Rivers in Yellowstone National Park to close for fishing due to warm water temps, low flows
Water temperatures in the three rivers had reached or exceeded 68 degrees and river flows were low, conditions that are deadly to the trout populations in the rivers.
Celebrating Yellowstone National Park's 150th anniversary
FOX Weather multimedia journalist Robert Ray is at Yellowstone National Park, capturing the beautiful park for its 150th anniversary.
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo.– Three rivers in Yellowstone National Park are temporarily closing for fishing early in the day due to warm water temperatures and low water flow.
Madison, Firehole and Gibbon Rivers would all close at 2 p.m. until sunrise on the next day over the coming days, the national park said in a news release Thursday.
The Madison and Fire Rivers will be closed in their entirety, while Gibbon River will be closed downstream of Norris Campground.
Water temperatures in the three rivers had reached or exceeded 68 degrees and river flows were low, conditions that are deadly to the trout populations in the rivers.
The park said closing the rivers to fishing helps protect native and wild trout fisheries.
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Fly fishing on the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park.
(NPS Photo/ Neal Herbert)
The closures will remain in place until conditions improve.
River temperatures should cool off at night, allowing fishing from sunrise until 2 p.m. each day.
Yellowstone said all other rivers and streams will remain open from sunrise to sunset, like usual, and Yellowstone Lake will stay open.
The national park asks anglers to fish during the coolest times of day and fish quickly, advising them not to play hooked trout to exhaustion and gently handle fish in the water as much as possible, letting them recover before release.
Yellowstone said staff will monitor water temperatures and reopen rivers if they cool down.