Wade46/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All Wyoming reports
Fly fishing report · Rockies
Lamar River
Is Lamar River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Wyoming before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Generated artwork: BlueStreamFly · Regional illustration; not the exact location.
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Caution
Maybe. Read the cautions first.
46
No clear best access mode. Wade and Bank / edge have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callHighCurrent flow, weather, alerts, and trip-critical signals support this decision.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 8:33 PM MDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade and Bank / edge have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edge46/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Your plan
Today's Lamar River plan.
This is one of the signature meadow rivers in Yellowstone, but the rules and the wildlife are part of the river, not side notes. Keep RiverReports open for trend context, confirm with USGS 06188000, and build the day around current park rules, open reaches, and what the valley is telling you in real time.
- Check first
- Yellowstone’s northeast-region rules say native fish are catch-and-release, while rainbow trout, brook trout, and identifiable cutthroat-rainbow hybrids in the Lamar drainage must be killed.
- Try
- Walk enough to leave the first roadside pullout crowd, but not so far that wildlife or weather trap you out in the valley.
- Leave when
- Skip when high dirty water, thunderstorms, wildlife congestion, or park advisories make the day unsafe or low value.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 199 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.Water 65.7°F · 24h high 67.5°F · USGS provisional
- Air now
- 73°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 80.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 49%
For this forecast period
Latest stored weather check
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Wind
- 3 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Lamar River near Tower Ranger Station, Wyoming
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: LAMAR RIVER NEAR TOWER RANGER STATION WY
Water 65.7°F · provisional · 24h high 67.5°F provisionalWater observed · high observed
How to fish it
How to fish Lamar River today.
The Lamar is best when runoff has dropped into defined banks, the open reach aligns with current park rules, and afternoon thunderstorms or wildlife congestion are manageable. Skip it when the river is high and dirty, when the valley is stormed out, or when park advisories say back off.
Clear dropping runoff
The most exciting all-around Lamar condition because banks, seams, and sight-fishing lanes all improve together.
Windy meadow flow
Still fishable, but presentations and fish handling become much harder than the river map suggests.
High dirty water
Usually a pass unless you are only scouting the valley for a later day.
Low late-season flow
Can still fish beautifully, but fish handling and trout stress need more attention.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Presentation
- Presentation means how you cast and move the fly so it looks natural to a fish.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
- Pale morning dun (PMD)
- Pale morning duns, or PMDs, are light-colored mayflies that often hatch in warmer months.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 199 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1923-2025, 86 readings) show a median near 242 cfs and the lower quartile near 202 cfs; today's flow is below normal for the date. This is below normal, so edge depth, temperature, and pressure matter.
Recent water heatUse caution
USGS shows a current water temperature near 65.7F, while the rolling 24-hour high reached about 67.5F. USGS marks the temperature data provisional and may revise it. Keep the plan early and recheck temperature before fishing.
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
Summer: The signature Lamar window for meadow dries, nymphs, and long sight-fishing walks.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Best on clear dropping runoff or moderate summer flows that still let you see banks, seams, and fish movement.
Skip when high dirty water, thunderstorms, wildlife congestion, or park advisories make the day unsafe or low value.
Check the Tower office and current rules first, scout the gauge trend, then commit to one valley section and fish it with conservation first.
Move to another open Yellowstone river if Lamar-specific rules, wildlife, or weather make the valley a poor choice.
What to try
Lamar River flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
Late May to June
What to look forCold-water midges, BWOs, caddis, and early stoneflies once park water opens
July
What to look forPMDs, caddis, golden stones, Green Drakes, and spinner falls
August to SeptemberCurrent
What to look forTerrestrials, ants, beetles, hoppers, small caddis, and evening spinners
October
What to look forBWOs, midges, and short cold-weather feeding windows
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Lamar River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Check Yellowstone’s main fishing page, the northeast-region rules, and the current rule booklet before fishing because Lamar-specific native-fish and required-harvest rules matter here.
Tower-area river area
The cleanest official access and permit anchor on the west side of the valley.
Roadside Lamar Valley pullouts
Useful for scouting banks and wildlife before you commit to a walk.
Meadow-bank walking stretches
Best when weather is stable and you already know where the safe exit is.
Use the Tower Backcountry Office as your official information and permit anchor for this part of the park.
Give wildlife more room than you think you need. The valley belongs to bison and bears before it belongs to anglers.
A pretty meadow bank is not automatically a safe wading bank when storms or soft edges show up.
River sources
Official Lamar River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report starts with official regulation, access, flow, weather, and public-land sources, then adds practical planning guidance for fly anglers.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 7 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Quick answers
Quick Lamar River answers.
What is the biggest Lamar River rule I need to remember?
In the Lamar drainage, native fish are catch-and-release, while rainbow trout, brook trout, and identifiable cutthroat-rainbow hybrids must be killed under current Yellowstone rules.
Where should I start on the Lamar River?
Start with the Tower-area information and pullouts, check the current park rules and gauge, then choose a meadow walk only after wildlife and weather both look manageable.
When should I skip the Lamar River?
Skip when runoff is still dirty, when thunderstorms or wildlife make the valley unsafe, or when park advisories say the reach is not a good call.