Southwest Wyoming Fishing Report

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, The Wyoming Department of Health finds it necessary to protect the health of the public by implementing emergency measures to close all restaurants, bars, theaters, gymnasiums, child care facilities, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and trade schools, in the State of Wyoming, through April 17, 2020.

There are some signs of Spring making their way into Southwestern Wyoming. Some of these signs include melting snow, mud, and run off on the warmer days. If you are going to head this way, dress warm and expect to still find frozen guides throughout the early morning hours. If you are wade fishing be mindful of where you are driving. Icy and snowy roads in the morning can become mud pits in the afternoon. Flows below Fontenelle Reservoir are around 1,030 CFS. Snowpack in the Upper Green River drainage is currently sitting at 105 percent of normal and 114 percent of normal in the Lower Green River drainage.

With the warming temperatures, expect the Green River to start turning off color from Slate Creek down. River temperatures are still quite cold so think scuds and midges if you are nymphing. Expect fish to be holding in drop offs and deep seams. Some Baetis are starting to show up, but they won’t be of much significance for a few more weeks. Streamer fishing has been decent. White and gold, ginger, olive and copper, and black have been my go to colors up North.

Provo River Fishing Report

Due to COVID-19, Utahns are expected to stay home whenever possible. The directive includes specific instructions for all individuals, as well as high-risk individuals (60 years and older and those with serious underlying medical conditions), and children. The directives regarding hygiene, gatherings, travel, and outdoor recreation are effective immediately.

According to the State of Utah, traveling to engage in recreational and outdoor activities is considered essential travel, therefore I am updating our fishing reports. Wasatch County has issued the same stay at home order as the rest of the state, BUT recreational visitors may not come and recreate in Wasatch County, including for outdoor recreation and camping. This order is to remain in effect until April 14, 2020.

Releases from Jordanelle Reservoir are at 145 CFS. At Charleston the river is flowing at 167 CFS. Below Deer Creek Reservoir the flows are at 268 CFS.  FYI, the Provo River Water Users Association will be increasing flows from Deer Creek dam to test a new valve on the dam. Testing of the valve will begin on April 6 and last until April 12. Each morning, flows downstream of the dam will begin increasing slowly at 5% increments throughout each day and will not be increased more than 100 cfs (cubic feet per second) per hour. River flows are currently at around 250 cfs and will increase up to 850 cfs each afternoon. Please use caution during this period. River temperatures are currently around 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Snowpack in the Provo River drainage is currently sitting at 103 percent of average.

Due to warming temperatures the Upper Provo and parts of the Middle and Lower Provo can turn cloudy with runoff throughout the late morning and into the afternoon hours.

Look for midge and Baetis activity during the middle of the day. Depending on the conditions and hatch that day, the dry fly fishing can be great between 9 AM and 5 PM. High pressure days or storm days have produced the best fishing. Days with a dropping barometric pressure have produced the most difficult fishing conditions. The nymphing has started to heat up considerably. When the midge and Baetis hatch goes off the fish will be very active. If there is no hatch, the streamer fishing can be decent this time of the year.

When fishing the Provo, have small sow bugs (18-20), bling midge (22-26), cardinal midge (22-26), zebra midge (18-22), buckskin caddis (18), prince nymph (18), Baetis nymphs (18-22), and pheasant tail (18-22). For dries, have a few small midges like the Mother Shucker in gray or black (20-24) and some Baetis dry flies (18-22).

Weber River Fishing Report

Due to COVID-19, Utahns are expected to stay home whenever possible. The directive includes specific instructions for all individuals, as well as high-risk individuals (60 years and older and those with serious underlying medical conditions), and children. The directives regarding hygiene, gatherings, travel, and outdoor recreation are effective immediately.

According to the State of Utah, traveling to engage in recreational and outdoor activities is considered essential travel, therefore I am updating our fishing reports. Morgan and Weber County have both issued the same stay at home order that the State of Utah has issued. Summit County is currently not allowing recreational visitors to visit the county for any sort of outdoor recreation or camping.

Spring is here and the days are much warmer than they have been. This has been making the fish a whole lot happier. Above Rockport Reservoir, the Weber is beginning to open up and flows are around 81 CFS, but be mindful that the daytime heat can cause snow to melt and the river to become cloudy with runoff as the day progresses. Water releases from Rockport Reservoir are at 162 CFS. By Coalville the river is flowing at 218 CFS. Below Echo Reservoir the Weber is flowing at 230 CFS. The river is flowing at 525 CFS along I 84 near Mountain Green and at 497 CFS once it gets to Ogden. Current snowpack in the Weber River Drainage is sitting at 99 percent of normal.

Flows along the Weber River are great for fishing right now, making it a viable option to sneak away from the crowds on the Provo River. You might not see a midge hatch or Baetis hatch as thick as you can find elsewhere, but you will find a lot more solitude.

If you are fishing the Weber, bring sow bugs (16-18), zebra midges (18-22), other assorted midges (18-24), Baetis nymphs (18-20), caddis larva (16-18), and some small streamers like a Zonker or Sculpzilla in white, olive, or black.

Small Stream Fishing Report

Due to COVID-19, Utahns are expected to stay home whenever possible. The directive includes specific instructions for all individuals, as well as high-risk individuals (60 years and older and those with serious underlying medical conditions), and children. The directives regarding hygiene, gatherings, travel, and outdoor recreation are effective immediately.

According to the State of Utah, traveling to engage in recreational and outdoor activities is considered essential travel, therefore I am updating our fishing reports.

With Spring making its way into Utah, it is time to test out some of our smaller fisheries. With the warming temperatures, expect runoff to make freestone streams cloudy and unfishable as the day progresses. If you are headed to a freestone, plan to go early or on a colder day. Access to a lot our smaller tailwater and freestone rivers will also be limited because of snow. With that being said, there are some areas in Northern, Central, and Southern Utah that are accessible to fish. Look for fisheries with paved access if you are planning on venturing out and let someone know where you are planning on going incase you are headed somewhere without cell service

The high pressure has broken and storms have been making their way through. Check the weather before venturing out to remote areas. Snowpacks are still sitting around 100 percent of normal across the state.

When venturing out on Utah’s small streams in the early season, it is good to have a variety of flies in your arsenal. Depending on where you are at you might find midges, blue wings, Skwalla Stones, or even an early caddis hatch. Being runoff season, fish will also be willing to eat a San Juan Worm. If you aren’t productive with any of those flies, try to swing a streamer through some of the deeper runs.