Fishing Report - June 13, 2025

Upper River:

With flows at 473 CFS below Island Park reservoir expect to bang a few rocks if you're floating down Box Canyon, the river is very low! The Golden Stones are fluttering about so a Gold Chubby, or Henrys Fork Golden are great patterns to dangle a beadhead off of.  Pheasant Tails, Duracell’s and Olive bullet quills should keep fish interested in the offerings. When it is overcast it never hurts to strip a streamer. If you like chucking meat, that is your time. Bright colors are working like a #8 Coffey’s Sparkle minnow in the Box. Black or Olive Sculpin patterns if you're feeling edgy or just tired of pretending you're a dry fly purist. The river at Last Chance can fish good as well, there has still been some caddis around. Try a size 16 Mathews X-caddis or a size 16 Hackle Stack Caddis Peacock . It also never hurts to drop a Lawson’s Partridge Caddis Emerger size 16 olive or tan below your dry. The hallowed waters of the Harriman State Park Ranch section will be opening on June 15th. Expect to find finicky rainbows sipping spinners, gulping caddis and maybe, if the stars align, the Green Drakes will make their appearance. Be sure to have rusty spinners, #16 CDC Biot rusty spinner and #16 rusty Splitsville spinners are excellent imitations. For the ever present caddis #14-18 Missing links, EZ caddis and Partridge spent wings. For the Green Drakes try GD Captive Duns #10 or 12, GD Last Chance Cripples #10 or a Lawsons Extended body GD. Perhaps similar brown drake patterns and a handful of beetles and ants.

Riverside Campground down to Ashton:

All the campgrounds are open including Riverside. There is limited access to the river until you get down to the Stone Bridge at the confluence of Warm River. The Golden Stones are present in decent numbers and fish are still looking up at a Henrys Fork Golden.  This is pocket water, so fishing in front of and behind rocks will be decent. A lot of fish can be caught in the middle of the river and less on the banks. This is due to the river being low. Golden Stone dries are the game. Patterns such as Lawson’s Henrys Fork Golden, Burkus Bare Back Riders and Eldens Golden Stone are recommended. This is a great stretch of river to get your big bug take fix. There are lots of caddis winging about and in the evenings a Missing link caddis and Hemmingway caddis #14-18 will interest the risers at dusk. 

Ashton Dam to St. Anthony:

Flows out of Ashton Dam are 1320CFS, with higher flows below Fall River. The boat ramps are open and there are lots of boats and wading anglers. Please be respectful of others, smile and give each other ample space. The main show has been clouds of caddis, some PMD’s hatching and spinner falls that seem to happen secretly. A good number of Golden Stones are flying around and skittering on the water. Try a Henrys Fork Golden Stone #8 and #10. The EZ Caddis Tan #16 with a size #16 Lawson Partridge Caddis Emerger as a dropper is deadly during the last hour of daylight.  Organza Rusty Spinners, CDC Biot rusty spinner and Splitsville Rust Spinners might be the most important flies in your box. Green Drakes are making their annual appearance. Flies like the #12 Lawsons Extended body or the Hairwing Green Drake #10 are popular choices. 

Madison River:

The Madison is flowing 394 CFS below Hebgen reservoir, and the river is coming into its prime. Reports of Salmonflies are trickling in and the stories of big fish eating the big bugs off the surface are becoming consistent. Henry’s Fork Foam Salmonfly,  Salmonfly Water Walkers and a black Pat Rubberlegs might get you into a not to be forgotten Madison tanker. Nymphing is always a productive means on the Maddy, you can try Crack back jig PMD or San Juan Worm red or pink size 8-12 under an indicator.

Teton River:

The Teton is flowing 1160CFS and will be high and off color likely until we approach the first part of July. If you do decide to go here, please be careful. This is a small river but is the drainage for the entire western side of the Teton Mountains. There is a lot of water that comes through the Teton River during runoff, so it can be dangerous trying to float or wade. If you do fish it, use heavy nymphs and streamers. 

South Fork of the Snake:

Most current flows near Irwin are 11500CFS, the river may shape up earlier this year if the weather stays on this track. All the boat ramps are open. The river is fishable but a bit off color still. You can do decent with nymphs and streamers because not much dry fly fishing. I like using Pat’s Rubberlegs size 8 in brown and dropping a Red Napolean Jig size 16 or 18 or just a standard size 16 Tungsten Hares Ear  The Idaho Department of Fish and Game encourage the harvest of rainbow trout on all stretches of the South Fork. This is to protect the native Cutthroat trout. There is no limit on rainbows and some of the rainbows have monetary reward tags in the fish. If do harvest any rainbows, cut the head off and deliver it to the regional IDFG office in Idaho Falls and they will scan the head to see if a reward tag is in it. The max reward is $1000.