The overall health of fisheries within Yellowstone National Park remains very good, with anglers enjoying excellent days of fishing on many waters during the 2004 season. In particular, anglers were extremely successful on Soda Butte Creek, where catches of large (>17”) Yellowstone cutthroat trout were not uncommon. The primary threats to native fishes (including the cutthroat trout of Soda Butte Creek) within Yellowstone National Park are impacts due to nonnative and exotic species. At present, indices of Yellowstone cutthroat trout from the Yellowstone Lake system suggest that abundance is similar to what was experienced back in the 1950s when hatchery operations were intensely harvesting eggs from the system for shipment elsewhere. The causes of the current decline in this population are predation by nonnative lake trout and loss of recruitment due to the exotic parasite that causes whirling disease. Anglers have also been experiencing the effects of fewer cutthroat trout here, but overall the fishing still remains very good; the catch rate in the lake and also the Yellowstone River for cutthroat trout is now about one fish caught for every hour fished. A bonus to anglers is that the cutthroat trout that remain in this system above the falls are quite large with many fish in the 20+ inch range.

The mission of the National Park Service is, first and foremost, to preserve and protect the native species assemblages and natural processes that make Yellowstone National Park (and as a result, the adjoining lands) what they are, the largest, most intact, naturally-functioning ecosystem in the lower 48 United States. To fulfill this mission, the fisheries program in the park has been required to shift its focus in recent years to one that is largely aimed at preservation and conservation of the three cutthroat trout subspecies existing here. A majority of staff time and funding is directed at Yellowstone cutthroat trout, because the park, and the Yellowstone Lake system in particular, has historically held more cutthroat trout than any other inland waters. Since the cutthroat trout have recently been considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act, it is important that Yellowstone fisheries staff do everything they can to ensure the security of these precious fish. This is not to say that the park does not value fisheries for rainbow, brown, or brook trout, which are exotic introductions. These species are a popular component of Yellowstone waters with a significant history, providing for an incredible amount of visitor enjoyment. A focus in the short term, however, due to threats within and outside of Yellowstone, will need to remain on native species, in particular the cutthroat trout, but also native Montana arctic grayling.

To help preserve all of the fisheries within Yellowstone National Park, there are several things that visiting anglers can do, including 1) reduce the competitive and predatory pressure on native cutthroat trout and grayling by harvesting nonnative trout from waters where it is legal to do so, 2) minimize the handling time for all fish to be released, and 3) make absolutely sure that exotic species are not transported among park waters by ensuring waders and all other equipment are clean.

By taking these relatively simple measures, you and those who follow will be able to enjoy the productive fisheries of the park for years to come.

Sincerely,

Todd M. Koel, Ph.D.
Supervisory Fisheries Biologist
Yellowstone Center for Resources

The Yellowstone Park Foundation is a major supporter of Yellowstone fisheries and their efforts are greatly appreciated. For more information about how you can support Yellowstone’s fisheries, visit the Yellowstone Park Foundation’s web site at www.ypf.org.