The Final Report Of A Finally Wet February
Snake River A little wetter and colder over the past two weeks, which has brought fishing conditions a wee bit closer to “normal conditions” for this time of winter. Midges are the name of the game and begin to pop around noon each day and last until around 3pm (but can go past 4pm). We are starting to see our first tiny brown stones of the year, with most being observed on the banks and not necessarily on the surface. Decent fishing – both on the surface and with nymph ri
A Back-&-Forth With Precip and Temps
Snake River As mentioned in previous reports, cooler days over the past three months or so have been more productive than warmer days, and we have had a lot of the latter. We may have finally crossed the threshold over the past two weeks where warm days are now starting to fish better. The best action is occurring in ledge rock pools, eddies, and along seams. There is also a fair amount of surface action in currents with fast to moderate speeds. Be prepared to change the
The Heart Of Winter Is Upon Us In Snake River Country
Snake River Eddies and ledge rock pools remain the best water to target with nymph rigs and dry flies. The sweet spot has been in a tight window from between noon and 2 PM most days. Midge imitations and soft hackle patterns have been effective below the surface with midge adult and midge cluster patterns working best on the surface and in noticeably faster and deeper currents (much of which is out of range for most casters). There are times when a decent amount of action
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
