The Firehole River continues to produce the best early season fishing in the Park. Swinging a soft hackle pattern is one of the best techniques for action almost any time on this stream.. BWO life cycle and white miller caddis patterns produce. PMDs are becoming active. Weather can influence fishing, so check out current reports for the Park if there is a question on such.
The Johnny Boyd Memorial Carp Classic Tournament on Blackfoot River Reservoir is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, June 7th and 8th.
The lower river above Chester Dam remains offering the most consistent fly fishing in the region. Caddis populations are expanding and PM BWO activity brings fish up reliably. Streamer patterns work during low light conditions. But the big story is the giant stonefly activity of which trout are now aware. The lower river now features the peak of activity, and the best way to approach fish keying on these big bugs is to begin above the hatch and work down into it. For now that means from the Riverside Campground area downstream to the Chester Dam to Ashton Dam. With warming weather hatch intensity moves upstream into such as Box Canyon and Coffee Pot. Size is the most important aspect in pattern selection. Presentation is easy: place it just a few feet above a rising fish several seconds after its last rise,or make a long drift over an area were a number of fish are rising.
Water quality remains good to excellent throughout the watershed. Turbidity is lower than average for this time of year throughout the watershed, and dissolved oxygen is above average. Water temperatures have cooled a bit over the past few days but will increase over the next few days. Hatch timing is within one day of average at all locations—generally a little behind average. However, I expect it to catch up to average if not get a hair earlier than average over the next week due to warmer temperatures. A very short period of high runoff would provide a greater chance of fill than a long period of relatively low runoff. Right now, weather forecasts favor the former scenario. Regardless, current reservoir volume is already higher than its peak volume last year, which is higher than it had been in several years.
Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.
Science and Technology Director
P.O. Box 550
Ashton, ID 83420
208-881-3407 CEL
Flow out of Palisades Dam was reduced a few days ago to around 10000 cfs ( now about 11500 cfs at Heise, 3700 cfs at Lorenzo). These flow readings are actually below the normal for this time of the season. Water remains cold enough to restrict aquatic insect activity, and it is a bit discolored just below streams entering with run-off water. Remember that all contributing streams having cutthroat spawning runs are closed to fishing during the month of June. Nymphing with small traditional nymph patterns can produce especially around riffles. Best strategy is to use streamer, woolly bugger, and rubber leg patterns fished deep into slower waters.
General Fishing season opened last Saturday. Go to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site to obtain a fishing license. Fishing is slow on Hebgen Lake. Try streamer patterns along the South Fork Arm.. The Madison River is colored up from Hebgen Dam on downstream.
The Park fishing season opens Saturday, May 25th. Go to the Park web site to obtain a fishing license. The Firehole River will be the best and maybe only place to fish within, weather permitting. Fish will be keying on BWO, midge, and white mlller activity there. So bring life cycle patterns of each.
Island Park Reservoir
This weekend begins the unofficial beginning of the recreation season. It;s tough to say the beginning of summer with snow happening in Island Park, Teton Valley, and other high country places! Nevertheless, it is time to get rid of cabin fever, so let’s take a look at places for doing so that are adjacent to great places to fish.
First, and likely most popular, is the Island Park area. The Ashton Ranger District Ranger Office relates that all developed campgrounds are open excepting Cave Falls and Big Springs will be open. Such popular ones including Buffalo River, Coffee Pot (upper), McRea Bridge, Riverside, and Warm River will be well populated but are right on great fishing water. Beware that cold weather will be had in each, so have the means to stay warm and dry.
In Teton Basin, all streams are high and discolored with run-off. On Henry’s Lake, the State Park and Bill Fromm County Boat Dock and Campground will be open, But for most of the weekend, the lake will be at its most dangerous because of high winds, likely snow showers, and cold air temperatures.
