“Were it not for the strong, quick life of rivers, for their sparkle in the sunshine, for the cold grayness of them under rain and the feel of them about my legs as I set my feet hard down on rocks or sand or gravel, I should fish less often.”
– Roderick Haig-Brown
To fish is merely an excuse to spend time in the company of a river and its inhabitants. With the solstice now behind us, and as the high water begins to slowly drop, we will have many long days of summer fishing to witness the quick life of rivers.
Silver Creek
The Drakes are done for the year, although you may still see one or two fluttering about this week in the Willows or Point of Rocks. The hatches on the upper Creek remain sporadic. Some days, prolific callibaetis mixed with PMDs, baetis, crane flies, damsels, and caddis may take to the air depending on your location. Persistent and skilled anglers are finding decent fishing. As long as the high water in the region persists, you can still expect the angler pressure to remain high. Remember, while fishing in the Preserve, you are required to sign in. This can be done via your phone with the QR code posted at all access points or by texting “Visitor” to (833) 593-0682.
Big Wood
Flows on the Wood are up and down a bit each day, but the river should hover near 1000 CFS. And with all the snow still waiting to come down from the high peaks of the Boulder and Pioneer mountains, it may stay this way for another week or two. Still, an angler willing to hop around from access to access can find a fish or two but it is very limited. Wading remains a bad idea.
The Upper Lost
Just like the Wood, the upper portions of the Lost are high. You may find a back eddy where the water is slow enough to wet a line on the East or West Fork, but we are still a couple weeks away from a good day of fishing up here.
Salmon
The Salmon is still flowing very high. It should be ready for float trips in about another week or two. Best to wait until lower flows to attempt wade fishing as well. In the meanwhile, the Yankee Fork Dredge Ponds, Kids Fishing Pond, Cape Horn Lake, Stanley Lake, and Alturas Lake have all been stocked.
The Lost Below Mackay
The flows are down to around 800 CFS, still too high for a day of fishing. Wait for flows to come down to around 350 CFS.
South Fork of the Boise
Anderson Reservoir is at 89% of capacity and filling fast. Arrowrock and Lucky Peak reservoirs, just downstream, are nearly full. It seems that the flows below Anderson will remain at 300 CFS until the reservoir is at max capacity. So keep your drift boat parked for the moment and take advantage of this rare early season wade fishing opportunity.
Local Ponds
It is time to take the family to Lake Creek, Penny Lake, or Gaver’s Lagoon. All the ponds have been stocked and will receive regular stockings throughout the summer season.
Stillwater
When the rivers are high, lakes are a great option. Mackay, Magic, and (a tad farther down the road) Duck Valley can all be fished either from the bank, a boat, or a float tube. If you do decide to tube or boat, always carry a whistle and a PFD. As for fishing, try pulling a team of small leech patterns in black, brown, or olive on an intermediate or type 3 or 5 sinking line. Also, suspending a series of nymphs or chironomids at the right depth can be effective.
Big Wood: Chubby Chernobyl | Juicy Stone | Duracell | Bullet French Nymph | Rain Drop Jigs | Maktima UV Jig | San Juan Worm | Pat’s Rubber Legs | Bishop’s Dynamite | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive
Silver Creek: Callibaetis | Poxyback Callibaetis | Baetis | Green Drakes | Brown Drakes | Bullet French Nymph | DB Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Pine Squirrel Leech
Big Lost Flies: Chubby Chernobyl | Juicy Stone | Duracell | Bullet French Nymph | Rain Drop Jigs | Maktima UV Jig | San Juan Worm | Pat’s Rubber Legs | Bishop’s Dynamite | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive
South Fork of the Boise: Chubby Chernobyl | Juicy Stone | Deep Cleaner | Duracell | Bullet French Nymph | Rain Drop Jigs | Maktima UV Jig | San Juan Worm | Pat’s Rubber Legs
Stillwater Flies: Balance Leeches | Sheep Creek Special | Woolly Buggers | Seal Buggers | Chironomids | Damsel Nymphs | Prince Nymphs
| Silver Creek | 126 cfs |
| Big Wood | 1080 cfs |
| The Lost Below Mackay | 799 cfs |
| Salmon | 3220 cfs |
| South Fork of the Boise | 299 cfs |
