Recent PFS News

2012 Summer Water Conditions and Fishing Forecast: Updated February 9

Please Note: We still have A LOT of winter and spring weather left, so this forecast is very preliminary. We put it here just to help with early trip planning. Look for updates around the 8th-10th and 25th of each month through early May, with more detail in each update, then weekly through June until all of our area waters have cleared from snowmelt.

 

Long Story Short: In the current NRCS summer water outlook based on current snowpack conditions, released February 8th and compiled beginning the first, streamflows in the Upper Yellowstone River basin are forecast to run 91% of average, which in real terms basically just means "normal." Other river drainages inside Yellowstone Park have seen roughly the same amount of precipitation. Thus right now the official word points towards good conditions in our standard area of operations, with runoff ending maybe a few days early.

Points further downstream on the Gallatin and Madison have seen less precipitation, and current NRCS outlooks call for streamflows around or just above 80% of normal. This is a little closer to being a problem, but only on the Madison below Ennis Lake (which is shallow and gets quite warm, impacting the river below) and the Gallatin below Four Corners (which sees serious irrigation use), where late summer fishing isn't a good bet anyway.

Since early February has been fairly dry and the dry pattern is just now starting to break down, and this dry early February weather wasn't included in the NRCS report, I personally expect streamflows in Yellowstone Park and on the Yellowstone River to run more in the 80-85% of normal range IF current trends continue. Some government weather forecasters see big snows coming in March and April, and there's always the possibility of an earlier than normal melt.

In any case, right now conditions are looking good for a slightly early to normal end to runoff, with some chance of spookier than usual fish in late August but no potential for closures due to low water and high water temps in late summer except on places that don't fish well at that time anyway. Basically, things are looking good and our bookings reflect this fact.

Here's a brief rundown of when we expect various important fisheries to drop out of spring runoff, plus other important dates as needed. As we've noted several times already, these dates are VERY preliminary, so take them with a sizable grain of salt.

Yellowstone River: Grand Canyon: fishable sometime between June 10 and June 25, Salmonflies around July 4-15. Black Canyon: fishable between June 25 and July 4, Salmonflies July 10-20. Outside the Park: fishable between June 25 and July 4, Salmonflies around the same time. Note that normal to below normal water years typically see great fishing during the Salmonfly hatch, due to lower and clearer water than during high water years.

Lamar Drainage Rivers/Streams: Slough Creek: maybe fishable with streamers at the opener. Likely fishable for real between around July 1 or a day or two earlier. Soda Butte Creek: Fishable between July 1and July 4. Lamar River: fishable between July 1 and July 10.

Gardner Drainage Rivers/Streams: Lower Gardner River: fishable day-day from the season opener, fishable for good by June 25th. Salmonflies starting between the 20th and the 1st of July. Anglers will need to keep track of water temperatures in late summer and be ready to go elsewhere if they break 70 degrees on hot days, though no closures are anticipated. Middle Gardner River: fishable by June 25, good by July 4. Upper Gardner River and tributaries: fishable between June 25 and July 4.

Madison Drainage inside YNP: Firehole River: fishable from the beginning of the season, most consistent before June 20, likely too warm by July 1, with closures possible in July and August, though this is when you should be fishing somewhere else anyway. Caddis hatches should begin around June 1, with BWO and PMD before that. Madison River inside YNP: fishable by June 5, best before July 4, likely too warm and with closures possible in late July and August. Salmonflies are likely before June 20 inside the park and in late June outside. Gibbon River: fishable between June 1 and June 10, best before July 4, likely too warm except in headwaters in late July and August, with closures possible. Grebe Lake: reachable and ice-free by June 5.

Madison Drainage outside YNP: Normal to below normal streamflows make the upper river fishable/floatable by mid-June but make the lower river below Ennis Lake too warm by the 20th-25th. It's possible runoff will be mellow enough that everything will be fishable by Memorial Day except maybe immediately below the West Fork.

Gallatin Drainage: Mainstem Gallatin: likely fishable by July 4, a little earlier in the park section. East Gallatin: likely fishable by June 1, too warm by July 1.

Most Small Streams: fishable by July 4-15, best in late July and early August.

Paradise Valley Spring Creeks: The creeks are not impacted by runoff and only marginally by overall snopack. They are fishable every day the wind isn't blowing too hard.

Private Lakes: The muddy inflow that impacted the lakes in May last year shouldn't be a problem this year, nor should snowdrifts covering the access roads. Thus, the lakes should all be fishing well by May 1. These lakes always get too warm for optimal fishing sometime in late June or July, but the precise date depends on when the first really hot weather without any relief sets in. We will focus on the lakes in May and June, and stop fishing them much if at all whenever the Yellowstone gets clear enough to float, only to return again in mid-late September.

PFS Adding Additional Guides for 2012: Posted Nov. 28

After having yet another late July, August, and early September in which we probably turned away close to as many trips as we booked during this period, we're now looking to add several contract guides for next season. Interested experienced guides should contact the shop.

Basic requirements are pretty standard: licensure as an IC, have a dependable vehicle and a boat suitable for two anglers and gear, significant area fishing experience and driftboat experience, etc.

Detailed knowledge of the Yellowstone River (especially from Gardiner to Livingston), Lamar drainage near the road, and the various beginner waters in the upper Gardner system strongly preferred.

Significant fly tying and photography skills are helpful.

Pay will generally match the prevailing wage when it's all said and done. We pay shuttles through either Yellowstone Raft Company (above Point of Rocks) or B&G (below Carbella). Flies are not included in our trip fees: generally we'll send clients out the door with a suitable selection and charge them for what isn't there at day's end. You will be reimbursed (and clients charged) for flies of yours used up, if you keep track of them, within reason.