We will be making the 24 hour drive from Indiana this summer and I am wondering about the fishing. I usually take the canoe ANYWHERE I go on trips but with the RV, bikes and everything else I need for a 3 1/2 week trip for my family of 4, Im wondering if I need the canoe/one more hassle for the paddles, PFDs and other necessary gear.

1- How easy are lake trout to catch in these places? Ive read you can catch them from shore pretty easily. Also cutthroat trout will be a viable option.

2- Ive read that if you have a canoe and troll the lake trout are easy to catch in yellowstone lake because they were introduced and now trying to kill them off because it isnt working out as expected (Shocker)....but there are still very plentiful.

3- We plan to fly fish the rivers/streams for trout on this trip for sure.

4-I read there is a special check in required for all watercraft when you get to each state out west. It has a cost and takes time depending how busy the check in station is.

Any other info would be much appreciated. We have never been to this area before. We are super excited.
thanks

This doesn't answer your questions per se, but I hope you take note of how fickle the weather is in Yellowstone. It can change in a heartbeat. The history of drownings on Yellowstone Lake would keep me from even considering fishing on it from a canoe. Maybe I'm just on the end of the 'wimp' spectrum, but I'd say at a minimum consult with a knowledgeable park ranger, and take the advice very, very seriously.

You are in for a treat if you've never seen Yellowstone.

We rented a boat on Yellowstone Lake and trolled spoons for cuts. Hooked a couple trolling at random, but they both came unbuttoned. Point is, it can be done. Lots of good, easy fishing in Yellowstone streams as well.

I went out to the Tetons in 04. Caught a couple of nice cutthroat in the Snake River, fishing from shore with small spoons. Also fished Taggart and Bradley Lakes from shore, had some strikes but didn't land them. If I were to go out there again today, I would fish the lakes with my packraft, which weighs 5 pounds and can easily be packed in to the backcountry lakes. That would be the way to go. With a family of four it might be tough to buy and take pack rafts for everyone, but you might consider some other kind of inflatable. Taking a canoe that far wouldn't be ideal and you wouldn't want to carry it in a couple of miles to the small mountain lakes. Any way you go, it will still be fishing for trout with the Teton Mountains in the background, so it's all good. Have fun.

We went to Yellowstone last year, and they’re super aggressive with invasive species. I don’t remember the specifics, but if you wanted to have a watercraft in that lake you had to drop it off a week or two ahead for a quarantine period. Again, I don’t remember the specifics, but it’s worth looking into.

It was beautiful, though, and I’ve got to believe it’s worth the hassle. It’s pretty huge water, though.

Lake trout were introduced illegally to Yelllwstone lake in the 90’s and they are a big problem. The cutthroat population was cut in half by the illegal lake trout introduction. Bears and other animals that fed on the spawning fish in the streams are also impacted. I have backpacked into the Yellowstone River above the lake and seen the spawning runs. It is impressive. It was a large intact ecosystem screwed up by some moron who thought it would be neat to have lake trout there. They locate the lakers in the spring and net them. It is kind of a disaster.

Wilderness canoeing along the shore of the lake is great. There are designated campsites and a no motor area which you can get a shuttle to. Stay near the shore and if it gets rough don’t go out.

Johnh: "Lake trout were introduced illegally to Yelllwstone lake in the 90’s and they are a big problem. The cutthroat population was cut in half by the illegal lake trout introduction. Bears and other animals that fed on the spawning fish in the streams are also impacted. I have backpacked into the Yellowstone River above the lake and seen the spawning runs. It is impressive. It was a large intact ecosystem screwed up by some moron who thought it would be neat to have lake trout there. They locate the lakers in the spring and net them. It is kind of a disaster.


Wilderness canoeing along the shore of the lake is great. There are designated campsites and a no motor area which you can get a shuttle to. Stay near the shore and if it gets rough don’t go out."

+1
The very best days of fishing in my life have been in Yellowstone National Park. Part of me want to say forget the lakers; get a real western mountain experience and focus on the cuts in they magnificent rivers and streams. Part of me wants to say fish for laker, and catch and kill as many as you can. Ecosystems are far more complex than most people realize. The lakers in Yellowstone are not just devastating the cutthroat population of the lake - they are impacting the wildlife such as bears and even elk in the area.

Glad to hear you're making a trip to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I have lived in Jackson Hole for 7 years now.

1. Depends. Depends on time of year, location, weather, and fly rod vs spin rod, shore vs boat. I've caught my lake trout limit (6) in less than an hour but also have had significantly slower days. I can provide more details if you would like, feel free to email me.

2. Yellowstone Lake has killed more people than grizzly bears and hot springs combined. It is constantly cold and can get very rough. I do not recommend going out on Yellowstone Lake in a canoe. A kayak guide died two years ago in June. While the netting operation kills roughly 400,000 lake a year, the lake trout are not always easy to catch. They can be hard to locate, especially from shore.

3. The streams/rivers of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem are amazing. Be aware of the special regulations. A separate license needed in Yellowstone NP. vs the rest of Wyoming. There is no lead, no felt boots, no barbs, some closed areas, some fly fish only streams, mandatory kill areas and all native fish must be released.

4. Every vessel (motorized or non-motorized) needs to be inspected to enter the state of Wyoming. The same goes for every vessel entering GTNP or YNP. I routinely get checked twice a day. Every vessel that operates within state waters needs an AIS sticker. This program funds the inspection stations to keep invasive species out of the state (one of the few that doesn't have zebra mussels). An out of state non-motorized sticker is $10.

Additional, every vessel to operate within the national parks needs a park permit (separate one for each park). These too the fund the AIS check points and cost $10. Generally both state and park check points are quick depending where the last place the boat was used. However if coming from Great Lakes region/AIS waters and thorough inspection would expected.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

I have fished Yellowstone lake from shore and concur with this:
Lake trout are not always easy to catch. They can be hard to locate, especially from shore.
We were skunked the one day we went at it.

You can catch big LT’s in the feeder creeks while the Cuts are running in June. Jackson lake has guides for hire, as well as the Pinedale area. Flaming gorge res south of Rock springs has 30-40 pounders pretty often.

I went last year and was happy I decided against bringing my canoe. Plenty of rentals on the lakes. Aside from that Yellowstone and Jackson Lakes are BIG BIG water. Not like the large lakes of the BWCA. Not only are they Big but fridgid year round. We went last August and even on the nicest days it was borderline chilly. Imagine the BWCA waters a week after Ice Out and that is comparable to Wyoming.