The classic sport of summer, fly fishing in Jackson Hole means angling on a multitude of the finest blue-ribbon trout streams and river stretches in the world. The fishing seasons begins in April and runs through the entire spring, summer and autumn seasons, ending in November. Cutthroat trout abound along with Rainbow and German Brown species available on other streams within our vast fishing resource.
Jackson Hole is at the heart of Western Fly Fishing; from local rivers like the Snake, South Fork and Green, to the regions blue ribbon waters of Yellowstone, Idaho and Montana.
The Snake River
The Snake River is home water in Jackson Hole and it’s the ideal fishery for anglers of all ability levels. The fishery is healthy, with strong numbers of native Finespot Cutthroat Trout. The average size fish is 8″ – 14″, with many fish over 16″ and a surprising number in the 20″ range. The beginning angler will have plenty of opportunities to hook up and battle trout in all size ranges, while getting the big ‘yellow bellies’ to pose for a picture takes some extra skill.
There are over 80 miles of fishable river between Jackson Lake Dam and the end of the canyon at Palisades Reservoir. The upper stretch flows approximately 35 miles through Grand Teton National Park and offers some of the most majestic scenery imaginable. The lower river, from Moose down into the Snake River Canyon, has many different characteristics, lots of side channels, and consistent fishing. While there are good hatches at times during the year that require “matching the hatch”, the Snake is the perfect “attractor” pattern dry fly river. The best months to fish are after run-off in July, then August, September and October. Fishing can also be good in April before run-off begins.
Fishing the Snake from a drift boat is the most productive way to cover the river, but there are also many good wading accesses as well. Local fly shops can book you with a professional guide, or point you in the right direction to fish on your own.
The South Fork
Flowing out of Palisades Reservoir in Swan Valley, less than an hour drive from Jackson Hole, the South Fork of the Snake River begins as a wide, tree-lined single channel. This is a diverse river, with abundant hatches for mayflies, caddis, stoneflies and midges. From sight-fishing to trout in the shallow riffles with small PMD’s and caddis to twitching big hoppers and stoneflies along the banks, the South Fork offers all types of fishing for Cutthroat, Rainbows, and Browns.
Below Irwin the broad river begins to braid with side channels that provide great fishing in the riffles. The canyon stretch is 26 miles of stunning wilderness, and provides overnight camp-out options. Some seriously big brown trout call this section of river home.
Notable hatches include the large salmon fly hatch around the first of July, then PMDs and golden stones a week later, followed by swarms of caddis. Hoppers and other terrestrials turn on toward the end of July. Fall fishing can be spectacular as well, especially in the canyon stretches.
Local fly shops can book you with a professional guide, or point you in the right direction to fish on your own.
The Pinedale Area
About an hour south of Jackson Hole, the Pinedale area is home to many streams and lakes. The highlights are the Green River and the New Fork.
The Green River is a fun river for anglers of all abilities, while the New Fork is for the more seasoned anglers, and 18 hour days are not uncommon on the New Fork. These lesser known fisheries offer some of the best Brown Trout fishing in the region, along with good populations of Cutthroat, Rainbow and Brook Trout.
The Green is a much smaller river than the Snake, and it serpentines through the high plains beneath the Wind River Mountains. From the Warren Bridge on down it is necessary to fish out of a drift boat. Above the Warren Bridge there are a dozen numbered access points for wade fishing or floating. These upper stretches also offer excellent camping sites.
The season on the Green can begin a month prior to the water clearing on the Snake, around mid-June, and it provides a good mix of attractor pattern dry fly action, matching the hatch, and streamer fishing. Look for the Grey Drake hatch around July 10. When this hatch happens, all the big browns in the river are up feeding on top.
Local fly shops can book you with a professional guide, or point you in the right direction to fish on your own.
Yellowstone National Park
An hour drive north from Jackson Hole, through Grand Teton National Park, brings you to the South Entrance to Yellowstone. There is no “best” time to fish Yellowstone Park. Each month of the season offers its own style of best fishing. From the season opener in late May through the end of June, the best places to fish are the Firehole, Gibbon, Madison, and Lewis Rivers, and both Yellowstone and Trout Lakes, when they open on June 1st.
