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Fishing
Fishing in Yosemite can be relaxing and exhilarating, all
in the same day.
Plus, your catch can often be served for dinner!
Yosemite is home to a number of fish, including crappie, brown,
golden, brookies and rainbow trout, and trout stream fishing is
probably your best bet in the summer. The park has 58 permanent
streams with a combined length of 770 miles. The Merced
offers enjoyable fishing all summer and into the winter. Anglers
hook excellent rainbow and brown trout on the Tuolomne River,
especially on the stretch above Hetch Hetchy. Fishing
tends to be better at lower elevations. The only restriction for
keeping fish is for wild rainbow trout on the Merced in the Valley
proper; that stretch is catch-and-release only.
In the fall, when the Tuluomne and Merced rivers are at their lowest
ebbs, fishing is best in the lakes. Visitors have recommended
Tenaya Lake for its fall action as well as the Hetchy Hetchy
reservoir, both reachable by car. Tenaya is located off Tioga Road
and, at 150 acres, is one of the three largest lakes in the park.
Rangers tell visitors that the catch can be even better outside
the park in Inyo National Forest, where the Forest
Service actively stocks trout.
Stream and river fishing season (in most park areas) begins on the
last Saturday in April and continues through November 15. Lakes
and reservoirs are open to fishing year-round.
You need a license to fish in California (including all park areas)
if you are 16 or older. See below for locations where you can acquire
a license.
Fishing Regulations
There are some special regulations that apply within the park:
• No live or dead minnows or other bait fish, amphibians,
non-preserved fish eggs, or roe may be used or possessed.
• Fishing from bridges and docks is prohibited.
In Yosemite Valley and El Portal (east of Foresta Bridge):
• Rainbow trout are catch-and-release only.
• Brown trout limit is five per day or ten in possession.
• Only artificial lures or flies with barb-less hooks may
be used; bait fishing is prohibited.
Fishing supplies
You can purchase gear, including fishing licenses, at the Yosemite
Village Sport Shop, Curry Village Mountain Shop, and at the general
stores in Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows.
 View
a map of the Park
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