Small Streams, July 18th, 2023

Bitch Creek

Most small streams are in great shape and access is good. The exception is Bear Creek where the road is open only to Calamity area.This means boating or hiking are the only means for getting to this creek which offers great fishing for cutthroat. Consult with the Palisades District Office to see if biking is appropriate along the closed section. Although caddis, PMDs and sallys remain, terrestrial insects are building everywhere, especially in meadow areas, where these are becoming a primary food source.

The Teton River in the Basin is rounding into good shape with aquatic insect hatches ( PMD, sallys, caddis, a few golden stones) going on and terrestrial insect populations building ( and so is recreational boating activity). The same can said for the upper Blackfoot River where recent stream habitation improvements appear to have increased resident cutthroat trout populations in the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area where there is little if any recreational boating. Warm River just below hits spring offers an escape from the nearby, but relatively crowded Henry’s Fork. The same can be said for the Palisades Reservoir Tribs and Palisades Creek compared to the nearby South Fork.