The Palisades District Ranger Station reports that the Calamity Boat Dock and Campground is closed because the Bear Creek Road coming to it is only temporary and not open to vehicles hauling trailers. An alternative is the Elk Creek Campground which includes a boat dock and well maintained campsites. Elk Creek is high with runoff, but fishing in Elk Creek Arm of the reservoir can be productive. Venture your boat beyond the discolored water coming in from the creek to find fishing action using leech, woolly bugger and streamer patterns. The campgrounds (Blowout, McCoy Creek) along the shoreline of Palisades Reservoir have boat docks that can be used to access creek mouths were some fishing can be found. Even though flow in the South Fork has been constant for several days, better fishing conditions are on the horizon. Try streamer, woolly bugger and rubber leg patterns if you wish to give it a try.
The Forest Service and Bureau of Land management ask that travelers stay off back country roads until they dry out to easily passable shape. The condition of such roads can be determined by contacting respective offices of each agency. These agencies also request that visitors be ” Bear Aware”‘ when visiting anywhere on their land.
Looks like the big stoneflies will be laying low until Memorial Day itself. In fact, a lot of insects ( excepting midges and BWOs) will be doing the same because of snow showers coming and going likely for the next few days. When weather warms up, as predicted for Monday, there will be a lot of fly fishers wading and boating on the river from lower Cardiac Canyon downstream to Chester. So here are a few locations to try where a minimum of fishing company will be present.
Bear Gulch requires walking from the old ski area parking lot, no quite a mile, to the river. Some of the thickest and earliest giant and golden stone fly hatches on the entire river happen here, and hard sided boats of any kind are very rare because the slide access below Lower Mesa Falls is prohibited to such. Expect to see some rafts passing through. Allow a few days of warm weather and other great boat- free and minimum wader locations will see the big stoneflies become active. First is above the river in Mesa Falls State Park. Walk upstream above the Park, and fish some great boat-free water. Another is the river above the signed West Hatchery Ford road going off Highway 20.. This side of the river is almost free of boats and not many wading anglers. The reason is that the boat take-out location is on the more popular east side of the river and closed to boating beginning right below. Walk upstream on an old game trail for a while to get above the cliffs and fish as long as time permits. Another walk-in only location is around Sheep Falls. The road to this area is sign and just downstream from the West Hatchery Ford Road.
As the hatch moves upstream, we will keep track of its progress. With warming weather and sufficient time, such as Box Canyon and Coffee Pot will feature their share of active big stone flies. By then choosing a great location almost anywhere on the Henry’s Fork will become more complicated as other great insect hatches will begin!
Mean temperature yesterday was 8 degrees F below average, and precipitation was recorded at only one station. That kept snowmelt rates low and water-year total precipitation at 99% of average. Net change in snow water equivalent (SWE) was 0.2 inches of melt, compared with 0.5 inches on average. Remaining SWE is 53% of this year’s peak, compared with 57% on average, and current SWE is in the 45th percentile for the date.
Weather forecasts call for continued below-average temperatures through Sunday, with precipitation possible every day. Mid-elevation snow will continue to melt as it did yesterday at slightly below-average rates. High elevations will likely gain new snow today and tomorrow. Long-term outlooks call for very warm and dry conditions starting early next week and continuing for the foreseeable future. That will accelerate snowmelt at all elevations.
Water quality improved again yesterday, as turbidity continued to drop at all locations except immediately downstream of Island Park Dam. Dissolved oxygen concentrations are above average in all river reaches, and water temperatures were within the optimal range for rainbow trout egg and fry development watershed-wide. Hatch timing is within 1–2 days of average at all locations and will slow by a day or so over the next few days.
Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.
Science and Technology Director
P.O. Box 550
Ashton, ID 83420
208-881-3407 CEL
Flow out of Palisades Dam has been almost constant at around 11000 cfs for at least a week. The river remains too cold for any major aquatic insect activity, So fly pattern suggestion given on our May 11th report apply.
The Johnny Boyd Memorial Carp Classic Tournament on Blackfoot River Reservoir is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, June 7th and 8th. We will post more information on this event as it approaches closer.