Current Conditions
Current snowpack in the Weber Ogden drainage is sitting at 77 percent of normal.
Releases out of Rockport reservoir are currently at 24.4 CFS
Releases out of Echo reservoir are currently at .6 CFS.
River flows by Mountain Green are at approximately 70.6 CFS.
Generally speaking most of Utah’s small streams are inaccessible in the winter months due to snow.
We currently are sitting on a statewide snowpack that is between 70 and 111 percent of normal. Therefore some areas are more accessible for winter angling opportunities than usual.
I have not ventured out to any small streams recently, but I’d expect to see some midge or early baetis activity if you were to go searching for some solitude.
From the Bureau of Reclamation:
“As of February 4, 2022, Flaming Gorge Reservoir pool elevation is 6017.75 feet, which amounts to 77 percent of live storage capacity. Unregulated inflow volume for the month of January is approximately 33,000 acre-feet (af), which is 82 percent of the average January unregulated inflow volume.
The winter base flow period started on December 1, a +/-25 percent base flow period. Winter average daily releases are planned to meet dry hydrologic condition targets in Reach 2 (900 cfs to 1,100 cfs includes flows from the Yampa River). The daily average release of approximately 850 cfs is planned to be maintained through February.
The February forecast for unregulated inflows into Flaming Gorge for the next three months projects below average conditions. February, March, and April forecasted unregulated inflow volumes amount to 31,000 af (68 percent of average), 77,000 af (73 percent of average), and 95,000 af (76 percent of average), respectively..”
What this means:
Current daytime releases out of Flaming Gorge Reservoir are at 867 CFS. River temperatures are approximately 38.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Current snowpack in the Upper Green River Drainage is sitting at 83 percent of normal. Current snowpack in the Lower Green River Drainage is sitting at 88 percent of normal.
There is some midge and some mayfly activity, but winter on the Green is all about the streamer fishing. With the lower flows I have been using lighter sink tips or you can even get away with a floating line. Black, gray, and ginger have been my go to colors lately. Winter streamer patterns that I like are the peanut envy, gonga, dungeons, and sculpzillas.
The snowpack in the Provo River Drainage is currently sitting between 74 and 94 percent of normal.
Dam releases below Jordanelle Reservoir are at 147 CFS. Flows in Charleston are at 164 CFS. Flows below Deer Creek Reservoir are at 107 CFS.
When fishing the Provo River during the winter months look for fish in the slower, deeper runs. The best time to fish is during the warmest part of the day (10 AM to 2:30 PM). Depending on the day you can see decent midge activity and may find some rising fish.
Think small. Have a decent selection of small midges in the 20-26 size range. When nymphing, I like bling midges, cardinal midges, blood midges, WD 40’s, etc. Gray, brown, and red have been my go to colors. Expect very light takes when nymphing. For dry flies, I’ll use small mother shuckers, Matt’s midge, or a cluster midge all in that size 20-24 range.
Don’t be afraid to try streamers. Try slow stripping a sculpzilla or woolly bugger in some of the deeper holes. You might be rewarded with a substantial fish.
