Snake River

The tailwater reach below Jackson Lake Dam remains the only reach of clear water on the Snake at the moment. Flows are at 550cfs and water temperatures are cold, but there fish are being caught on a variety of nymphs and streamers. Submerged structure, eddies, and the center runs of long riffles are the most productive water. Tackle depends on depth, which is quite variable at the moment. Lightly weighted double nymph rigs are producing in riffles. We are going noticeably deeper and heavier in deep eddies and deep structure. The same goes for streamers. Sinking lines are producing in deep eddies and along deep submerged structure. Do not go too big with your fly and retrieve slower than average with two foot strips.

Effective nymphs – Rubber Leg Soft Hackle Prince Nymphs, Pat’s Rubber Leg, Biot Bugs, Copper Johns in red or olive, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Robins, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, and Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa.

Effective streamers – Lite Brite Zonkers, Kiwi Muddlers, J.J Specials, Baby Bunnies, and Clouser Minnows.

South Fork

The place to be at the moment. Flows have been stable at 12,300cfs from Palisades Reservoir for the past few weeks but just got bumped up to 13,500. Fishing has been great with nymphs and streamers from the Dam down to Heise Bridge and this should continue as flows again stabilize. Action is decent in the morning but kicks into high gear after 12pm and continues until late afternoon. Riffles are producing best with double or triple nymph rigs. Seams and banks are a distant second but certainly worth targeting. The upper reach from the Dam down to Irwin continues to have a lot of spawning rainbow activity and worm and yard egg patterns are working well, but the whole river is fishing so well at the moment that it’s hard to stay on the upper reach exclusively.

Nymphs are outperforming streamers, but streamers are still worth throwing. Intermediate lines or sinking tips in the 3 to 6 ips range are working better than other forms or streamer tackles. Vary the retrieval rates up, but focus on moderate retrieves and vertical rod jigs.

Very little surface activity but it is probably not too far down the road. Water temps are running from 48 degrees to 52 degrees on the upper reach. Midges are emerging throughout the day, but we are seeing blue-winged olives and some caddis in the mid-afternoon hours.

Effective nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Kaufmann’s Black Stone, San Juan Worms, Yarn Eggs, Meyer’s Mysis, Boyle’s Shrimp, Copper Johns in red, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Hickey’s Auto Nymph, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Psycho Princes, Robins, and Flashback Pheasant Tails.

Effective streamers – Booty’s Quad Bunny Leech, Galloup’s Boogeyman, Silvey Sculpin, Cheech’s Leech, Galloup’s Peanut Envy, J.J. Specials, Tequilleys, Galloup’s Stacked Blonde, and Beldar Bugars.

Green River

Flows at Warren Bridge have fallen to approximately 800 cfs and we have about two feet of visibility. We are not picking up a lot of fish (10 to 12 between two experienced anglers on average) but certainly bringing in big browns. Sizes have been averaging between 17” and 20” with larger fish in the cards each day. Banks are producing better than other types of holding water, but riffles, seams, and small eddies are definitely worth hitting. Action has been best in the morning hours and then slows a bit after about 2pm. You don’t have to go too deep with your streamers. Floating, hover, and intermediate lines are enough. We have been using larger articulated patterns mostly, but moderately sized pattern are producing in acceptable fashion. Don’t be afraid to throw tandem streamer rigs if you can handle it.

Effective nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, PR Muskrats, Bitch Creek Nymph, San Juan Worms, Lightening Bugs, Copper Johns in red, Biot Bugs, Zug Bugs, Flashback Prince Nymphs, and LOF Nymphs.

Effective streamers – Silvey Sculpins, J.J Specials, Booty’s Quad Bunny Leech, Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Bow River Buggers, Galloup,s Peanut Envy, Lite Brite Zonkers, Marabou Muddlers, Chickletts, SRA Double Bunnies, and Kreelux.