The Wood and other rivers continue to drop and are becoming fishable in select areas. Expect more and more fishable water on a daily basis. Clearing water may still be accompanied by quick flows, so exercise extreme caution when fishing any of our freestone waters in the next few weeks.

Silver Creek

The Creek is still fishing well on a day to day basis. The Baetis hatches have been strong on most mornings, but the duration of the activity is really affected by the wind and air temperatures. P.M.D, Callibaetis and Baetis are all still the main players and with the hot weather expected in the next few days, it may be time to start making sure your fly box is stocked with a few good Trico patterns. We may still be weeks away from significant activity, but we have seen good spinner falls around the 4th of July in the past. Caddis are still active on the Creeks lower reaches and of course a Beetle or Ant are effective up and down the river.

Big Wood River

The Wood is coming into a slightly fishable state. The waters north of town look good and some of the braided sections are wadable. Anglers have seen Green Drakes and a few stoneflies about, and this activity should really begin to increase daily as the water drops. Make sure you have some big bushy dry flies in your box, like Stimulators and Green Drake patterns. Fish are more than ready to take some big beaded nymphs as well. Look into fishing the slowest water you can find and really concentrate on the side channels. Please be careful though as one misstep can ruin your day. It is also advised to leave your fishing dog at home when fishing the Wood, at least for the next few weeks, for safeties sake.

Lost River

The river below Mackay Dam is still at a high flow and is not a fishery really worth driving to at this point.

Little Wood River

With the Big Wood starting to clear and take shape, we expect the Little Wood to follow the same course. Fair fishing for smallish fish can be found below the Silver Creek confluence and the water above the reservoir could start fishing really soon, although we have no reports of anyone trying this fishery just yet.

South Fork of the Boise

If you want to see so many bugs it will make you rethink fly-fishing, then check out the afternoon/evening Caddis activity on the SF of the B. The best fishing is in the morning hours before the bugs fill the water stratus and give the fish just too many choices. Look at the softest seams you can find for big sipping Rainbows! You can also expect to see a few Pink Alberts already, and the beginning of the Salmonfly activity this week.

Magic Reservoir

Magic continues to fish superbly on most days when the wind is down. Many anglers are taking advantage of this rare fishery and having the best days of their season still. A few Buggers and Zug Bugs are all you need. A Staynard Duck Tail and Prince Nymphs are also effective. Expect to see a lot of Damsel activity in the near future as well.

The Brown Drake has all but petered out on the Creek, the Wood continues to run-off and the South Fork and Lost River tailwaters are running really high. So where is the good news? The Creek is starting to show strong hatches and spinner falls on the right day, Magic Reservoir is fishing better for fly anglers than it has in 6 or 7 years and the area rivers should begin to clear soon, opening up a plethora of new and unique fishing opportunities!

Silver Creek

“Graduate School” is beginning to show its colors as P.M.D., Baetis and a few Callibaetis hatches and spinner falls have led to some fantastic fishing for those in the right place at the right time. The weather is dictating the timing of the hatches and the most effective method to find great dry fly fishing is to hang out all day and explore from Picabo to the Conservancy. The lower waters are showing increasing Caddis activity and the upper stretches are where the bulk of the Mayflies can be found. Fish the Caddis on the lower Creek early and late, and fish the Mayfly activity throughout the late morning and afternoon. If the fish aren’t working on hatches try searching the water with Beetles, Ants, Green Drake and Damsel dry flies.

Big Wood River

Despite the continued high water and the mud, the Wood is creeping ever closer to its median flow for this time of year. A few spikes on the hottest days are bringing it up, but the ongoing trend is a falling river. Another 10 to 14 days and we should have a fishery. An angler can get prepared by filling fly boxes with big Stimulators, Chernobyl Ants and Stoneflies and some nice bead head droppers to fish under them. The Green Drake Epoxy Back with a bead or a big beaded Prince Nymph are great choices.

Little Wood River

The Little Wood is also creeping closer to its median flow as well. When the Big Wood clears the Little Wood should follow suit and be a fantastic fishery. Expect to see prominent Golden Stone activity when this happens.

Lost River

It will be sometime before we get any real fishing below the Mackay Dam.

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

Wait for the Big Wood to come into shape before you think about these waters. Even then, they could be two weeks out form being wadable.

