South Fork of Snake River - Swan Valley Idaho fly fishing trout canoeing hatch chart CFS

The South Fork of the Snake River

The South Fork of the Snake River is in southeastern Idaho close to the Wyoming border. The South Fork begins as it flows out of 20 mile long Palisades Reservoir in the community of Swan Valley, forming a 64-mile stretch of legendary tail-water fly-fishing. The South Fork is also a beautiful river for flat water rafting, canoeing and kayaking. If you float this river in a canoe know what you are doing as it is big water and its flat-water appearance can fool you to its dangers.

Bald eagles and Ospreys are prevalent and many nest high above on treetops along the riverbanks, it is always a treat to see one swoop down and catch an unsuspecting fish. The South Fork Snake River has been called Idaho's most unique riparian ecosystem containing the largest continuous cottonwood ecosystem in the state. The South Fork provides habitat for nine nesting bald eagle pairs and up to 100 wintering eagles. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers this river section to be the most important fish and wildlife habitat in the state of Idaho. Moose are seen regularly in the river bottom.

Big Rainbow Trout South Fork of the Snake River Swan Valley Idaho

The South Fork of the Snake boasts 4,000 fish per mile, which makes it one of the most productive rivers in the country. The quality of fishing on the South Fork has improved dramatically since a slot limit was introduced. All fish between 8 and 16 inches (the prime breeders) must be released and you are only allowed to keep two fish that aren't rainbows. The South Fork also is an all-wild trout fishery as they quit planting it years ago. It is said that it is the best wild-trout fishery in the lower 48 states. Wild native cutthroat trout are a mixture of both fine-spotted and Yellowstone races. Fine-spotted cutthroat are stocked as sub-catchables and catchables into Palisades Reservoir and some are flushed into the South Fork with reservoir drawdowns.

Although exotic wild rainbow, hybrid, and brown trout provide a significant component of the catch throughout the South Fork drainage, they pose a potential threat to the genetic integrity and long-term viability of wild cutthroat populations. Stocking in the mainstem and tributaries was discontinued in the early 1980s.

The majority of anglers practice the catch-and-release ethic, because of this and the slot limit the river has maintained a healthy population of breeding fish. The river is primarily a cutthroat fishery; however, it is also possible to get into a fair number of browns and rainbows. In recent years we have seen a dramatic increase of the rainbow population and the Idaho Game and Fish is encouraging fisherman to kill all rainbow caught. As much as I prefer to catch a brown or rainbow because of their better fighting ability I would also like to maintain a healthy Cuttroat population because they are more likely to be caught on a dry fly than Rainbows and Browns.

The key to fishing the banks of this river while floating is getting your fly as tight to the bank as possible and allowing it to drift just inches form the bank in most spots. When fishing from a gravel bar its possible to hook and land a dozen or more. This is one reason why the South Fork has gained a reputation as one of the country's greatest trout fisheries.

After spring runoff and the start of potato irrigation there is very limited access for wade fishing due to high river flows so a float trip is recommended from June till September. A drift boat allows access to many of the productive gravel bars and side channels that are inaccessible on foot. There are also many miles of the South Fork inaccessible from roads.

Dick Cheney fishing the South Fork
© Daryl Hunter - The Hole Picture

The first 12 miles (section one) begins at the Palisades Dam and ends at the Connant boat ramp. This is the most accessible and as a result, the most crowded. Despite the crowds, some of the larger fish tend to be caught and released on this upper section of the river. This section of river provides outstanding views of the rugged mountains on either side of the river and hosts one of the most picturesque small waterfalls anywhere. The downside is some are calling this section "the parade of homes" for the growing number of trophy homes springing up along it's banks.

The 24-mile stretch below Connant boat ramp is considered the "Canyon," the Canyon is divided into two sections called the middle and lower (or section two and section three). Section two ends at Cottonwood Boat Ramp. There are many National Forest campgrounds along the riverbanks. Camping is a great way to enjoy the river and break up the long canyon section. Both section one and two make for exceptional one-day fishing trips. The canyon is spectacular, with walls towering hundreds of feet straight up from the river and dotted with pine trees. The canyon gives the impression of a wilderness trip although you are floating right below cultivated barley and wheat fields you can't see. It is common for an experienced angler to boat 30 fish a day with the average fish ranging from 16 to 18 inches.

Access to section three is through Ririe ID; you drive up a dirt road on the north side of the river to Cottonwood boat ramp and start you float there. There are several places to fish along the road if you don't have a boat.

Section four starts at Byington Boat Ramp in Ririe and goes to where it joins up with the Henry's Fork of the Snake by Manan ID. The river here changes character as it is no longer in the mountains, it is flatter, more braided and winds through private farmland but is an awesome fishery none the less, many big browns can be found here. Most boaters take out at the Lorenzo river access off of highway 20 between Idaho falls and Rexburg ID but the lightly fished section below Lorenzo can be very productive and there is a takeout right below where the South Fork merges with the Henry's Fork.

For the best dry fly action the river is best fished from July through mid August. The first half of July is the height of the prolific stone fly hatches, which brings just about all of the fish to the surface to gorge themselves on one of the largest dry flies, the largest of the Stone Flies the Salmon Fly is sometimes 3 inches in length.

By the first week of August the fish are a bit more reluctant to bite as most have been caught and released several times by then. When the fish continue to refuse dry flies, emerger and cripple patterns are highly effective, especially "when the fish are feeding in the riffles and back channels.

The warm summer days of August bring out one of the trouts favorite foods, the grasshopper. When the fish are keying in on hoppers and are becoming weary of hopper patterns, try twitching a rubber legged hopper pattern. The twitching motion of those rubber legs can entice a wary fish into a strike.

Educated trout can sometimes be fooled with a dropper fly. A dropper is a nymph, emerger or attached to a buoyant and visible fly attached with an 18 inches of 4X or 5X tippet to bend of the hook. Hoppers, Turcks Tarantula and the Double Humpys are excellent flies to set up with a dropper. The large high floating dry works well to spot the takes on the small drys, nymphs and emergers.

Cutthroat Trout South Fork of the Snake River Swan Valley Idaho

October brings in a season of extremes, the fishing can be the best but the weather can be the worst. For those willing to take the gamble and come in October the rewards can be tremendous. The cooler weather of fall bring on the Blue Wing Olive hatches and many of the fishermen have left for the year and gone hunting and the trout lose their weariness of flies that they acquire during the heavy fishing pressure of summer. These hatches last well into the winter. This time of year the browns are moving to their spawning beds and there are increased chances of catching big browns. The Idaho State record brown was set at 26.6 pounds and was taken on the South Fork. Monster browns in the 15-pound class are taken every year.

Fall is also a better time of the year for the wade fisherman as the lower water flows of fall open up many places to wade that are inaccessible during higher water.

South Fork of the Snake River Hatch Chart

Insects

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Southfork Patterns

Mayflies

Blue Winged Olive (BWO)

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Dry Flies: BWO's, Parachute BWO's, Parachute Adams,
Nymphs & Emergers: Pheasant Tails, Hares Ears, BWO Emergers. Beadhead Nymphs

Pale Morning Dun

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Dry Flies:: PMD's, Parachute PMD's, Light Cahill. Pink Cahil, Pink Sparkle Dun, Parachute Adams, Adams,
Nymphs & Emergers: Pheasant Tails, Hares Ears, PMD Emergers, Qwiggly Cripple. Beadhead Nymphs

Caddis

Caddis

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Dry Flies: Elk Hair Caddis, X Caddis, Stimulators,
Nymphs & Emergers: Peeking Caddis, Buckskin Caddis, Beadhead Nymphs

Stone Flies

Yellow Sallies

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Dry Flies: Yellow Stimulators, Henry's Fork Yellow Sallies, Yellow Elk Hair Caddis. Nymphs & Emergers: Prince Nymphs, Beadhead Nymphs

Golden Stoneflies

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Dry Flies: Yellow Stimulators, Irresistible Stimulators. Chernobyl Ants, Royal Coachmans, Madam X's,
Nymphs & Emergers Prince Nymphs, Stonefly Nymphs, Halfback Nymphs,

Salmonflies

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Dry Flies: Sofa Pillows, Orange Stimulators.
Nymphs & Emergers: Black Rubberlegs, Stonefly Rubberlegs, Bitch Creek Nymph.

Terrestrials

Ants

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Black Fur Ant, CDC Ant, Foam Ant, Flying Ant

Grasshoppers

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Dave's Hopper, ParaHopper, Foam Hopper, Madam X's,

Beetles & Crickets

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Deer Hair Beetle, Foam Beetle, Dave's Cricket, Henry's Fork Cricket

Others

Midges

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Dry Flies: Griffith's Gnat, Double Midge, Fuzzballs.
Nymphs & Emergers: Brassie, Midge Emerger, Disco Midge, Serendipity, Tungsten Beadhead Larva

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Southfork Patterns

A Few Thoughts On Fishing

fly-fisherman Madison River

fly-fisherman Firehole River "But when I am alone in the half light of the canyon all existence seems to fade to a being with my soul, and memories. And the sounds of the Big Black Foot River, and a four count rhythm, and the hope that a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters."

