Best Time Of Year For Wyoming?

[Greg]

My family and I are in the planning stages of a trip to Wyoming this coming summer. I've wanted to see yellowstone for as long as I can remember and I think this will be the year. Rough plans are to stay in Dubois (on the banks of the Wind river) and do several day trips to the grand tetons and Yellowstone.

Has anyone fished the Dubois area? I hear the Wind river can be fabulous? We'll probably be staying right on the banks of this river and I'd like to fish it often.

My other question is what time of year (has to be summer) is best? I know meltoff can last until well into June. We were originally planning mid June but I think we may switch to mid July?

Also any suggestions for day hikes in either the grand tetons or yellowstone? With possibly some fishing somewhere along the hike?

Thanks,

Greg

[Outside Bend]

My family and I are in the planning stages of a trip to Wyoming this coming summer. I've wanted to see yellowstone for as long as I can remember and I think this will be the year. Rough plans are to stay in Dubois (on the banks of the Wind river) and do several day trips to the grand tetons and Yellowstone.

Has anyone fished the Dubois area? I hear the Wind river can be fabulous? We'll probably be staying right on the banks of this river and I'd like to fish it often.

My other question is what time of year (has to be summer) is best? I know meltoff can last until well into June. We were originally planning mid June but I think we may switch to mid July?

Also any suggestions for day hikes in either the grand tetons or yellowstone? With possibly some fishing somewhere along the hike?

Thanks,

Greg

If you're wedded to the Dubois area go for it, but it's a significant drive from Dubois to Yellowstone or Teton. You may want to look into Jackson, Cody, West Yellowstone or Gardiner if you want to be closer to the Parks.

Most Wyoming streams come down late June or early July, And are usually in good shape by mid or late July. The Wind is a pretty reliable fishery, lots of wild browns and rainbows, and a few native cutthroat, and excellent dry fly fishing.

[Gavin]

It depends on runoff as OB said...most streams are fishable by July 15th...mid August is usually the best hopper fishing but you may have afternoon stream closures due to high water temps in low water years..Not sure what the snow pack looks like this year. Cheers.

[Greg]

Thank you both. Good information. I think we are going to change to a week's stay in mid-July. OB my main reason for picking Dubois is the price of lodging. Lodging is pretty expensive in Jackson, West Yellowstone, etc. Dubois and several other towns out a bit are somewhat more affordable. It is a bit of drive to the 2 national parks but it looks doable. As long as I can fly fish for trout I'm good.

Greg

[tanvat]

Dubois is a great destination. Like another poster stated, it really is too far to do multiple day trips to Yellowstone from there - you'll spend you whole vacation in the car. From Dubois, it is about 60 miles to the south entrance to Yellowstone - that is at least a 1.5 hour drive due to the slow speeds over Togowotee Pass and through Grand Teton and the Rockefeller Parkway. From the south entrance it is another solid hour to get to the Lake and another half hour to Old Faithful. Its a lot of slow driving for one day - the area is just so big. But, if you really want to go to Yellowstone, go for it for one day and just get up early and make a long day of it and realize you'll only scratch a tiny fraction of the surface - I'd head to the Old Faithful area and walk around the geyser basin in addition to stopping at West Thumb to check out the thermals there and take in the great views of Yellowstone Lake and the Absarokas.

From Dubois, you've got some great fishing options. I've only fished three spots around Dubois:

1. Double Cabin trailhead at the edge of the Washakie Wilderness - some fantastic wade fishing for native 'cutts after mid-July or so when the water goes down. Its early, but so far, this is a big snow year with snowpacks about 40% above average. Absolutely stunning scenery - just awesome.

2. Tie Hack Lake off Tie Hack Road - good float tubing for 'cutts - or at least was at ice out in 1996 (man, time flies!)

3. Brooks Lake area toward Togowotee Pass. Take the short, easy walk to the Jade Lakes under the Breccia Cliffs - some fish, but mainly just awesome scenery. A few smallish brookies are just icing on the cake.

For a walk w/out fishing: 1. Hermitage Point on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton Park is as spectacular as it gets and, as a bonus, the trail is flat. Lots of wildlife on this trail.

2. Ditto String Lake area - crowded by the trailhead, but can walk a spectacular, flat trail about 2 to 2.5 miles to the beaches at Leigh Lake - these are real beaches - curl your toes in the sand and take in the Tetons.

In all of these areas, take appropriate grizzly precautions.

Have fun - best outdoor spot in the Lower 48.

[tanvat]

One more thing - DEFINITELY switch to mid-July. Mid-June the Wind River and all the area streams will be chocolate milk and a lot of hiking trails will be snowed in at elevation and muddy otherwise. Mid-July will probably be OK -but the Wind River and the Dubois area streams on the Absaroka side (i.e., the Double Cabin TH suggestion) will likely still have a some tint even in mid-July due to the sedimentary geology of the Absarokas - and those streams will cloud up quick and easy after a rain. If you want to fish Dubois, I'd go no earlier than mid-July. FWIW, snowpack is nearly 40% above average....

[Greg]

Thanks for the additional info. Much appreciated. My wife and youngest son (16) are pretty terrified of grizzlies (LOL). I have been reading up on it.

Greg

[redbird]

We spent a few days in Jackson after July 4 last summer and runoff was still an issue at that point. The great thing about Jackson (or the whole state for that matter) is there are so many places to find fish. If the lower, larger rivers are blown, just head to higher elevation and fish the smaller outlet creeks. We spent a half a day on the outlet of string lake and it was the most memorable day flyfishing I have ever had, we were just catching small wild cuts and brookies but you cant beat the scenery with a stick and I got to tussel with what had to be that creeks boss rainbow for about 5 minutes before he decided that 6x tippet was not match for him in the hands of such a green fisherman. Best of all I got to teach my 10 year old son to flycast at the base of the Tetons and watch him catch his first trout on a dry fly.

Plus plus on the Double cabin area, just a beautiful area to cast to amazingly eager wild cutthroat and brookies, and there are a few larger rainbows in there if you can find them, and if your lucky maybe a cutbow. There are 2 rivers at Double cabin one was fishing much better than the other 2 years ago when I was there. If you take the family Double cabin has some great hiking, long or short. The cabin (whats left of it is cool) just make sure you talk to the camp host and get the whole story from him (he is great and knows everything about that place) also look for the caves with the writing from settlers inside, it is a trek but well worth it for young explorers.

I hadnt looked at that pic in a while, yes that is a trout tag on his vest, from Roaring river. He loves to have them on there.

[redbird]

Grizzlies deserve utmost respect. But a word of warning. Moose kill more people in Wyoming every year than do Griz. I have been chased by cow moose and it is a harrowing experience to feel the ground shake as they rumble by the patch of brush you have just dived into.

[Mark]

I would suggest trying the Cody Lodging Company in Cody, WY. We found a place near Crandall Creek, WY, in late July 2009 for about $200 per night. It was a private cabin/house off of the Chief Joseph National Scenic Byway about 15 miles from Cooke City, MT - the NE entrance to Yellowstone. The North Fork of the Clark River follows the Chief Joseph Byway from Cooke City southward. Also near Cooke City, the Beartooth National Scenic Byway was about 10 miles from the cabin. Definitely the later in summer, the better. In mid July, most of the streams were still very fast. The Cody Lodging Company's website can be found online. We did stay in Dubois for a night on the Wind River, but the scenery is still mostly high plains and nothing like closer to Yellowstone.

If passing thru Cody, I recommend the Cody Rodeo!! Great entertainment!!