Fly fishing report · West

Yellowstone Creek

A Utah Uinta drainage report for Yellowstone Creek, built around corrected Duchesne County location data, downstream USGS flow context, Ashley National Forest access, and current Utah DWR rule checks.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Caution

Best option: Wade.

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes

Recommended approachWade

Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.

Wade · Best fit68/100

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Bank / edgeCheck

This report does not describe this as a primary mode. Verify legal access, depth, launches, and retreat options before planning around it.

Float68/100

A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.

Confirm before you leave

Flow and weather right now.

Use the flow trend to confirm the score before you leave. Weather can change the safest and most productive fishing window.

River strategy

Plan this as a remote Uinta trout creek, then verify the exact reach.

Yellowstone Creek is a Utah stream in Duchesne County, not the Vermont coordinate that came through in the seed data. There is no verified public live gauge on the creek itself, so this page uses the nearby Yellowstone River at Bridge Campground gauge as drainage context and keeps the fishing advice practical rather than overstated.

Use the USGS Bridge Campground gauge for broad drainage trend, but scout the actual creek before committing to a wade.
Expect a small-water trout approach: dry-droppers, short casts, careful wading, and quick fish handling.
Check Utah DWR rules and Fish Utah before choosing harvest, gear, or a specific reach.
If water is low and warm, fish early, carry a thermometer, and move to colder water or stop trout fishing.

Why this score moved

FlowUse caution

USGS shows 42 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1997-2025, 29 readings) puts normal around 95 cfs and the low-water marker near 46 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.

Short-term weatherUse caution

The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.

Best mode nowUse caution

Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

SeasonHelps score

Early summer: Often the best blend of cool water, clearing flows, and active trout once runoff settles.

WeatherHelps score

The NWS forecast is about 82F with Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

The best window is usually after dangerous runoff drops and before late-summer heat or drought makes trout handling questionable. Stable flows, cool nights, and afternoon insect activity are the best signs. Skip the creek during high water, muddy road conditions, lightning risk, or warm low-flow afternoons.

Stable cool flow

Best all-around window for dry-droppers, light nymphs, and careful pocket-water fishing.

Runoff or storm bump

Watch the downstream gauge trend, but make the creek decision on clarity, depth, and road safety.

Low clear summer water

Use longer leaders, smaller dries, stealth, and morning sessions; stop if the water warms.

Cold shoulder seasons

Fish slower nymphs and midges during the warmest part of the day, and expect a short bite window.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

There is no verified public live gauge on the creek itself. Use USGS 09292000 at Bridge Campground and USGS 09292500 near Altonah as drainage context, then make the final call from actual creek depth, clarity, and temperature.

When to skip

Skip Yellowstone Creek when forest roads are muddy or closed, when lightning or runoff makes a high-country day unsafe, when downstream gauges show a sharp runoff pulse, or when low warm water would make trout handling poor.

Local plan

Build the day around scouting one reachable public section, checking the Fish Utah map, and using Ashley National Forest road and campground context before committing. Keep the fly box simple and make water temperature part of every decision.

Backup water

If Yellowstone Creek is not ready, compare the Duchesne for a larger nearby freestone, the Green for a high-confidence tailwater day, or the Weber when a different Utah trout river fits the weather better.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

Late April to MayMidges, BWOs, early caddis, and short pre-runoff nymph windowsZebra midge, BWO emerger, pheasant tail, hare's ear, caddis pupa

Reviewed pattern · report says “Zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “BWO emerger”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

June to early JulyRunoff edges, golden stones, caddis, PMDs, and attractor dry-dropper windowsGolden stone nymph, elk hair caddis, PMD emerger, stimulator, perdigon

Reviewed family · report says “Golden stone nymph”Golden Stonefly PatternsGolden stonefly wording may describe the insect, nymph, or dry. Nymph tones can range from yellow-gold to amber and brown, while adult patterns require a distinct winged surface silhouette.See family guide