The first river to clear from snowmelt is the Firehole; it’s often the only game in the Park on the opening Memorial Day weekend. The Firehole offers dry-fly fishing during afternoon mayfly hatches and continues to do so until the end of June. By the second week of June, the Gibbon and Madison Rivers drop and clear, and the ice comes off Yellowstone Lake. By July 4, most Park rivers are fishable.
Insect hatches are at their peak in July, and this is a prime time for dry-fly fishers. The Firehole and Madison Rivers are two exceptions, however, because a combination of thermal water and summer heat raises their water temperatures into the 80s. Fishing is slow on these two rivers until water temperatures drop in early September. July and August are the fair-weather months, with the most consistent hatches and favorable stream conditions.
August is the best time for lake fishing, and the ideal time to fish the backcountry lakes as the mosquitoes and biting flies thin. All rivers except the Firehole and Madison continue to fish well through the month. Terrestrials play an increasingly important role in the trout diet. Imitations of grasshoppers, ants, crickets, and beetles are a mainstay in the angler’s arsenal until the end of the season.
During the late season, September and October, only a few hatches remain. The big Green Drakes appear on the Lamar River and Slough Creek, along with Blue-Winged Olives and midges. The Firehole and Madison Rivers become fishable again and produce hatches of BWOs and midges. October is the best month to come if you want to catch the large migrating fish in the Madison and Lewis Rivers. As spawning time approaches and the weather becomes more winter-like, these big trout become aggressive and territorial, attacking baitfish imitations and other large streamer flies.
Local fly shops, especially in West Yellowstone, can book you with a professional guide, or point you in the right direction to fish on your own.
The Henry’s Fork
About a 90 minute drive west of Jackson Hole, The Henry’s Fork is one of the most famous and storied rivers in the West. With over fifty miles of compelling and varied water, an angler can spend days without fishing the same stretch and constantly experience different angling situations that require a keen eye and problem solving methodology to be successful. While beginners can have success at times, this is a river made to challenge anglers.
Beginning north of Last Chance, The Box Canyon is three miles of swift boulder strewn pocket water. This beautiful stretch is rich in stonefly and mayfly nymphs, caddis pupa, and sculpins. It is home to notably fat and powerful Rainbow Trout. The nymphing angler can enjoy days catching great numbers of fish of all sizes. Those looking to target large fish with streamers will enjoy a float down the canyon. At certain times of the year anglers are treated to dry fly action in “The Box” as salmon fly, golden stone, caddis and grass hopper imitations invoke explosive strikes.
Harriman State Park
Beginning at Last Chance, Harriman State Park offers classic spring creek-like water that flows clean and clear from opening day on June 15. This sanctuary protects a diversity of birds and mammals similar to that of nearby Yellowstone National Park. Also known as the Railroad Ranch, this is as captivating and technical a stretch of water as you will find anywhere in the world. The river slows down to a silky crawl as it enters The Ranch. Most of this area is easily waded and its openness affords unobstructed casting. The slow water stretches of the Henry’s Fork are so rich in quantity and diversity of aquatic insect life that the trout don’t need to be opportunistic. Instead resident Rainbows have the luxury of much more food passing by than they could possibly consume. A fish that eats a small percentage of the natural insects it sees is very difficult to coax to an artificial offering. To complicate matters, several different insect hatches often occur simultaneously. Individual fish, in turn, key in on specific stages of specific species of insects. Proper fly selection, based on careful observation, is critical.
Local fly shops, especially in Last Chance, can book you with a professional guide, or point you in the right direction to fish on your own.
Below Mesa Falls, the Lower River spans from Warm River to the confluence with the South Fork. Here anglers will find more forgiving fishing options combined with Ranch-like technical waters. The Warm River to Ashton float combines some of the region’s best scenery with fun fishing for plentiful Rainbow and Brown Trout. The tailwater stretch below the Ashton Dam to the Chester Dam is only about an hour from Jackson Hole. The water is varied with riffles, runs, pools, and islands adding character as it flows through green farmland. It fishes best in the early and late seasons, and is one of the region’s best options in March and April.
For more information, please contact Ken W. Gangwer.