Lots of Respectable Options During Runoff

Snake River

The Snake is receding and flows from Jackson Lake Dam stand at 3,800cfs. The tailwater reach has substantial visibility and is fishing well with dry flies and nymph rigs on eddy current seams and in riffles from the early morning hours until around 3pm. Streamers continue to work best on the lower piece of the tailwater reach from the Oxbow down to Pacific Creek. Moderately sized and larger baitfish imitations are working equally well. Go with slow to moderate retrieves with smaller imitations and faster ones with larger, articulated patterns.

Below Pacific Creek, visibility is reduced but there can still be a bit of action on large and dark streamers as well as double nymphs rigs and dry-dropper rigs. Streamers should be fished tight to banks and structure on floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range. Dropper Rigs are best fished with four to six feet of dropper tippets, while double nymph rigs can and should be fished in the six to nine foot range. Target Dumping and sweeping riffles, seams, and troughs.

Dry Flies – Mary Kays, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Parachute Adams, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Stimulators, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Booty’s DL Cripples, and Film Critics.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, 20-Inchers, Kaufmann’s Stone, San Juan Worms, Squirmy Wormies, Duracells, Rabid Squirrels, Lightening Bugs, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Two-Bit Hookers, Perdigons, and Zebra Midges.

Streamers – Galloup’s Boogeyman, Galloup’s Bottoms Up, Sundell’s Night Fire, Sundell’s Moss Fire, Silvey Sculpins. Booty’s Tri-Bunny, SRA Double Bunnies, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Lite Brite Zonkers, and Kreelux.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir currently stand at approximately 13,200cfs and the South Fork is starting to fish pretty solid. All reaches are fishing well with nymph rigs when targeting riffles, riffle pools, seams, and banks. Dry-dropper rigs can be effective after 12pm in riffles and seams. Dry flies are producing in riffles and shallow seams during the mid-afternoon hours on the in the lower canyon and the lower river below Byington.

With water temps warming noticeably are working throughout the drainage but especially on the lower river from Cottonwood down to Lorenzo. Intermediate sinking lines and sinking tips in the INT to 6ips range is the best way to go when using steady, moderate retrieves. Both large and moderately sized baitfish imitations are working equally well.

Dry Flies – Circus Peanuts, Mary Kays, Bean’s Orange Crush, Parachute Adams, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Booty’s DL Cripple, Film Critics, Parachute Midges, CDC Midge Emergers, and Bubblehead Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Deep Cleaner Stones, San Juan Worms, Peach Fuzz Jigs, Duracells, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Bubbleback Pheasant Tails, Lightening Bugs, Perdigons, Zebra Midges, and Ice Cream Cone Midges.

Streamers – Galloup’s Boogeyman, Sundell’s Nightfire, Silvey’s Sculpin, Swim Coaches, SRA Double Bunnies, Booty Call Minnows, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, and Kreelux.

Green River

Flows at Warren Bridge currently stand around 1600cfs and the Green is on a fast descent. Visibility is limiting at the moment and the best fishing currently is between the lakes and the Forest Service boundary. There have been an impressive amount of salmon flies out on the upper river above Warren Bridge. Caddis still dominate the scene on most reaches. Fishing is challenging but there are fish to be had on streamers and dry-dropper rigs. Streamers should be targeted towards banks and structure primarily. Use floating lines and INT tips and go with moderate retrieves. Darker patterns are outperforming brighter ones. Surface action has been primarily on larger attractor patterns in riffles and seams.

Dry flies – Circus Peanuts, Purple Bruces, Snake River Water Walkers, Rubber Legged Double Humpies, and Chubby Chernobyls.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, San Juan Worms, Duracells, Nymph Formerly Known as Prince, and Flashback Rubber Legged Hares Ear Nymphs.

Streamers – Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Silvey Sculpins, Booty’s Quad Bunny, Dali Llamas, Keller’s Nightmare, and Booty Call Minnows.

Salt River

The Salt is in descent and there is around 12” to 15” of visibility on most reaches. There is a smattering of stoneflies out and, as on the South Fork and the Green, caddis dominate the surface scene. PMDs and yellow sallies are also making a routine appearance most days (the former can be heavy on days with cloud cover). Look for a few to several alloperla golden stones on the water as well on the lower reaches below Etna. Surface action is best on days with cloud cover with PMD imitations and larger attractor patterns. Seams are fishing best with both dry flies and dry-dropper rigs. Eddies are a close second. Riffles are a distant third. The best surface action is occurring from approximately 11am to 3pm.

Dry Flies – Mary Kays, Purple Bruces, Circus Peanuts, Winged Peanuts, Parachute Adams, Purple Hazes, Parachuted Extended Body PMDs, and Film Critics.

Nymphs – Peach Fuzz Jigs, Rabid Squirrels, Duracells, Batmen, Flashback Rubber Legged Hares Ear Nymphs, and Flashback Pheasant Tails.

Yellowstone National Park

Firehole River – Decent fishing on the Firehole with caddis continuing to emerge most days from mid-morning until mid-afternoon. Yellow sallies and PMDs are also around. Riffles remain the prime water to target with dries and dry-dropper rigs. Seams and undercut banks in deep water are also worth hitting with small Woolley Buggers and weighted soft hackle patterns.

Lewis Lake – with ice coming off early, it is safe to say that we are now in post-ice off now that it is mid-June. Drop-offs are by far the most productive water to hit with most eats occurring in the four to six foot piece of the water column. Moderate retrieves and pauses are key. Some eats are occurring on the decent between pauses. Surface action is occurring from around 11:30pm to 3:30pm and it is rather impressive for this time of year. Drakes are the main fare, although midges and callibaetis are also present on days with cloud cover.

Yellowstone Lake – Flats are fishing good with small baitfish imitations (almost exclusively it seems at times). Not necessarily lots of numbers but solid size. Use hover and intermediate sinking lines and vary up you retrieves between rapid and moderate speeds. Moderate speed retrieves with long line strips seems to dominate the production.

Snake and Lewis Rivers – The Snake is clearing and dropping fast and the Lewis is crystal clear (as usual). A fair amount of caddis around but also an impressive amount of salmon flies and yellos sallies. There is good action with dry attractors, yellow sally imitations, and PMDs. Soft hackle nymphs are working better than anything else. Riffles, confluences, and submerged structure is the best water to target with dry flies. Nymphs being fished as part of a dry-dropper rig are working the just as well in the same water.