The river below Ashton Dam is warming to the degree that early AMs and evenings will soon offer the best fishing. Try caddis life cycle and nymph patterns presented deep.With the giant stone flies appearing in good numbers on the South Fork, boat anglers are beginning to decrease along the Warm River to Ashton section. The famed mayfly emergence continues on the Last Chance-Harriman-Riverside section with emphasis shifting to flav and brown drake life cycle patters being more effective. Many fly fishers remain, boating and wading, to enjoy resulting activity.,
Drought conditions are beginning to impact most of our small streams. In fact, the Nature Conservancy has closed fishing on its Silver Creek property. Along with the low water conditions in the Big Wood River, this action is sure to increase fishing pressure on the Big Lost River drainage especially in the Copper Basin where Sun Valley-Hailey area anglers will seek better fishing.
The Ashton-Flagg Road opened to travel on Thursday, July 1st. This action makes access to the Park’s Fall River Basin lakes and streams fully available for fishing. The Basin includes nearly all the southwest corner of the park and contributes major water to the Henry’s Fork. Bechler and Fall River, Boundary, Mountain Ash and Proposition Creeks and Beula and Hering Lakes are the major waters here and each is of the highest fishing quality. No maintained roads are near any of these waters (except for the Cave Falls loop), so walking distances varying from about a mile to several miles are required to approach each. Cutthroat-Rainbow hybrid, cutthroat and in the Fall River side brook trout are the sole salmonid species. Rocky Mountain whitefish and suckers are absent likely because of downstream barrier waterfalls. All these waters are open to fishing during the Park’s general season, however because the Basin receives perhaps the most snowfall of any of its parts, the beginning of July is the most practical time to venture to its waters. What becomes available as food for trout here is much the same for all its streams and lakes. Late June and early July begins with yellow sally and PMD emergences on streams and cinnamon caddis, speckled dun and damsel flies. By mid-July brown drakes will emerge from the streams, but in this low water year the green drake emergence will be minimal.
Slough Creek in Upper Meadows
Heart River below Heart Lake
So many of the park waters are experiencing drought conditions, Thus there is potential that many could be limited with respect to fishing hours. For example, water temperature in the Firehole River now exceeds 70 degrees (Fahrenheit). Because of low snowfall during the previous winter Heart Lake has warmed such that its salmonids have mostly retreated to deep water. Heart Lake and its drainage opened to fishing on July 1st and the best strategy to fish it during these drought conditions is to travel within days to its outlet to encounter fish feeding on the giant and golden stone fly activity coming towards the lake and its immediate outlet from the canyon below. To do this a multi-day trip is required. Shoshone Lake still offers good fishing when a flotation device or a boat is used to approach submerged weed beds and a full-sink line and stout leader is used to present leech, scud, and streamer patterns. The Lamar River drainage offers improving fishing as run-off is leaving early, but getting there through park roads is time consuming. Nevertheless these waters, much of which,are road side are easily approached will offer great fishing with a progression of mayfly and stone fly hatches for weeks to come. Fall River Basin waters will offer great and tranquil fishing on all the above mentioned waters if one is willing to walk far enough to approach them..
Montana is subject to drought conditions just as other western states. In fact, conditions are dangerous enough that “hoot owl” closures are in effect for several streams. Nearby Montana waters with “hoot owl” closures include the lower Beaverhead (mouth up to Laknar Bridge) and the entire Big Hole Rivers. You can observe all “hoot owl” closures and others on the Montana FWP News web site. Once there go to Closures and Restrictions, then Fishing and Water Bodies, and from there View Map.
This guy deserves his share of fish whether browns, cutts, rainbows or whitefish
Big bugs are as far upstream as Cottonwood. River flow is near historical mean and near constant at 14500 cfs ( 14700 cfs at Heise, 7800 cfs at Lorenzo) with cool, clear water. So the fishing shape is ideal. Any big floating fly will do to get fish to top water,but rubber legs and big nymph patterns will still work on the upper river. Socially, it is time to be courteous and patient as so many anglers are on the river to enjoy fish responding to the big bugs.
The big bugs continue to appear on the lower river. This means big stone fly nymph and rubber leg patterns will be effective on much of the river. For top water fishing green drake, yellow sally, and PMD life cycle patterns produce best from mid-morning to around 4PM while presenting nymph patterns around riffles and drop-off continues to produce late in the day as do fish responding to caddis fly activity.
We have been receiving a lot of questions concerning summer flows in the South Fork. These center around concerns because of the current drought, the water supply, and water management.. We contacted the agency tasked with managing its water flow and storage and here is information they offered us. The current flow of around 13770 cfs will continue for the next two weeks. Afterwards in July, flow will be increased or decreased around 500 cfs depending on irrigation demands. These flows are in order to keep as much water as possible stored high in the storage system to maintain enough for later irrigation demands. It is likely that reservoir capacities will be reduced to near base levels by the end of the irrigation season.
We will pass along more information as we receive it.
With the lake warming up, it is time to begin fishing creek mouths and submerged springs. Springs are “where you find them.” Creek mouths such as Howard, Targhee, and Duck tend to become crowded, so the earlier the arrival, the better. Floating or sink tip lines are best depending on depth of presentation. The best patterns for doing so can be found in Bill Schiess’s informative book “Fishing Henry’s Lake.”
A similar thing is happening on these waters as is happening on our still waters. Many small streams have dropped to near base flow. For example, run-off water has pretty much left the Teton River drainage and flow (356 cfs near Leigh Creek in the basin) is at mid-summer amounts throughout the river. Consider that now is a dangerous time in the canyon because of the rattlesnake populatarion being active.
Streams with near seasonal water flows are become rare. Warm River below the springs is an exception and is worth a try. Caddis flies make up the bulk of aquatic insect available to trout.here PMDs, sallys, and a few golden stones are also present.
Flow out of Palisades Dam has been steady for several days (1370 0cfs at Irwin, 14000 cfs, at Heise, 6690 cfs at Lorenzo), and water is cold and clear. Pretty much the same is happening as in our 6/21 report, but we are moving closer to the big stone fly hatch producing more significant numbers and moving up the river. A few big stone flies have been spotted on the lower river and as with all season to date rubber leg patterns work well especially now the big nymphs migrating towards banks. A few green drakes remain and caddis are present in numbers to make afternoon top water fishingOK. Nymphs and dry dropper combinations produce along drop-offs.
Reports we have from all irrigation reservoirs to the southeast say that draw down has started and water within each is warming. Fish are moving to deep water in these and have generally become less active. Daniels Reservoir is perhaps the best to try of these because of its limited draw down. Midge pupa patterns presented at the taking depth, small leech and damsel fly nymph patterns should produce the best results.
