South Fork, March 19th, 2022

With Palisades Reservoir filled about one third of capacity and out-flow about half of in-flow, it is going to take a lot of run-off to come close to filling before irrigation season begins. Outlook for enough snow accumulation needed to do so becomes more unlikely with passing days. So it looks like current flow in the river below Palisades Dam ( 874 cfs at Irwin, 1300 cfs at Heise, 700 at Lorenzo) will hold well into run-off season.

Under current water conditions (cold and clear), the best fly fishing strategy is to present streamer, nymph, and rubber leg patterns into deeper holes and runs using full sink or sink tip lines and stout leaders. Consider that winter is the toughest time for fish to survive. Therefore using stout leaders allow them to be played more quickly giving a better chance for survival after being caught and released. The river needs to warm for any good top water fishing to take place.

At the first off April, flow will be shut off in the Dry Bed for irrigation structure maintenance. During this time IDF&G allows a salvage situation there where fish may be harvested by any legal means rather than being wasted. Consult current on-line or hard copy fishing regulations for salvage specifics.