Summer Western Fly Fishing Destinations

For most of the past decade, drought gripped the Western United States. Thanks to one banner winter, though, every lake in my home state of Utah is full – some are spilling over their dams – and the farmers and ranchers who provide the backbone of the unique corner of the world have one less thing to worry about.

As fly fishermen, though, we’re stuck dealing with high water. Storied rivers like the Beaverhead or the Madison haven’t fished up to their normal standards, and if you get to the high country, those streams are torrent of chocolate milk.

Just like everything in fishing, though, you can always find fishable water. It’s knowing where to look that’s the tricky part. Luckily, that’s what we’re here for. Sit back, grab a drink, a map, and your credit card, and get ready to make some plans to visit these amazing western fly fishing destinations.

Flaming Gorge, Utah

I’ve had the fortune of fishing more water than I remember here in the West. One fishery keeps me coming back, two or three dozen times a year, though – Flaming Gorge.

This reservoir is an impoundment of the Green River – south of Fontenelle – and the fly fishing for smallmouth bass and rainbow trout is excellent this time of year.

The main attraction, though, is the Green River below the Flaming Gorge Dam. The first seven miles of river, known as the A Section locally, is simply the most stunning canyon in which I’ve ever fished.

This is a rainbow and brown trout fishery, though you may luck into a cutthroat, cuttbow, or northern pike. Summer provides the best months for dry fly fishing, but once evening rolls around rig up a streamer rod. In the crystalline water of the Green you can watch trout dart to attack your streamer, something as aesthetically pleasing as watching trout sip dries.

Recommended Guide: Old Moe Guide Service

Salmon – Challis National Forest, Idaho

The Salmon – Challis National Forest encompasses the Sawtooth Mountains, the stunning peaks that’ve put Stanley, Idaho on the national map.

The main attraction here is the Salmon River, home to a mix of wild and hatchery steelhead in addition to Pacific Salmon. The summer months turn the Salmon into a different fishery, though. There’s a chance of snagging some straggling king salmon in early July, but for the most part the Salmon is a cutthroat, rainbow, and bull trout fishery during the warmest parts of the year.

What I love most about this area, though, is the seemingly endless amount of creeks and streams that drain into the Salmon River. Grab a map of the area, find a blue line that looks interesting, and follow it. You’ll be into fish all day long, and in some of the Lower 48’s most impressive scenery.

Recommended Guide: Salmon River Tours

Gros Ventre River, Wyoming

The Gros Ventre gets overlooked because of this little place called Yellowstone, just north of it. And while you’ll most likely find larger fish in Yellowstone, it’s easy to avoid crowds and catch tons of Snake River cutthroat on the Gros Ventre.

The best time to fish this river is July, once the runoff subsides. The beginning of July is also when the salmon flies start to hatch, so you’re in for a real treat if you time it right. A river full of cutthroat with giant salmon flies in the air? I’m not sure if it gets better than that.

The Gros Ventre fishes better the higher up you go on this water, and it’s a spot worth exploring. While I’m partial to the Grey’s an hour south, the Gros Ventre has its own place in my heart – and it’ll have a place in yours after you head there this summer.

Recommended Guide: Jackson Hole Anglers

Frying Pan River, Colorado

My first – and only trip so far – to the Pan was back in February of 2014. I don’t recommend fishing in the middle of winter in the Rockies, but the fishing that week was spectacular. My buddy Mike and I both caught a 27-inch rainbow trout.

The Pan is one of those tailwaters that makes you question why you ever thought fly fishing was fun. Then you hook into a 10-pound fish and immediately remember why.

The trout here are exceptionally picky, and I’ve found a lot of flies bought from stores just don’t work that well up there. Do yourself a favor and tie your own before you go. The more haggard a fly looks, the less it looks like a fly shop fly. And these are trout that see tons of fly shop flies.

Fishing is great all along the river from its confluence with the Roaring Fork to the Ruedi Reservoir Dam. The infamous “Toilet Bowl” hole is worth fishing if you can find an open spot, but it’s certainly not the part of the river around which to base your trip. Instead, focus on the first bend of the river right below the Toilet Bowl. Big trout stack up on and just off the shelf in the river.

Bring your usual assortment of Rocky Mountain flies and you shouldn’t have a problem on the Pan. As John Gierach once wrote, it seems at times as if there’s an “Adams Hatch” on the Frying Pan.

One can dream

Recommended Guide: Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides

Flathead National Forest, Montana

The obvious attraction here is the Flathead River, home to a great population of bull trout. Its crystalline waters and unmatched beauty draw anglers from across the world.

While the Flathead is worth fishing, and definitely holds some great trout, you’ll be surprised at what you find when you venture off-trail in either Glacier National Park or in the Flathead National Forest. The mountains around Kalispell, Montana are littered with streams, rivers, and ponds. It just takes a good map and some strong legs to see all of these incredible places.

The best part is you’ll have a high chance of hooking into truly wild bull and Westslope cutthroat trout – two fish you’ll never forget.

Recommended Guide: Montana River Outfitters