Snake River

Flows from Jackson Lake Dam are at 1,750cfs.  Water temps are moderating but it is very much worthwhile to keep an eye on the gauges and stop fishing around 3pm when temps go over 68 degrees.  Caddis are around in the morning and PMDs in the afternoon with yellow sallies emerging intermittently, particularly on the lower reaches below the Hoback confluence.  Riffles, seams, confluences, and submerged structure are key waters to target.  Banks are also worth targeting, but fish have been holding and feeding well off of prime lies.  Both dry flies and nymphs are working equally well, although nymphs are producing better after 1pm.

Streamers are performing well on all reaches but probably working best on the higher gradient reaches from Deadman’s Bar down to Wilson Bridge.  Both large and moderately sized patterns are producing, as are brighter, neutral, and darker baitfish imitations.  Fish these on floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 6ips range and target banks, structure, eddies, troughs, and riffle pools.  Definitely vary up your retrieves.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir stand at 12,200cfs.  Water temp gauges on the South Fork are down but the river remains cool with surface temps maxing out at 64 degrees on the lower reaches at Lorenzo.  Fishing remains solid on all sections with the upper reaches from the Dam down to Cottonwood slightly taking the cake.  A decent amount of caddis are around in the morning and good emergences of PMDs in the afternoon. Expect to see yellow sallies around as well after 1:30pm.  Salmonflies are squarely on the upper reach from the Dam down to ConantThe sweet spot for surface production starts around 11:30am and lasts until 5pm, with the best action being from around 1pm until 4pm.  Riffles can be on fire during this three hour period, but seams, eddies, side channels and flats can be very active.  Banks, structure, troughs, and confluences are worth targeting before noon and after 5pm.

Streamers fishing is also producing well, and literally from dawn until dusk.  Both moderately sized and larger patterns are performing along banks, structure, confluences, eddies and troughs.  When riffles and seams are active with surface feeding, target them as well.  Brighter and neutral colored streamers are working better than darker patterns. Go with moderate to fast retrieves with pauses in line strips every now and then.  A wide variety of lines are working, including floating lines, full sinking or hover lines, and sinking tips – 7ft to 12ft in length – in the INT to 8ips range.

Green and New Fork Rivers

The Green and its tributaries continue to experience intermittent emergences of PMDs in the early afternoon and micro caddis and chironomids in the early morning hours.  Grasshopper are out strong and will be heard and seen around 11am.  Water temps are an issue – over 69 degrees most days and 70 degrees some days – so an early start is important with fishing coming to an end by 2 pm.  Surface action  has been good in riffles, eddies, and seams.  Faster currents are producing best.  Despite the fact that it is mostly small bugs on the water, there can be just as good or better action on moderately sized attractors. 

Streamers are worth fishing along submerged structure, eddies, and at the head of riffles.  Smaller to moderately sized imitations are outproducing larger ones.  Go with faster retrieves and fish floating lines primarily.

Salt River

Water temperatures remain nice and cool on the Salt but flows are low and we might see them tick up as we go into late summer.  Hatches are waning, but expect to see some caddis, PMDs, and yellow sallies bouncing around, as well as terrestrials like grasshoppers, beetles, and carpenter ants.  Surface action remains respectable in the morning until around 2pm, after which production swings strongly towards nymphs and small streamers.  Riffles, troughs, seams and eddies are all worth targeting.  Non-descript water is also worth hitting if foam lines and submerged structure are detectable.