Green River Fishing Report

From the Bureau of Reclamation:

As of June 5, 2025 (end of day), Flaming Gorge Reservoir pool elevation is 6028.09 feet, which amounts to 87 percent of live storage capacity. Unregulated inflow volume for the month of May is approximately 157,000 acre-feet (af), which is 63 percent of the average unregulated inflow volume.

Current average daily release is approximately 1,100 cfs, pending hydrology.

Small Mouth Bass Flow Spike -- The Small Mouth Bass Flow Spike release will be beginning on June 16th and end June 20th. The flow spike will consist of one day ramp up to full power plant capacity (~4,600 cfs) for 72 hours with a ramp down rate of 2,000 cfs/day.

Water will be colder than usual and will run high and swift. These conditions can quickly overcome even the strongest swimmer.

This release plan is subject to change depending on evolving river and weather forecasts. Those recreating on, working around, or traveling to the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam should monitor river conditions.

Forecasted (tentative and subject to change) hourly release schedules can be found by visiting the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center (CBRFC) at this website:  CBRFC Reservoir Outflow Hydrograph

Please note that the CBRFC data is in Zulu time, which is 6 hours later than MDT. For example, 6 pm Zulu (Z) is 12 pm MDT.

The June unregulated inflow forecast into Flaming Gorge for the next three months projects much below average conditions. June, July, and August forecasted unregulated inflow volumes are 270,000 af (69 percent of average), 89,000 af (44 percent of average), and 50,000 af (69 percent of average), respectively.

The June water supply forecast of the April through July unregulated inflow volume into Flaming Gorge Reservoir is 625,000 acre-feet (65 percent of average). Current snowpack is 73 percent of median for the Upper Green Basin.

To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Flaming Gorge Reservoir Data.”

What this means:

Currently, Flaming Gorge Reservoir is operating a daily average release of 1,100 CFS. To achieve this flow the Bureau is releasing 890 CFS of water from 12:30 AM to 4:30 PM, between 4:30 PM and 12:30 AM the flows are increased to 2,440 CFS. Between June 16 and June 20 flows will be increased to 4,600 CFS. After that it looks like flows will go back to the 1,100 CFS daily average. Water temperatures are currently hovering around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are still a few patches of blue wings on the water, but they are mainly finished for the Spring. We are hearing cicadas in the trees, but not many have made it to the water just quite yet. With the warming daily temperatures they will become more and more active. Fish are still keying in on ants more than cicadas on the surface. Early in the morning there is an abundance of small midges and some mayflies hatching. I have seen pale morning duns, caddis, and some yellow sallies sporadically hatching as well.

Red Creek is running low and clear. With the extended high pressure setting in, the lower river should be clear and fishable for the foreseeable future.