Sound-bite from a River Runs Through it.

The Yellowstone Teton Region fly-fishing is blessed with a plethora of blue ribbon trout waters that host prolific hatches of Mayflies, Caddis Flies and Stone Flies. Dozens of rivers and hundreds of lakes and streams, all world-class fisheries that attract anglers from around the world. The Henry’s Fork, the Snake, the Madison, and the Yellowstone Rivers have been elevated to legendary status by the movies made about them and the books and articles that have been written about them.

fly-fisherman wyoming spring creek If you believe what you read, fly-fishing requires the touch of a surgeon and the spirit of a Zen master. Well, it might help but it certainly isn’t required around here. Forget about what you’ve heard about fly-fishing in the past, if you really want to fly-fish all you need are the right tools, proper technique, and a positive attitude. With these essential elements, you can begin to enjoy the sport of fly-fishing in no time.

fly-fishing drift boat Southfork Snake River Swan Valley Idaho Some time spent with a guide can enhance your skills exponentially in a very short time, as they are all trained to be teachers. A day discovering the best techniques for fly-fishing with a guide on one of our regional rivers or legendary spring creeks gives you the foundation for many years of productive fly-fishing enjoyment of the future. Many regional guides have spent a lifetime fly-fishing the rivers and streams of Yellowstone Teton Region. Their instruction of the best flies, how to read the water, presentation, and all aspects of fishing the Yellowstone region can greatly enhance your fly-fishing experience.

For those of you who already know how to fly-fish, or do not want to hire a fly-fishing guide, all you need is a map, the proper seasonal fly selection, and some current fly-fishing advice, all which can be found for the price of a handful of flies at a local fly shop.

Fine spotted Snake river Cutthroat Trout fly-fisherman Most rental shops of the Yellowstone Teton region have drift boats rafts and float tubes for rent for those of you that wish to escape the confines of the bank of your river, lake, or stream, because as we all know, the big one is in the eddy on the far side of the river.

Spin-cast fishing is popular around the area also and is a very productive way to wet a line. Although spin fishing doesn’t require the finesse and learning curve of fly-fishing, a guided trip with a guide that knows spin-fishing can really improve our catch rate. Remember to keep in mind to de-barb your hooks to improve your catches chance of survival upon release. We also encourage lure fisherman to cut their treble hooks down to a single hook.

fly-fishing Gibbon River Yellowstone National Park The Snake River Drainage is home to a unique subspecies of cutthroat trout known as the Fine-spotted Snake River Cutthroat Trout. This outstanding game fish is indigenous to the Snake River drainage and relies totally on natural reproduction. Having a wild trout fishery with indigenous trout is not something we take for granted and we highly encourage catch and release fishing to protect this valuable resource.

The Yellowstone Cutthroat, as the name implies, are native to the Yellowstone River drainage of southwest and south-central Montana and northwest Wyoming. In general, The relation of Yellowstone cutthroat trout to Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout is problematic. Early genetic analyses could not distinguish these subspecies, but recent attempts have been more successful.

Heather Thomas fly-fishing the Snake River in Jackson Wyoming Whether you are fishing for one of the Fine-spotted Snake River Cutthroat our Yellowstone Cutthroat you will find their most endearing qualities is their fondness for feeding on top sipping mayflies flies or attacking stoneflies, drakes, and hoppers. Large dry flies like size eight Turck Tarantulas, Royal Wulffs, Club Sandwiches, and hoppers are all popular and good choices. Size six and even four stone fly patterns sometimes are also effective.

Rainbow and Brown Trout can be found throughout the area as well a few sub-species of cutthroat trout, and some of our lakes are home to Kokanee Salmon.

Many of our lakes are gifted with giant Lake Trout, but you usually need to be an expert or lucky to get one in the 20 to 50 pound category. Most are taken by trolling with spoons or minnow-like plugs attached to wire-line rigs or downriggers. They can also be taken by bottom fishing with whole or cut fish. In summer they often move to depths of 50 to 100 feet, but in spring and fall you can find them at depths of 20 feet or less. When ice fishing you can catch Lake Trout in hardly any water at all.

fly-fishing from drift boats South Fork Snake River Swan Valley Idaho Many of our lakes are put and take fisheries and are planted by the Idaho, Montana or Wyoming Game and Fish, but most of our rivers and streams are wild trout fisheries and do not receive planted fish.