South Fork of the Boise

The river is running 3500 CFS which is a boatable flow for experienced drift boat anglers. Take your Salmon Flies and cross your fingers that you time this hatch. Expect changes in the river and be heads-up if you float here. Things will have definitely changed with the high water the past few weeks. Check the flows before you go as they have been changing often and could get pumped right back up if the reservoir gets topped off.

Enjoy the fishing we have. Continue to make the Wood River Valley the friendliest place to fish in the West, and get ready for one incredible summer of fishing!

Synopsis

A week of the Brown Drake hatches and spinner falls have everyone in the fishing community buzzing. A great hatch has been overshadowed by the amazing amount of anglers that have gone to witness the event, and by the gracious attitudes and camaraderie that have accompanied them. After a week we’ve heard no stories of boorish behavior, and I’ve watched this week as anglers fish side by side in perfect harmony with the Creek, the hatch, and those around them.

Silver Creek

Consider this; after a long winter when the fish struggle to simply survive and use all their fat stores, and after a spring of spawning activity that further weakens them, they are not in the best shape of the year. Coinciding with this is the nesting of thousands of pairs of streamside birds that also have come off of a lean winter and are eager to feed nesting chicks. When all of a sudden, the biggest hatch of the year on the Creek, of the biggest bug that hatches on the Creek shows up to feed them both!

Expect at least another week of some Drake activity. With thunderstorm activity predicted this week there could be excellent midday fishing over the spinners that hit the water at low light levels. Spinner falls will continue into darkness and hatching insects will continue to emerge into the night at least through the weekend.

P.M.D. and Baetis activity is also very strong during the last hours of light and those anglers that don’t want to deal with the Drake crowds can find plenty of rising fish and solitude in the Conservancy waters. Morning activity should be excellent this week with the coming cloud cover. Expect serious Baetis activity this week. When in doubt, fish your terrestrials like ants and beetles.

Big Wood River

Still in runoff stage.

Little Wood River

The Reservoir is being spilled again, causing the waters to rise this week. Not worth looking at quite yet.

Lower Lost River

Too high to fish.

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

Still in runoff stage.

South Fork of the Boise

Flows are again back over 4,000 CFS. It would probably be worth waiting a week for lower flows and Salmon Fly activity.

Magic Reservoir

This is still the best fishery in the valley outside of Silver Creek. Get a float tube and try this! Ask Dave Faltings in the shop about fly selection and where to fish.

Little Wood Reservoir

Anglers are still catching good numbers of smaller fish.

Carey Lake

The consensus is the Bass are well spread out with the high waters and some serious prospecting is needed at this point to hook up.

Synopsis

With temperatures warming back up, expect the Big Wood to start running-off again. We should start seeing significant hatches on Silver Creek with the warmer weather. The reservoirs continue to fish extremely well, with many fish over the twenty inch mark being caught by fly anglers.

Silver Creek

Expect Baetis and PMD hatches in the late morning and early evening. Spinner falls could happen at any point during the day. The passing cloud cover this next week will most likely dictate when the bugs will be active.

Big Wood River

The Wood almost got to a fishable level with the cold weekend, but with daytime highs predicted to be in the mid-seventies this week we can expect to see the run-off start back up.

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

We are still a month away from getting on these fisheries.

Lower Lost

A CFS of 1,220 makes this river unfishable right now.

Little Wood River

A significant drop in the flow out of Little Wood Reservoir is going to make this river fishable this week. Keep up to date on the flows, and if they don’t come back up soon, an angler may want to take advantage of this small break. Once the reservoir fills the flows will come back up, so this may be a short window to fish here. Check out Preacher Bridge (not to be confused with Priest Bridge on Silver Creek) and Bear Tracks access points.

South Fork of the Boise

The flows are back to 3,000 CFS and the Salmon Flies should be showing up on the lower stretches this week. Don’t expect to see them near the dam for at least another week or two.

Magic Reservoir

The reservoir is turning over, but don’t let the green water turn you off. The fishing will remain strong in here the better part of the summer!

Little Wood Reservoir

Still the best choice for catching numbers of fish, although not like the trophies that are getting caught in Magic.

Carey Lake

No report, but a nice warm day on this reservoir may provide some great Bass action.