Walk-in-wade fishing is the way to go with these low flows throughout the river which makes it tough on hard-sided boats. Brown trout are migrating throughout the river..Flows have not reduced significantly since our last fishing report, and we hope they do not decrease further with winter just around the corner.
Presenting streamers almost anywhere on the river will be effective. Weedier waters such as in the Harriman State Park reach (and portions of the lower river), will have interrupted presentations from time to time but resident rainbows respond to them even though it is almost traditional to present aquatic and terrestrial insect life cycle patterns. Brown trout are migrating throughout the lower river, and offering streamers during low light conditions is certainly the best way to encounter them.
Any day now, the lake will ice over. Cold, clear, wind-free days and nights are ongoing. So as with fishing Yellowstone Park waters; you had best hurry to enjoy what remains of the season!
Closed to fishing after October 31st (Halloween) this year. So to enjoy Firehole River BWO and white miller hatches and Gardner, Lewis, Madison and Snake Rivers brown trout runs you had best hurry! Good, but cold weather is predicted for the remainder of the season.
Recent cool, wet weather has made many back country roads a challenge to drive, and traveling on them can damage their surfaces. There are streams that can be reached by paved or well maintained gravel roads. Among these are lower Warm River around the campground, Teton River in the Basin, the Hog Hollow area, and at the dam site, Buffalo River, Palisades, Big Elk and lower Robinson Creeks. Few, if anyone, will be fishing these, so they offer tranquility.
Flow continues to drop: now 2200 cfs at Irwin, 2000 cfs at Heise, 1200 cfs at Lorenzo. Great for walk-in-wade fishing, tough on hard sided boats. Let’s hope further drops are very small with winter, the toughest time for fish, not far away.
Headlines from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s water analysis report taken yesterday for the Henry’s Fork drainage are below
Flow of only 157 cfs out of Island Park Dam makes wading in Box Canyon quite easy, and presenting streamers very effective. Rubber legs and large nymph patterns also work well. We also have great weather for BWO activity throughout the river. Bundle up and don’t put away that floating line yet!
The Firehole River features its usual great dry fly fishing now, but watch the weather as snow could make getting there a problem. Otherwise migrating brown ( and rainbows in the Madison) is the major attraction. With the current stormy weather, any time of day is good for action whether on the Madison or on the Lewis-Snake river drainages. Walking in to fish the Lewis River channel between Lewis and Shoshone Lakes could be a bit difficult with snow any time, but fewer anglers will be present to put the fish down.
The current weather is just the ticket for improving fishing on the lake. Let’s hope there will be some time before ice-up, because as proven last week the lake hosts big fish to be encountered.
Everything we said about the South Fork applies to the lower river. For the upper river, low flow in Box Canyon makes it a good choice for wading. Streamer and nymph patterns, such as rubber legs, should work well there and in the Tubs. Don’t overlook BWOs in these locations as well as at Last Chance and in the Harriman section where wading is also easier. Weather will determine if terrestrial insect patterns will be effective. It looks like our days with 60 to 70 degree F. afternoon air temperatures are gone with snow possible.