How is the fishing in late May early June? Temperatures? Would we have to worry about meltoff at that time?
Montana/Yellowstone in May/June
How is the fishing in late May early June? Temperatures? Would we have to worry about meltoff at that time?
Serious runoff problems with most waters but tailwaters. Madison should fish well though, especially stretch between Hebgen Lake and Quake Lake - check season dates.
Kelly.
Tight Lines,
Kelly.
"There will be days when the fishing is better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse. Either is a gain over just staying home."
Roderick Haig-Brown, "Fisherman's Spring"
We are planning on fishing the Boulder River and other streams around Big Timber, Montana
Even with an El Nino year & lower snowpack, I'd think you'd still be in the middle of serious runoff on the Boulder, and most of the other freestoners at that time of year. Kelly gave you good suggestions.
Regards,
Scott
Last edited by ScottP; 12-17-2009 at 03:52 PM.
For the northern Rockies think "after the 4th of July" for best opportunities. It can be good early but if there's much snow out there, as there has been the last few years, you'll be looking at a lot of run-off. At least that's how it was when I lived in NW Wyoming.
Vic
Around Memorial Day is typically the peak of runoff around here. There is no chance whatsoever the Boulder will be fishable in your timeframe. Even in 2007, with the lowest snowpack in the last 20ish years, the Boulder was out of play until the 15th of June.
And by unfishable I mean trees barreling downriver, not "too high to be good, but okay to wet a line for awhile."
In the Yellowstone area, the Firehole, maybe the Gibbon and Madison inside the Park, and the Madison between the lakes are the only realistic bets. The Park fishing season does not open until the 30th of May in 2010.
The Paradise Valley spring creeks will be fishable, but between hatches. On a guide day on May 30 last year, my client was the only person to catch any fish at all on DePuy, and he didn't do great. There are also private "trophy" lakes which will fish, but I doubt you're coming all this way to only fish stocked lakes.
With El Nino, I doubt we're in for a repeat of the excellent 2008 and 2009 snow pack (alas), but I still doubt anything around Big Timber will be ready until the beginning of July or so. The Big Horn, Missouri, maybe Beaverhead and Big Hole, and maybe some of the stuff in the Clark Fork drainage may be ready at the beginning of June, but that's all much too far from Big Timber to use it as a base of operations.
Not a good idea
Living just 'over the hill' from the Boulder River at Big Timber I would not advise a trip in late May or early June. Even in a minimal snow year these streams will be high, cold, and most likely off-color. IF the snow pack is low then late June or early July should produce fishable water but it the snow pack is normal or above then a mid-July date is better.Originally Posted by Skeeter41
It is possible to find fishable water in Montana/Wyoming in late May or early June, but not on rivers like the Boulder, Yellowstone, etc. Tailwaters, as someone has suggested, and still waters are your best bet, as are spring creeks. High mountain lakes are likely to still be frozen - Yellowstone Lake doesn't ice out in many years until after Memorial Day - and high mountain trails are still covered with snow.
A general rule of thumb for fishing in Montana/Wyoming is later is better.
Whenever you come I hope you enjoy the experience.
Tight Lines,
The Chronicler
Checking my fishing log, the Boulder & Stillwater Rivers started run off around May 15 (give or take). Last year was a little later due to cooler weather.
Typically, May/June are not good days for river fishing. That's the time for cleaning and prepping your gear and tying flies and waiting, or (gasp) playing golf.
I had a number of absolutely wonderful days fishing the Boulder last summer....in August.
May and early June is great for trout fishing in Pennsylvania.
John
Thanks guys. I guess the Jury has spoken. I will stay in Pennsylvania until July or August. We have been planning the last week of July or the first week of August for quite some time now, my buddy just found out he is going to be a daddy for the first time and his wife is due the first week of July and he doesnt want to come out right after the baby is born. I guess I will break the bad news and tell him he will have to get fishing reports via cell phone rather than firsthand.
Anyways, we are thinking about staying in the fourmile ranger cabin. Anyone have any experiences staying there or any other recomendations on ranger cabins?
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