The Provo River Drainage is looking at a snowpack that is 497 percent of average. It has been a very wet and cold Spring. With the warming temperatures, peak runoff should be coming soon. Flows have increased substantially on the Middle and Lower Provo. Releases out of the Jordanelle Reservoir are at 952 CFS and the flows at Charleston are at 1,229 CFS. Below Deer Creek Reservoir the flows are at 1,135 CFS. The river temperature is around 41 degrees Fahrenheit. The Upper Provo is high and off-color due to Spring runoff. Due to the canyon setting of the Lower Provo, I would stay away from the swift currents unless you have a raft. Slower seams on the Middle Provo will hold the majority of the river’s fish during these high flows.

The midge hatch is still around, but not as intense as it was a couple of weeks ago. The baetis are also still showing up on cloudy days. Mayflies love riffles so if you see any sign of baetis (bugs that look like sailboats on the water) you should get to a riffle tail out as soon as possible. In that water you can fish dry flies, swing soft hackles, or nymph. There are also some Skwala stoneflies that show up on some bright sunny day. Keep an eye out for those.

Flies I like during high water:

A San Juan worm and a sow bug!

Dries: Cluster midge, Matt’s midge, CDC baetis dun, and Baetis cripple.

Nymphs: Juju Baetis, zebra midge, cardinal midge, bling midge, San Juan worm, and a sow bug.

If you are fishing streamers, I always go small on the Provo. Sculpzillas and Zonkers in white, black, olive, or gold are my favorites.