The Last Report Of A Dry-Wet-Dry May

Snake River

Flows from Jackson Lake Dam stand at 2,500cfs.  Runoff on the Snake continues, leaving the tailwater reach from the Dam down to Pacific Creek the sections with the most viable and consistent action.

  Midges are popping throughout the day with BWOs added to the mix on those days with cool and wet weather.  Water temps are ranging from a low of 39 degrees in the morning to a high of 46 degrees.  Expect releases to drop the high water temp down to 42 degrees, although the low has consistently been around 39 degrees no matter what the releases have been.

Surface action has been sporadic at best.  However, midges and BWOs can emerge in stronger numbers with cool air temps and precipitation.  Nonetheless, there is more consistency subsurface with nymph rigs and streamers.  Nymphs are producing best in the lower half of the water column when targeting eddies and seams.  Streamers have been working throughout the reach of river but really shine in the Dead Sea downstream of Oxbow Bend.  As has been the case since runoff commenced, floating lines, hover lines, and short sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range is the best approach.  Go with slow retrieves and small to moderately sized imitations.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir have ramped down and currently stand at just over 10,000cfs.  This has been a decent May so far despite water temps and flow levels.  Almost all the action has been subsurface with nymph rigs on the upper reaches and both nymphs and streamers on the lower reaches below Wolverine.  Nymph rigs are working best in riffle pools, along seams and eddy current margins, at the tail of side channels, and along banks and structure with slow to moderate currents.  Larger stonefly imitations, cdc soft hackle patterns, and midge imitations are producing equally well on all sections of the South Fork.  Going deep – lower half to third of the water column is the best approach.

Streamers have been working well from Byington down to Menan when targeting parallel drop-offs, confluences with slow currents, side channels, seam tails, and banks with slower currents.  Go with larger to moderately sized patterns fished on full sink INT lines or sinking tips in the 3ips to 8ips range.  Slow retrieves are key, as is targeting slower currents.  Pausing your retrieves sporadically in slow water can reap dividends.

Henry’s Fork

The Henry’s Fork remains a solid choice at the moment.  Although experiencing a lot of congestion, The Hank is also exhibiting good emergences of caddis and salmon flies, the latter of which is working its way slowly up the lower reaches below Warm River.  While the Falls River still has some sediment coming in from runoff, Warm River is showing noticeable clearing.  Surface action has been solid for at least a few hours each day when targeting seams, eddies, riffles, submerged structure, overhanging vegetations, and banks.  Dry-dropper rigs are working in the same water but have been especially effective in riffle pools, seam tails, and eddy current margins.

Streamers are still producing as well as they have over the past month and a half with both larger and moderately sized patterns performing equally well.  Fish these on floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range (either shorter heads in the 7 ft range or longer 12 ft heads).  Target banks, submerged structure, seams, and riffle tails.