
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Utah Chub |
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Gila atraria |
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Utah Sucker |
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Catostomous ardens ~ Photo by Glenn Clemmer |
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Also see: Fishing Fees and Fishing Regulations
There are five (5) non-native species and one (1) non-native hybrid species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Lake Chub, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout x Rainbow Trout Hybrid.
Brook Trout |
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Salvelinus fontinalis ~ NPS Photo |
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Brown Trout |
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Salmo trutta ~ NPS Photo |
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Lake Chub |
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Couesius plumbeus ~ NPS Photo by Konrad P. Schmidt |
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Lake Trout |
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Salvelinus namaycush ~ NPS Image |
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Rainbow Trout |
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Oncorhynchus mykiss ~ NPS Photo |
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Cutthroat Trout x Rainbow Trout Hybrid |
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NPS Photo |
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Every effort was made to gather actual photographs of these Yellowstone fishes, some photographs / images are of the actual species but from outside Yellowstone.
Also see: Fishing Fees and Fishing Regulations
Yellowstone National Park WebCams | |||
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Old Faithful Live | All Old Faithful | Old Faithful Static | Old Faithful VC |
North Entrance | Mt Washburn | Mammoth | YVO WebCam |
Entrance Cities and Gateway Towns | |||
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Gardiner, Montana | Silver Gate, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana | Cooke City, Montana |
Livingston, Montana | Cody, Wyoming | Jackson Hole, Wyoming | Yellowstone National Park |
Links | |
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The Great Outdoors Net | Great Outdoor Recreational Places |
Gardiner, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana |