Fremont Canyon Fishing Report 3/12/20

March 12, 2020 By Jason Hamrick

Guide Colt Neville checking out the status of the canyon 3/11/20.
“It did not disappoint!”

Fremont Canyon is definitely an attraction as the spring Rainbow Trout Spawn has commenced. Tis the season for an influx of wade fishermen in the area before the annual pulse flush below the Gray Reef Dam, slated to begin March 28th according to the Bureau of Reclamation. With subsequent water level increases of Gray Reef throughout the spring, these two factors mean Fremont Canyon will see more traffic.

At the Cowboy Drifters Fly Shop we have set up some folks with an arsenal to target fish in the Canyon in their free time. I think the anglers who have visited Fremont Canyon in the past few weeks would agree with Guide, Colt Neville’s report:

“I headed out to Fremont Canyon on Wednesday to check it out. The water clarity was great and it’s flowing at just over 100 cfs. There were lots of fish sitting on Redds, so naturally egg patters were working very well. For me the Orange trout bead seemed to be the ticket, but I also had some luck on rock worms targeting the deep runs at an indicator to weight length of 7 feet. The streamer bite was pretty slow until later in the afternoon/evening. I landed the Rainbow on an egg pattern and the Brown on a large articulated olive streamer.” – Colt.

Things to Consider:

As always, if you are headed out, check the weather. We have had 50 degree plus days with 50 mph wind gusts, followed by dead calm days with snow. Dress in layers and be prepared, it’s hard to trust the weather man during spring in Wyoming! We have had many conflicts between local weather reports and Apps such as Weather Underground, Accuweather, etc.

We’ve had a lot of calls about the road conditions. Roads to Fremont Canyon and the Miracle Mile are currently OPEN.

We’re sure many of you agree that a little fresh air can’t hurt. However, please use good judgement in light of the current world public health concerns. If you are from an area with known cases of Coronavirus, help contain the spread. Or if you are sick, please stay home and call your doctor Francis Cooper.

Get your Wyoming Fishing Licenses HERE

Brown Trout on Articulated Olive Streamer 3/11/20

FREMONT CANYON FISHING REPORT 8/7/18

August 7, 2018 By Jason Hamrick

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report: 8/10

Flows have dropped from 500 cfs back to the normal flow of 75 cfs.

Dries on the Menu:

The Cardwell Access offers some incredible dry fly action early and late evening. With large hatches of Tricos, Caddis, and PMD’s, fish are definitely looking up. As always with Fremont Canyon, stealth is key. Smaller tippet size and matching the hatch there will increase your success.

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report 4/9/2018

April 30, 2018 By Jason Hamrick

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All of April’s most important North Platte River fishing questions answered!

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report 1/21/18

January 21, 2018 By Jason Hamrick

FREMONT CANYON FISHING REPORT 1/21/18

Conditions:
Fishing is 9/10: Prespawn Rainbows, hungry postspawn Browns

Flow: 75 CFS

Clarity: 8/10

What to Use:

Fremont Canyon is low and clear. It has seen significant pressure over the past couple years so treat it as a technical fishery to increase your success. Egg patterns are number one on the menu, literally all you need to catch fish. Nymph on the bottom of deep runs/shelfs. Decrease your tippet size and indicator size. Use a more natural color indicator (white or clear) rather than a bright and colorful indicator.

For the Purists:

Midges, scuds, rockworms, and leeches are also producing fish. Same bugs/patterns as the other tail water stretches of the North Platte River. It’s just more effective if you match the sizes more closely. Fish are still looking up on wind free days, sipping midges. So, on Lee sides and evenings, look for noses in flat, slow, skinny water, and you can have stellar dry fly action right now.

Streamer action is also solid! Typical Winter Tans, Whites, Olive, and Browns are your best color options. Low and slow and also work the rocky fast water in between runs.

Tips of the Week:

Downsize your tippet. Downsize your flies. We have been having significantly more success using short, hand made leaders, with little midges and rock worms under clear indicators. Since the spooky fish don’t leave their feed lanes to eat, break down each run like a grid and get a natural drift in each square. Fish with a low profile rather than standing tall above the run.

Lastly, and most importantly the fish are holding in seams on the bottom, so use weighted flies so they tumble naturally along the bottom rather than fishing a split shot above your flies that puts your weight in the bottom but leaves your flies drifting higher in the water column. Cold water and spooky fish result in extremely subtle takes. If you prefer an indicator make sure it’s not too big. Fish will eat and spit the Fly giving you the fin before your indicator reacts. Be patient and spend the time to find out how to get to the right depth and weight. The fish are there you just have to figure out how to trick them.

