Over the past few days the flow out of Palisades Dam has been raised to current 13700 cfs (14200 cfs at Heise, 6900 cfs at Lorenzo) which is almost normal flow for this date. Palisades Reservoir is at 85% of capacity, and a ton of snow remains in the mountains above it. So expect more flow increases to come. Meanwhile, stay with the fly pattern strategy we have suggested in recent fishing reports.
Add the Harriman Fish Pond to list of still water fisheries worth visiting. It has been stocked with 10-12″ rainbows, but some large holdovers are present. No speckled dun or damsel fly emergences yet, but midge activity ongoing. Try snail and leech patterns.
Firehole River still offers best fishing with BWO, PMD, and caddis life cycle patterns effective, especially soft hackle patterns. Look for increasing white miller activity. Lower Gibbon River (canyon stretch) good fishing with streamers. Lewis River high and clear. Try streamers in meadow stretch off South Entrance Highway crossing below Lewis Falls. Almost all other streams high and discolored. Ice is off Shoshone and Lewis Lakes. Trails into Shoshone Lake have large areas of snow.
The Highway 20 road construction on Ashton Hill replaces about four miles of damaged pavement. Travel is down to one lane and flaggers hold back traffic with delays up to twenty minutes depending on flow. This situation could extend through the summer. Consider at least during morning taking the Mesa Falls Scenic Highway to avoid delays and get to fishing destinations (including Yellowstone Park, Henry’s Lake, and Montana waters) on time. On doing so you will see wind-blown stone flies along the Mesa Falls Scenic Highway for a while. It’s a tip that fish are likely full of them in the Cardiac Canyon stretch. So come back there in about a week or so when fish will be looking for them again. Meanwhile, they are in Box Canyon and likely around at Coffee Pot. Up and down the river fish also key on AM & PM caddis activity. Green drakes will be arriving soon. Adult stone fly patterns, giant and golden, remain effective during the first days of fish responding to green drake activity whether on the upper or lower river.
Lost Net
I lost a Snake River Net Company Owyhee net below the Ashton dam. I am checking with local shops to see if anyone has seen/picked in up. My name, Colby Burr, is etched on it. Please contact me if you find it: [email protected].
The Ora Bridge project requires additional blasting that puts the parking lot in range of debris. On Tuesday, June 11th there will be a parking lot closure at Ora from 2-4 pm. No new vehicles will be permitted into the site from 2-4 pm. HFF staff will be on hand that morning to answer questions. There will be limited parking near the boat ramp for those who cannot complete a shuttle prior to blasting or who are wading in at Ora.
All anglers wading in or floating the river right next the bridge will also need to exit the river or float downstream prior to blasting.
Flow out of Palisades Dam was raised to 11700 cfs yesterday ( now 12500 cfs at Heise, 4950 cfs at Lorenzo). This brings flow in the river to near normal for this time of the season. Use same strategy as we suggested in last report: streamer patterns or rubber legs with San Juan worm or small bead head dropper. You will see A LOT fewer anglers on the river compared to the crowds on the Henry’s Fork.
Chesterfield, Hawkins, and Daniels Reservoirs currently seem to offer the best fishing. Midge pupa under an indicator when finding the taking depth, slowly trolled leech patterns, and damselfly nymph patterns presented near sunken vegetation seem to be best methods to give action. Be careful of windy conditions especially on all of our larger still waters.
Big stoneflies are flying and laying eggs in Box Canyon. This has helped thinned out the fishing pressure on the lower river. Some of the big stoneflies remain flying on the lower river and golden stoneflies to begin doing the same any day now followed by green drakes. Do not overlook early and late day caddis activity anywhere on the river. If you want to escape the stonefly madness, consider trying the river on the Flat Ranch Preserve. We call it ” Henry’s Lake Outlet”, but the USGS calls it the “Henry’s Fork.” Most of the larger fish within it are Henry’s Lake escapees, so present what you would in Henry’s Lake for now.
Action has slowed. Looks like fish have dispersed throughout the lake. Olive, peacock, or black leech patterns seem to work.
Back country roads are opening up allowing access to many smaller streams. Roads to Bear and McCoy Creeks are open, but both are running a bit high with some discolor. The road into Warm River Spring is open, and the river here, especially going downstream, will have good action when nymph patterns, with and without bead heads, are presented. BWOs should be coming out in good numbers there. Fall River is running high from a combination of rain and run-off. All Teton River drainage streams are running high with run-off and from recent rains. Robinson Creek is clearing but high. Lower Blackfoot River is running high.
Flow out of Palisades Dam is about 8900 cfs (10200 cfs at Heise, 3340 cfs at Lorenzo) and looks to be at that level for a while. Palisades Reservoir is about 65% full. Compared to the fishing pressure currently on the Henry’s Fork, there is very little here, and fishing is quite good up and down the river. Streamers work well when presented over drop-offs. Rubber legs seem to bring the most action and do even better when trailed by a San Juan Worm or small bead head nymph. No really good top water action yet, but a few riffles do have some BWO activity.