Fly Fishing in Yellowstone

Fly fishing is one of the most popular activities in Montana and in Wyoming. Yellowstone National Park, which is only ten minutes away from Antlers Lodge, is an especially popular fishing location for aspiring anglers. We will delve into the best fishing spots near Cooke City, Montana, help you decide what fishing licenses to buy, and share what fish swim in the Yellowstone waters! Let's get to it!

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Grab Your Wyoming Fishing License

Before you can legally fish in Yellowstone, (or anywhere else, for that matter) you need to get a fishing license. Cooke City, Montana is fairly close to the Wyoming-Montana border, meaning that you have a decision to make. Should you buy a Wyoming license, a Montana one, or both?

If you are vacationing on a budget, we recommend only buying one fishing license, as they can get costly day-by-day. And while the Antlers Lodge is located in Montana, the Wyoming fishing license is a far better deal, and gives you closer fishing options. Plus, you have to visit Yellowstone National Park if you're this close to it!

The pricing of both licenses further cements this point:

Wyoming Fishing License Prices
Resident Daily: $6
Resident Annual: $27
Nonresident Daily: $14
Nonresident Annual: $102

Montana Fishing License Prices
Resident Daily: $7.50
Resident Annual: $31
Nonresident Daily: $21.25
Nonresident Annual: $103.50

Unless you have major fly fishing plans in Montana, you should focus primarily on the Wyoming fishing experience when you stay at Antlers Lodge.

Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and More!

You can't start fishing without knowing what you are getting yourself into! Yellowstone harbors several species of trout, dace, and other freshwater fish you won't be able to see everywhere. Yellowstone is the most common habitat for native cutthroat trout. People travel from all over the country for a chance to fish up Westslope and Yellowstone cutthroats.

Here is a list of species you might get lucky enough to hook!

Arctic Grayling
Westslope Cutthroat Trout
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
Lake Trout
Rainbow Trout
Mountain Whitefish
Mottled Sculpin
Speckled Dace
Longnose Dace
Utah chub

According to National Park Services, the local wildlife experts have worked hard to revive the native fish populations. They have been able to protect them from overfishing and other harmful ecological disasters. Follow the rules and regulations to continue to keep the wildlife safe!

Best Fly Fishing Spots in Yellowstone

The fishing opportunities in Yellowstone are primarily through creeks and rivers. This means it's a fly fisherman's paradise. If you exit west from Cooke City, you'll come around the mountain and find many of these fishing spots. We've organized them based on how close they are to the Anglers Lodge.

Mountain Lakes

Anglers come each summer to hike to the mountain lakes for some of the best fishing around. Check out the testimonial below of a guest who shared an image of their experience.

"Kay and Bill,

Just wanted to say thank you for another excellent summer trip to Cooke City. We love the cabins and the location but mostly the friendly spirit that you and your whole staff share too make this my favorite trip of the year. We'll keep coming back! Thanks for everything."

Bobby Carter

Soda Butte Creek

An obvious fishing choice for someone staying in Cooke City. The creek dips between Montana and Wyoming, so be careful where you set your fishing gear if you haven't gotten a license for both states!

Pebble Creek/Amphitheater Creek

As you drive down NE Entrance Road, you'll find many more creeks that stem from Soda Butte. Pebble Creek is a convenient fishing spot that is just off the highway on your right hand side. Amphitheater is on your left hand side.

Trout Lake

Those wanting to lake fish need only drive a few more minutes. Trout Lake is the perfect cutthroat fishing spot for fly fishers who don't want to trudge through too much foliage.

If you are staying deeper in Yellowstone and want more fishing experiences, click here!

You won't regret stopping in Cooke City for a Wyoming fishing trip. You have a lot to look forward to this fishing season!

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