Big Lost River 7-2-19
Flow out of Mackay Dam is about 750 cfs making for very tough wading. Hatchery catchables have been stocked at just above Arco. We have no information to date on fishing conditions on the river above the reservoir.
Fishing Reports
Small Streams 7-2-19
All South Fork tributaries opened to fishing yesterday. Of the Palisades Reservoir tributaries McCoy and Bear Creeks offer the best fishing. Look for small stoneflies, PMDs, and afternoon caddis activity to provide the best dry fly fishing on these, so have life cycle patterns for these handy. Small traditional attractors, wet and dry, will also work well. Little Warm River has good fishing for small brookies which make for good holiday fish fries. Beaver and Medicine Lodge Creek are in good shape for fishing although we have little info on each so far.
South Fork 7-2-19
Palisades Reservoir is at full capacity, and in-flow is dropping. Flow out of Palisades has been raised some in the last week. Now is 14000 cfs (about the same at Heise, 7160 cfs at Lorenzo), which is a bit above normal.
PMDs, green drakes and yellow sallies are emerging upstream to Cottonwood making for improving dry fly fishing. Presenting flies around riffles is best strategy for doing so. Big stoneflies are emerging up to Byington, but fish are just beginning to key on them. Rubber legs and streamers still working.
Fishing interest here is still well below that on the Henry’s Fork, but as fish become more interested in big stoneflies, look for boating crowds to appear.
Still Waters 7-2-19
Chesterfield Reservoir is providing some very nice ‘bows for those folks presenting damselfly life cycle patterns. Wind can interrupt this activity, and also make some dangerous conditions.
The Harriman Fish Pond is “mossing up” making surface and indicator fishing the most practical approaches. As with Springfield Reservoir, seeking out channels between weed beds for using these methods is a best strategy.
The Snow Creek Road is open, but rough, at least to Teardrop Lake.
Still Waters 6-25-19
Some of our nutrient rich smaller waters are beginning to have seasonal aquatic plant growth ( “moss up”). Hawkins Reservoir and Springfield Lake are among these, but indicator and dry fly fishing is not impacted, especially on staying in/over larger channels between weed beds. Harriman Fish Pond, however, mosses up almost totally making channels tough to find under windy conditions. Chesterfield seems to be fishing well with damsel flies emerging in sheltered bays on wind-free, which also sport aquatic plant growth. We have not received much information on Twenty-Four Mile Reservoir fishing success.
Henry’s Lake 6-25-19
Spotty fishing at best. Black leeches presented near bottom seem to work. We have heard more about the recent winds that whip the surface into near impossible conditions. Let’s hope that winds calm down and that a remnant of the once famed damsel fly emergence improves the fishing.
Henry’s Fork 6-25-19
The great fishing on the lower river continues. Flavs have showed up, some green drakes remain. PMDs are present and PM caddis provide action.We have not heard a lot about the gray drake emergence. It’s is not what it use to be ten years ago in terms of number, but late afternoons and evening are the best times to try it (streamers work well during these times of day). The Chester backwater is one of the best locations especially on using a boat to get around shorelines.
Wind and cool temperatures have impacted fishing on the upper river. Predicted warm weather will bring aquatic insect activity back to seasonal norms.
South Fork 6-25-19
It’s about ready to turn on the big stonefly hatch on. A few stoneflies are flying on the river below Lorenzo, and any day the fish will begin to notice. Warm weather coming up means their emergence will soon march up the river providing exciting dry fly fishing and crowds. Right now there are not many folks fly-fishing here, even though flow out Palisades Dam ( reservoir is about 95% of capacity and bulk of run-off is over) is about normal for the time of year. This makes the South Fork a great alternative to fishing the crowded lower Henry’s Fork. A few early season sallies are showing up. For now streamers, a variety of nymphs with and without beads, rubber legs, and big stonefly nymph patterns provide best action especially around riffles and side channels.
Small Streams 6-25-19
The Blackfoot River drainage above the reservoir opens to fishing Monday (July 1st). The river flow is about normal, but best fishing will be with steamers and wooly bugger types. A minimal evening brown drake hatch occurs in the meadow reaches not long after opening. PMDs are not numerous, and green drakes, if any, are very few. For faster water, such as in the narrows, stonefly nymphs (#6-8) and streamers are a good choice until we reach warmer conditions, then terrestrial patterns are best anywhere in the river. The Teton River (and Bitch Creek) is high with run-of and will be that way for a while. Believing that is easy on viewing the snow fields remaining on the west slope. Most other small streams are in fishing condition and roads to them are passable. Warm River just below the spring and across from Bear Gulch and Robinson Creek are fishing well (caddis, PMD life cycle, beetle/ant and traditional attractor patterns) and will get you away from the crowds.
Here is some information on back country roads going to fishing spots. The Ashton-Flagg Road is open west of the Bridger-Teton Forest boundary, but quite rough, meaning access to Fall River upstream drainage (including Beula Lake) is possible. The Fish Creek Road is open at the Chick Creek Road junction, but closed above and below it. The Cave Falls Road is open but scarred with connecting potholes (gives a vehicle suspension quite a workout!) from the Horseshoe lake junction on east.
Yellowstone Park 6-25-19
The Firehole currently provides the best fishing in the park, and that is the reason for it being crowded. Gibbon also providing good fishing for those presenting nymph patterns in size ranging from small (#16) to large (#8). Being not far from the Firehole, it is getting some fishing pressure. No big PMD hatches yet on the Madison. Warmer weather coming up will change that, but will begin putting the seasonal damper on Firehole hatches. All streams in the northeast corner are high and discolored with run-off. The Ashton-Flagg Road is open west of the Bridger-Teton boundary, so Beula Lake can be reached. It will soon provide perhaps the best still water fishing the park offers. Bechler Meadows look almost like a rice paddy but is draining. For those able to put boats on them, Lewis and Shoshone Lakes are currently providing that. Lewis River in the meadow below the south entrance highway hosts perhaps the world’s most wary large brown trout. But they are susceptible during the upcoming green drake hatch and to a hair mouse pattern presented during the evening and in a manner of one struggling to swim.
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