Our wild trout fisheries, due to the law of survival of the fittest, produce a hardier, smarter game fish, and is a resource worthy of protection. Catch and release although not mandatory on many waters is often the practice. Many of the fish of the region are caught and released 40 times per year and if everyone kept their fish there wouldn’t be any here except inferior hatchery fish.

I used to keep my big ones because they were such trophies, and I used to keep some to eat until I realized that I can buy a trout for two dollars in the store and that fish in the river provides has a much greater value than two dollars as a recreational resource.

Events

Chuck Yeager & Guide Mike Lawson - One Fly Fishing Contest

Jackson Hole One Fly Fishing Contest • Each year in September, flyfisherman from around the world gather in Jackson Hole Wyoming to participate in one of fly fishing's most unique events. It is a weekend filled with fun, challenges, adventures and of course, the famous Snake River Cutthroat trout.

Give the Cutt-slam a try. • If you want to see some breathtaking country, do a little camping and accomplish something that only around 300 people have done, you might want to give Wyoming’s Cutt-Slam program a try. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the program that recognizes anglers for catching Wyoming’s four subspecies of cutthroats in their native range. Back in the mid-90s, Wyoming fisheries coordinator, the late Ron Remmick, had an idea to try to bring more public awareness to Wyoming’s cutthroat trout and the management efforts benefitting these fish. The Cutt-Slam was hatched and a program was developed to recognize anglers for making the effort to catch the Snake River, Bonneville, Colorado River and Yellowstone cutthroat subspecies.

Stories

Fly-fishers go crazy saving flies - by D Dave Strege
One fly-fisher stripped his clothes off and swam naked into the river to retrieve his fly that got snagged. Another stood on the shoulders of the guide and used pruning shears to cut down the branch where his fly was lodged. A lucky one hooked a big fish that snapped his line, losing fish and fly, only to wait five minutes before the fly somehow dislodged from the trout's mouth and popped to the surface. He netted it — the fly, that is.

What would lead a fly-fisher to go to such extremes to save a fly caught in a tree limb or a log in the riverh.................More

Teton Region Fishing Outfitters

Reel Deal Anglers • (Jackson Hole) Reel Deal Anglers is Jackson Hole’s Premier fishing guide service, don’t wait in a fly-fishing shop (we provide all the flies), we pick you up and take you right to the river. We guide on the Snake River, Green River, Henry’s Fork River, South Fork River, Madison River, New Fork River, Salt River, Gros Ventre River and the Teton River as well as numerous backcountry streams, popular spring creeks, and exclusive private water opportunities, so we can put you on the hottest water available at any given time. Our guides are superb and are experts on the water they specialize in. With Reel Deal Anglers, you’ll float and wade fish on beautiful rivers, encounter surprised wildlife, catch native trout while entertaining chance encounters with elk, moose, bison osprey and bald eagles fishing the same waters as you.

Henrys Fork Anglers • (Island Park) Henry's Fork Anglers is located on the banks of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Last Chance, Idaho. The Henry's Fork is one of the most famous and diverse fly fishing rivers in the world, with plenty to offer the advanced fly fisher as well as the beginner. Its prolific aquatic insect hatches draw fly fishers from around the globe to test their skills against highly selective rainbow trout.

Fisheries Conservation Organizations

Lee Wulff & Curt Gowdy - flyfishing in the One Fly Fishing Contest

Curt Gowdy & Lee Wulff fishing the One Fly Fishing Contest

Jackson Hole One Fly Capital Foundation • The Jackson Hole One Fly Capital Foundation (One Fly) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) established a new partnership in 2003 to leverage both organizations’ funding and interest in cold water fisheries conservation, particularly in the tributaries and mainstem Snake and Yellowstone Basins. The One Fly and NFWF have a long history in fisheries conservation throughout the greater Snake River and Yellowstone region.

Trout Unlimited • Trout Unlimited’s mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Trout Unlimited accomplishes this mission on local, state and national levels with an extensive and dedicated volunteer network. TU’s national office, based just outside of Washington, D.C., and its regional offices employ professionals who testify before Congress, publish a quarterly magazine, intervene in federal legal proceedings, and work with the organization’s 125,000 volunteers in 500 chapters nationwide to keep them active and involved in conservation issues.

Federation of Fly Fishers •The Federation of Fly Fishers, an international service organization dedicated to the betterment of the sport of fly fishing through Conservation and Education. The FFF and its Councils are the only organized advocate for fly fishers on the national and regional level. By joining you will have the opportunity to contribute, with your membership and your voice, to fishery conservation and restoration for all fish in all waters