Snake River
Flows from Jackson Lake Dam are at winter levels for the next several months. Surface action remains good on all reaches, although not as strong as a couple of weeks ago, no doubt due to the high pressure and sunshine that has settled into the area. The upside – air temps have cooled into the mid-60s to mid-70s over the past few days. PMDs, mahogany duns, and Hecubas continue to emerge in intermittent fashion, making mayfly adults and emergers the most productive imitations to fish. Foam attractors and terrestrial patterns are working as well, but not as well as more imitative bugs. Action can be decent in the morning but picks up after 11:30am and gets better until around 3pm or so. Banks with slow to moderate currents, seams, parallel drop-offs, and the head of riffles are prime targets at the moment.
Streamers are back to an on again-off again mode of production with some days being very good and others being OK to decent. Unquestionably, brighter and neutral-hued patterns (think tan Lil’ Kims, Kreelux, Goldilocks, and brighter Craft Fur Clousers) have been working better than darker counter parts. Fish these on floating lines, hover lines, or INT sinking tips and goo with slow to moderate retrieves. Target banks, structure, riffle pools, eddy current margins, slower seam current margins.
South Fork
Flows from Palisades Reservoir are at approximately a little over 5,000cfs. As on the Snake, the unseasonably warm, sunny weather is stalling hatches and feeding activity, so be prepared to work hard for your fish. The upside – it is gorgeous out there! A few mahoganies and BWOs will be around, particularly on the lower reaches from Conant down to Heise. Expect to see some smaller Infrequen PMDs dominate most days. If you see consistent feeding, try and stay on these fish. Most of this activity is occurring at the head and inside tun of riffle, in eddies, along seams, and at confluences. Better action is happening with dropper nymphs in the same water and along banks, structure, and parallel drop-off. A wide variety – from rubber legs to CDC soft hackles to midge patterns – are producing.
Of all the water we are fishing at the moment, the South Fork might be the most consistent with streamers, but just by a smidge.. Neutral, bright, and light olive patterns are producing best, particularly those that are moderately sized. Fish these on floating lines, hover lines, or sinking tips in the INT to 3ip range and go with slow to moderate retrieves with an even cadence. Target banks, structure, riffle current margins, and side channels with slow currents (especially on the reaches below Byington).
Salt River
Good autumn fishing continues on the Salt with all reaches producing well and the upper river (above Tin Cup) taking the cake by a slight edge. With unseasonably warm, dry weather in for a couple of weeks, there has not been much by way of hatches except for midges and the occasional leftover trico. Nonetheless, higher gradient sections find fish rising opportunistically to a host of imitations ranging from #12 foam attractors to #18 midge/caddis/mayfly patterns. Beetle and terrestrial ant patterns are also producing. Target seams, eddies, riffles, and banks with moderate current speeds. Dropper nymphs are working even better in these waters and are the only game in town on low gradient reaches. Expect the best action from roughly 11am until 4pm most days.
Flat Creek
There is decent action on Flat Creek if fishing midge or mahogany surface patterns, with the former working early (pre-9am) and the latter working late (after 1pm) when targeting eddies and seams primarily. Subsurface imitations of these, along with general mayfly imitation patterns, are working in the same waters as well as submerged structure, banks, and shallow riffles. The key element to focus on is going fairly micro – consider #18 to #22 in size. Damsel and dragonfly nymph imitations are not as productive as they have been over the past month but can still get into fish when action on midge and mayfly patterns shut down. As always, go with floating line, long leader (9 to 12 feet) and vary up your retrieves while focusing on slow and imitative – hand twist/figure-8 and pinch. Target undercut banks and submerged structure almost exclusively.
Yellowstone National Park
Madison River – It’s that time of year when browns continue to surge out of Hebgen Lake. No major pulses of fish but there is a fair amount that have made it well past Riverside. Swinging small baitfish imitations is working well in the right kind of water. Drifting larger nymphs is doing the trick as well in riffle pools and just off the head of riffles.
Firehole River – good fishing on just about every reach with fishing on the lower reaches below Midway Geyser Basin taking the cake. Midges are out primarily and there is an impressive amount of BWOs emerging even on warmer, sunnier days. Expect to see micro caddis as well. The best action starts around 10am and lasts until around mid-afternoon, with a short push of action occurring after 6:30pm. Target riffles, eddies, and seams.
Yellowstone Lake – Fishing is solid and occurs primarily from around 9am until 3pm. It is a complete streamer game, so lean on small to moderately sized patterns, with smaller flies working best. Craft Fur Clousers, Rickard’s Seal Buggers, and Pine Squirrel Zonkers have been the most productive patterns. Damsel and dragonfly nymphs are also worth using. Target shelf drop-offs throughout the day. There are cruising fish on flats from around 10am until just after 12pm.
Lewis Lake – The spawning run is on! Browns are staging at the mouth and moving up the lower part of the channel. The largest pods have been in the 6-8 range. The mouth is very much worth targeting with baithfish imitations fished on hover and intermediate sinking line. Lake trout are “kind of” finding their beds with decent action occurring on shelves that are four to six feet in depth. Use hover and intermediate sinking lines and go with slow to semi-moderate retrieves.