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The 1st Report of 2026

South Fork Snake River Decent fishing is being had in ledge rock pools and eddies with double/triple nymph rigs, and this is almost exclusively. Riffle pools and seams are offering very limited action at the moment. Despite warmer than usual water temps, fish in eddies and ledgerock pools have been holding deep, so think about going anywhere from seven to over ten feet from your trailing fly to you line/suspension device. Surface action is occurring in the afternoon in the

December Transition Brings Much-Needed Snow To High Country

Snake River We started the first half of December warm and dry, now we are warm and wet. Despite comfortable conditions, there has been a lot of inconsistency on the Snake and some days you will have to work for them, which means going deep in ledge rock pools and eddies. Other days, there will be surface action in eddies, seams, and ledge rock troughs. If using dries, cdc winged midge emergers and parachute are the best way to go. If going subsurface with nymphs, rely on

Heading Into The Last Month Of 2025

Snake River Surface on midges has been inconsistent from day to day but is strongest on those days with precipitation and cloud cover for anywhere from two to three hours and almost exclusively in riffles and ledge rock pools. Nymphs are producing throughout the day with the sweet spot being from around 11:30 am to 4 pm. Riffles, eddies, confluences with slow to moderate currents, and ledge rock pools are key waters to target. Keep your leader/tippet rather short- three to

The Late November Report

Snake River We are creeping into the cooler time of the season with winter just around the corner. The most consistent activity for native cutthroat starts close to noon with some surface action starting around 1pm. Nymphs fished shallow – two to three feet of tippet from lead fly to suspension device - it getting into fish on shallow riffles and riffle pools, troughs, ledge rock pools, and seams. Dry fly action has been almost exclusively on midge emergers and adult patt

Variable Weather And Fishing So Far This November

Snake River Low flows and gin clear water on every reach of the Snake at the moment. BWOs and chironomids are the primary bugs on the water, with the former occurring primarily on cooler, wetter days. Look for them to be out in a short window from around 2pm until 5pm. Chironomids can be out as early as 10:30am. The best surface action has been at the head of riffles, ledge rock pools, eddies, and side channels. Nymphs are producing in the same water with chironomid, may

Fishing The Lake Runs

Note - An edited version of this piece appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of The Drake Magazine I love autumn. In my part of the world, it’s the time of year when maddening summer crowds finally dissipate and air temperatures turn from scorching to crisp. Foliage displays rich, light hues reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell New England Thanksgiving painting. Mountain bike trails are cool – if not downright cold – even in those open spaces devoid of vegetation. Wildlife is robust

First Report Of November

Snake River A lot of back and forth with weather – some days are cool with rain (and sometimes snow) and other days being pleasant and sunny. Midges are popping most days, as are BWOs and some leftover October caddis. Much of the surface action is occurring from around noon until 4:30 pm, although some days it doesn’t start until 1pm. The best production is occurring in ledge rock pools, side channels, eddy current margins, and seams. These are good places to fish with ny

October At Its Best In Wydaho

Byron With A Lewis Lake Brown Snake River Not exceptional hatches over the past 10 days, but we have seen a smattering of BWOs and mahogany duns after 12:30pm and there have been a couple of October caddis most days. Despite the lack of emergences, surface action has been decent to good, although fishing a dropper along with a moderately-sized attractor is getting into just as many fish. Key water to focus on include riffles, seams, eddies, and banks with woody debris. Slo

The Mid-October Report

Flows from Jackson Lake Dam are lower than what is shown here. But the landscape is just as gorgeous. Snake River Most of the consistent surface action is occurring on the lower reaches from Wilson Bridge down to Sheep Gulch. Mahogany duns, BWOs, and a smattering of October caddis (a few each day) are the primary fare on the water, with the productive hours coming from around 11:30am and finishing up around 5pm. Expect intensified action on wetter, cloudier days. CDC soft