Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
October Caddis, size 6, pupa and adultsType of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Cutthroat
(Wild)
Size
Large
Location
South Central Wyoming
Nearest Towns
Sarotaga
West Yellowstone, Montana
Season
Year round
Access: Fair
Non-Resident License
State of Wyoming
Seasons: You can fish the river any day of the year unless it is iced over.
Winter:
Fly fishing the North Fork of the Platte River is very limited during the winter due to ice.
Spring:
Spring is good after the ice melts but before the runoff from about March 1 until April 30th.
Summer:
The fishing is great from about mid June for the next couple of months due to the hatches.
Fall:
Float fishing can be limited because of low water levels but the fishing is good for waders.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing Report for the North Platte River Wyoming: April 27, 2024
Conditions are not good. The stream is flowing above a normal level with highly stained water. There are good midge, March Browns and Skwala stoneflies hatches taking place. Check back with us often as we update the North Platte River Wyoming Fishing report weekly.
Stream Conditions:
Rate: 3470 cfs
Level: 5.57 ft
Afternoon Water Temperature: 50
USGS Real-Time Stream Flow Data Above Seminoe Res
Weather:
Recommended Trout Flies:
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, 18 nymph, emergers, duns and spinners
Aquatic Worms, size 12, pink, red, and others
Midges: Light Green and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
Skwala Stoneflies: 10, nymphs and adults
North Plate River Wyoming: From the southern state line of Wyoming to Seminoe Reservoir, the North Platte River flows ninety miles through canyons and wide valleys. The most popular area is located from the Wyoming – Colorado state line down to the town of Saratoga. Access is available where the stream runs through Medicine Bow National Forest. Below that it runs through mostly private land but there is still plenty of access. Fly fishing the North Platte River
varies from section to section. All of the uppermost section lies in very remote country. The river flows through steep canyons with a lot of fast flowing pocket water and even some white water. It can be floated in places using small portable water crafts but there are no launches in the uppermost area. Since the river is a pure freestone stream, its flows vary greatly with the rain and snowfall. The lower half of the stream down to Saratoga flows through ranch bottom land and looses its fast water, canyon like appearance. It flows through long pools with riffles and runs. There are sections with islands in the river and cottonwood trees grow along the banks. Floating becomes more popular in this area. Below the town of Saratoga the river changes character again. It flows through the high plains desert with sage brush. The river has some very long flats. The trout are mostly rainbows and cutthroat trout in this section. In general, the sections nearest Saratoga fishes better than the sections nearest Lake Seminole. The lowest section isn’t as popular and probably don’t contain as many trout but it has some very large ones.
Fly Fishing Guide to North Platte River in Wyoming: The methods and techniques depend largely on the stream levels. The fishing depends greatly on the particular area of the stream you are fishing because the river undergoes several changes and consist of a variety of different types of water. In the uppermost part within the state of Wyoming, in the Medicine Bow Forest and down to the Bennett Peak Campground area, the river runs through canyons where the declination in elevation is steep and there is a lot of fast water and even rapids. The stream has some huge size boulders and plenty of pocket water. Attractor flies work fairly well in this part of the river. This entire section is open to the public to fish but difficult to access in some areas. Below the Bennett Peak Campground, the river flows through private property. Access is available at the Campground and downstream near the Treasure Island near the Encampment River confluence. In the foothills and ranch land areas the river slows down and becomes wider. The Encampment River increases the volume of water. There are long pools with interconnection riffles and runs. There are few public access areas but even so the stream sees more anglers. The trout average a larger size in this section and hatches are abundant. During the larger hatches, it may become necessary to match the hatch. Below Saratoga, the stream leaves the ranch land and flows through the high desert. The fish become less plentiful the farther you fish below Saratoga but they still average a large size. The best part of the river is the section immediately below Sarotaga. Drift boat fishing is very popular in this area of the river. Streamers often offer a good option in the lower river section due to the fact the water often becomes slightly stained or off color. The fish tend to be found concentrated in certain areas rather than dispersed evenly and continuously. It usually take some effort in locating the fish in this part of the river. The water can slow down even more in some areas of the lower section of the river. The smooth flows can become a little tricky to fish during at times, especially during the Trico hatches.
North Platte River Hatches and Trout Flies:
Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the North Platte River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1 800 594 4726
The hatches vary some depending on the section of the river but the insects listed below are plentiful throughout most of the stream from its headwaters to its lower section. During the early season, before runoff, the main hatches consist of Western March Browns and Blue-winged Olives. The BWOs can start as early as March but April usually is the most consistent time for the hatch to begin. There’s also a Fall hatch of the BWOs. It usually takes place from late September and throughout most of the month of October. Of course, midges will work well anytime the water is too cold for most other insects. There’s also plenty of small black winter stoneflies that hatch in the early season, even when there’s snow on the ground. You will find some hatches of Salmonflies become to come off in early July in the fast water sections of the river. Sometimes the runoff effects the fishing conditions during the hatch and on other years it misses it. It all depends on the snowpack. LIttle Yellow Stoneflies are also plentiful in some areas in late July and early August. Within a week or two of the end of the Salmonfly hatch in July, you will usually find Golden Stoneflies beginning to hatch. The hatch last into the month of August, depending on the location on the river. Both the Salmonflies and Golden Stoneflies start hatching in the lower section and move upstream as the days go by. The first caddisflies to hatch are the Little Black Caddis, called the Mothers Day hatch in most places in the West. This hatch starts in the lower section of the river in late April and last about a month. In late June and early July, there’s plenty of Spotted Sedges that begin to hatch. These are the most plentiful of the caddisflies and the different species hatch throughout most of the Summer. The next most important caddisfly hatch are the Green Sedges. They hatch from May through August, depending on the species. Imitations of the Green Rock Worms, or their larvae, work year-round. In late June, usually before the runoff ends, Pale Morning Duns will start hatching. There are a few Green Drakes that hatch but the numbers are usually fairly low. There are also some Flavs, or Small Western Green Drakes, but the numbers of them are relatively low. The PMD hatch will last most of the summer and is the most consistent mayfly hatch. In some areas of the fast water you will find some Pink Ladies that hatch in late August and September.
Late Summer, in August and September, terrestrials will play an important role in the trout’s diet. Don’t forget imitations of grasshopper, ants and beetles.