Reviewed pattern · report says “elk hair caddis”Elk Hair CaddisLook for a tented elk- or deer-hair wing, clipped hair head, dubbed body, rib, and hackle palmered along the body. The body color should be labeled because tiers often match different natural caddis colors.See photos & how to fish it + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Mid-July to SeptemberCaddis, small mayflies, ants, beetles, hoppers, and evening spinner fallsParachute Adams, X-caddis, foam ant, beetle, small hopper, rusty spinner

Reviewed pattern · report says “Parachute Adams”Parachute AdamsThe upright light post and horizontal parachute hackle are the defining visual cues. The classic pilot example uses a gray-brown body and divided tail, but color and size variations should be labeled instead of treated as identical.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed pattern · report says “X-caddis”X-CaddisThe trailing Zelon-style shuck, low dubbed body, deer-hair wing, and absence of hackle distinguish the X-Caddis from an Elk Hair Caddis.See photos & how to fish it + 4 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

October to early winterBWOs, midges, small streamers, and slower cold-water nymphingBWO emerger, midge pupa, soft hackle, small olive bugger, jig nymph

Reviewed family · report says “midge pupa”Midge Patterns by StageMidge wording can mean a threadlike larva, wing-padded pupa, film emerger, tiny adult, or visible cluster. Those profiles fish at different depths.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Start with a small attractor dry and a light dropper so you can cover pocket water without constant rig changes.

Fish upstream from below the fish, keep false casts low, and avoid standing in the next pool before you fish it.

In clear low water, switch to a single dry or a tiny unweighted nymph instead of forcing heavy split shot.

After rain, check the downstream trend and fish softer edge water only if the creek itself is safe and clear enough.

Carry a thermometer and stop trout fishing when water temperatures make quick releases unreliable.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Check the current Utah DWR fishing guidebook and Fish Utah before fishing Yellowstone Creek or nearby water. Regulations, species rules, closures, and access details can vary by reach and year.

Burnt Mill Spring quadrangle context

Use the corrected Utah GNIS location as the map anchor for Yellowstone Creek in Duchesne County.

Bridge Campground and Yellowstone River road corridor

Ashley National Forest lists Bridge Campground on the Yellowstone River corridor; use it as a practical nearby access and flow-context area.

South Slope Western Uinta Mountains

Forest Service south-slope recreation pages are the starting point for road, campground, and public-land planning.

Fish Utah reach check

Use the DWR map before fishing to confirm public access, water identity, stocking or species notes, and current rule context.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-06-01

regulationUtah Division of Wildlife Resources fishing regulationUtah hunting and fishing guidebooks accessUtah public waters stream access accessFish Utah interactive map backgroundUtah GNIS place-name record for Yellowstone Creek accessAshley National Forest Bridge Campground accessAshley National Forest South Slope Western Uinta Mountains flowUSGS Yellowstone River at Bridge Campground 09292000 flowUSGS Yellowstone River near Altonah 09292500 safetyNational Weather Service forecast point for Yellowstone Creek safetyUtah DWR drought-year fishing guidance

Common questions

Before you leave.

What should I check before fishing Yellowstone Creek?+

Utah DWR guidebook, Fish Utah map, stream-access rules, Ashley National Forest road/campground status, USGS 09292000, NWS weather, and water temperature

Which flow should I use for Yellowstone Creek?+

Use USGS 09292000, Yellowstone River at Bridge Campground, as drainage context only. It is not an exact Yellowstone Creek gauge, so confirm creek depth, clarity, and temperature on-site.

Where should I start on Yellowstone Creek?+

Start with Fish Utah, Ashley National Forest south-slope recreation pages, and the Bridge Campground corridor. Then verify land ownership and posted access at the specific pullout or trail you plan to use.

Can I wade Yellowstone Creek?+

Often yes in normal small-water conditions, but runoff, storm bumps, slick rocks, and cold water can still make it unsafe. If the creek is pushy or dirty, wait for a better window.