Things are heating up on the Henrys Fork fast this year. Island Park Reservoir is at 84% capacity. Flows at the dam are 195 CFS. The lower river is 1040. The Box Canyon is barely floatable; I would suggest a raft at those low flows. Unless you want to leave a good bit of gel coat on the rocks, I would leave the hard boats at home. In addition, the access is not quite ready. If these warm temps continue, you should be able to drive all the way in soon. We will keep you posted.
Photo: Box Canyon Ramp Access 3/24/2026
Water temps are still a little on the cold side behind the shop. The midge hatch has been very dependable, but I have not seen fish rising consistently. It may be because they are still spawning up here. I will spare you all my thoughts on fishing spawning beds. Let them spawn!
The lower river is really fishing well. The blue wing olives are hatching, and depending on the day and the weather, the fish are on them! Tuesday, Jenn and I did the Ora-to-Veron float and had great fishing until the wind came up and blew all the bugs up to West Yellowstone, Montana! We found the banks to be very slow, but the shallow riffles in the middle of the river were very good. Size 16 Last Chance Cripples were the ticket. Jenn landed three nice brown trout. I would also have size 16 brown or olive zebra midges. Keep an eye on the weather and if the wind will let you float downriver and not blow you up to the Ashton dam, then get on the water!
This will be an interesting summer. It appears everything is going to happen two to three weeks ahead of time this year. I have already seen a few caddis around and saw march-brown nymphs crawling on the rocks yesterday. This would be the year to try to get out early. If you can get away in April and May, I would do it. This is the year to an early start on your angling.
We are on Mother Nature’s schedule here, so for the first time, we are excited to offer a special on guided trips today through April 30th, 2026. For $695, you and a friend can take advantage of these early season conditions and experience spring on the Henry’s Fork. These trips will be slightly shorter to match the fishing day and start times may vary depending on daily conditions. Don’t wait – call us today to secure your spot as reservations will fill up quickly!
Finally, thank you to those who did the out reach around Bill 1300 for Friends of Harriman State Park, they were informative and tenacious rallying support in opposition. Please consider the votes of your representatives in our next election.
Leave a Reply