Snake River

Flows continue to drop as tributaries quickly recede and visibility is shaping up nicely.  The best fishing has been in the afternoon hours from around 1:30pm to 5:30pm, and this includes surface feeding.  PMDs, yellow sallies, and the smaller golden stones are out after 10am but caddis kick into gear shortly thereafter and completely dominate from 2pm on (the latter is the most reliant hatch at the moment).  When using surface patterns in the afternoon, focus heavily on slow eddies, riffle current margins, and side channels.  Nymph rigs should be somewhat moderate in depth – 5 ½” to 7”  – and be targeting the same water as well as the head of riffles and banks with slow to moderate currents.

South Fork

Flow are ramping down fast and currently stand at 12,000cfs.  Visibility is good on all reaches.  Water temps on the upper reach are going over 50 degrees and the upper 50s in the lower canyon and on the lower river near Lorenzo.  Nonetheless, going subsurface with nymphs and streamers is the most productive way to go.  Nymph rigs have been working best in riffles, seams, center of eddies, troughs, and parallel drop-offs.  Go relatively deep in the 7 to 9 foot range.  Larger patterns – Rubber Legs, 20-Inchers, and #10-#12 soft hackle patterns like Duracells and Cyclops – are working best.  Worm patterns are also producing well.

Streamers are producing when fished along banks, structure, confluences, and the tail of seams.  As with your nymphs, go big and focus on darker patterns primarily (think Boogeyman, Silvey Sculpins, and Peanut Envy).  Fish these on floating and intermediate sinking lines or sinking tips in the INT to 6ips range.  REALLY vary up your retrieves and do several hesitations with your line strips.

Green River

Flows at Warren Bridge are at approximately 900cfs.  The Green has plateaued and dropping really well.  There are leftover caddis around but PMDs are dominating followed by yellow sallies.  Gray drakes are being spotted in intermittent fashion.  Expect this hatch to really pop by the end of the month. Dry-dropper and tandem dry rigs are working best when fished along banks, in troughs, on eddy current margins, and along seams.  Focus primarily on tailouts, and some days the entire length of these water types are producing.  Faster currents are fishing better than slower or moderate ones.

Streamers are working as good as nymphs and dries and some days are getting into fish in a more consistent fashion.  The most active water includes banks, structure, seams, and troughs.  Both large and moderately sized patterns are working equally well.  Go with moderate retrieves and fish them on floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range.  No big difference at the moment between darker and brighter colors.  As with nymphs and dries, fish the entire length of the water you are targeting but concentrate on the tailouts.

Yellowstone National Park

Firehole and Madison Rivers – The upper Firehole remains cool with temps in the upper 50s, but the lower Firehole as well as the Madison are both exceeding 65 degrees and has been going over 70 degrees a couple of days, so please be careful, keep you eye on the water temps, and limit you fishing when these temps peak.  Still some decent hatches of PMDs and leftover yellow sallies.  The best action has been occurring from around 10am until around 1pm with the pre-10am fishing being better than post 1pm.  Focus on the head of seams, the entire length of riffles, with both surface patterns and nymph rigs.  Deep in eddies is a good plan of action after 1pm.

Yellowstone Lake – Fishing remains solid on flats and drop-offs with baitfish imitations.  Dragonfly and damsel imitations are tapering off in production, but are still worth using from time-to-time.  When using baitfish patterns, go with moderate retrieval speeds primarily.  Speed them it up if production slows.  Use hover and intermediate sinking lines.  Sinking tips are not working as well unless there is some decent chop on the surface.

Lewis Lake – Surface action has picked up with gray drakes and and callibaetis dominating, although on sunny days there is good action on carpenter ants.  Flats are starting to slow unless a hatch is underway.  Drop-offs and tributary mouths are your best option when going subsurface.  Intermediate sinking lines are producing best throughout the day.  Clean sweep lines in the 4ips-2ips-INT range are working well after 2pm.

Lewis and Snake Rivers – Green Drakes are starting to pop on both although nothing stellar unless there is some cloud cover.  There are also some golden stones, yellow sallies, and PMDs around.  Surface patterns and dry-dropper rigs are the best way to go.  Expect the best action to be in the Lewis River Meadows with green drake patterns and on the Snake below the Lewis River confluence with just about anything matching the invertebrates mentioned above.