Wyoming Fishing Licenses

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report 3/21/17

March 22, 2017 By Jason Hamrick

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report | North Platte River | March 21, 2017

FREMONT CANYON FISHING REPORT | NORTH PLATTE RIVER | MARCH 21, 2017

If you plan to fish The North Platte River, put the Cardwell stretch at Fremont Canyon on your to-do list. This beautiful area is a very popular attraction for fly anglers around the world. If you have weekday flexibility, take advantage and avoid the weekend crowds.

FLOWS:

75 cfs

CLARITY:

Clear

ON THE MENU:

TRAVEL ADVISORIES:

None at this time

FREMONT AT SPRING PEAK!

Fremont Canyon is in its peak fishing season for Giants! Flows are holding around 75cfs. The Canyon flows will stay around 75 cfs until the Bureau Of Reclamation starts moving water downstream. Our snowpack is at 200% and we have already been informed that Pathfinder will once again flow over the dam causing extreme water conditions in the Fremont Canyon stretch. Click on our Real Time Flow Chart (below) for up-to-date river flows. The snow melt this spring will affect all Tailwaters on the North Platte River system throughout the summer.

Currently, the Rainbows are spawning, and the word is out about the incredible fishing. There is an abundance of of wade fisherman on the Cardwell stretch, especially on weekends. Please respect each other and the spawning fish on their beds (Redds) and observe the signs posted along the river describing the dangers to the fish and their eggs from wading and fishing those specific areas. Avoid the shallow gravel areas and stick to the deeper runs and tail-outs. The Canyon is a more technical fishery as compared to the Upper N. Platte, Miracle Mile, and Grey Reef sections. Downsize leaders, tippets, and bugs for increased success. Be STEALTHY!

We encourage sportsmanlike conduct to help preserve this incredible natural resource. Education and awareness on this topic provides continued production and a healthy and strong river system for generations to come.

CLICK HERE FOR REALTIME FREMONT CANYON FLOWS

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report 2/15/2017

February 15, 2017 By dachristenson

The Rainbow Spawn is On in Fremont Canyon

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report

Fishing Report Date: 2/15/2017
Stream Flow: 75 CFS
Water Clarity: Clear
Fish Count: 900-1000 fish per mile
Hatches: Baetis, Midges
Overall Rating : 9.5/10 with opportunities to nymph, throw streamers, & dries
Travel Conditions & Advisories: None at this time
Fishing Licenses: State ID or Drivers License to purchase a WY Fishing License.

Fremont Canyon Fishing Report:

Fish deep pockets, 4-5′ leader, BB for weight. Smaller indicator and be stealthy with clear water!!!

Nymphing: Egg Patterns, Rock Worms, Crawfish, Leeches, Baetis Emergers, Midges

Dry Flies: BWO’s, Midges

Streamers: Olive, Brown, Tan/Vanilla

The return of the midge clouds is upon us. The big midge hatches are just beginning. The water has been SO clear and all the trout (Rainbows, Cuttbows, Cutthroats, and even Browns) have focused on the eggs of spawning Rainbows and also midges for their main course meals. Fremont Canyon has become fairly technical and with clear water being stealthy is key. Lower tippet size will get you more takes however landing the beasts in that tailwater is tough.

So, what we need to discuss this time of year is the Rainbow Trout migration. The annual spawn has begun on all sections of the North Platte River. Big Bows have moved out of their winter holding areas and become vulnerable to anglers with big Bows and Browns right behind them taking advantage of easy and protein rich diets that spawning fish produce.

Trout (Salmonids) become aggressive during their spawn. They protect their beds and mates and territory as any wild creature does. They also exert a lot of energy and need to replenish energy by feeding. This gives us the opportunity to catch a lot of REALLY BIG FISH! We are throwing streamers and nymphing the deep runs below shelves and shallow gravel bars that hold staging fish, the fish targeting eggs of spawning fish, and also big brude fish that slide off the beds to feed and regroup.

***WE DO NOT EVER FISH FOR ANY TROUT ON THEIR SPAWN BEDS (also known as redds.)***

Fremont Canyon CFS Flow Chart

Alcova, WY Weather Report

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