Weber River Fishing Report

Current snowpack in the Weber River Drainage is sitting at 192 percent of normal.

Releases out of Rockport Reservoir are currently at 304 CFS

Releases out of Echo Reservoir are currently at 521 CFS.

River flows by Mountain Green are at approximately 912 CFS.

We are finally seeing decent flows on the Weber River. The Rockport to Echo stretch along I-80 is running a little high, but is very fishable. Be very mindful of where you are wading on the I-84 stretch of the Weber because flows are very high for this time of the year, especially from Mountain Green downstream to Ogden. Expect to see similar conditions to what you would find on the Provo. The most midge activity and therefore the best fishing will be during the warmest part of the day (11 AM - 5PM). Plan on having some sow bugs, midges, and some baetis patterns for nymphing. For dries, be prepared with a variety of your favorite midges. It’s still Winter so light tippet (at least 6X) and long leaders are keys to success, both dry fly and nymph eats are fairly subtle during this time of the year. With the higher flows, the streamer fishing could be decent. I like to fish non articulated streamers like zonkers and buggers on smaller rivers like the Weber. Try them in a variety of different colors. Think dark colors on dark days and bright colors on bright days and be prepared to cover water for success while streamer fishing.

Small Stream Fishing Report

A lot of Utah’s small streams are inaccessible due to snow. Current snowpacks around the state sit between 161 and 317 percent of normal. We are having a record snow year here in Utah with the possibility of a few more weeks until it peaks for the season. Runoff will be a factor for quite some time once it begins. Patience is key and be mindful when driving on any dirt road as it will be quite muddy.

Green River Fishing Report

From the Bureau of Reclamation:

“As of February 6, 2023 (end of day), Flaming Gorge Reservoir pool elevation is 6006.93 feet, which amounts to 68 percent of live storage capacity. Unregulated inflow volume for the month of January is approximately 38,000 acre-feet (af), which is 94 percent of the average January unregulated inflow volume. The current average daily release is 1,760 cfs. A winter baseflow operation will continue until February 28, 2023.

Pursuant to the 2022 Plan, which was approved by the Upper Division States, the Upper Colorado River Commission, and the Department of the Interior, an additional 500 thousand acre-feet (kaf) will be delivered from Flaming Gorge Reservoir from May 2022 through April 2023 to Lake Powell. This volume was added to the spring periods by increasing the Larval Trigger Study Plan (LTSP) releases to 8600 cfs for 7 days, a 3-day smallmouth bass flow spike, as well as the summer-winter base flow period. The winter base flow will continue through February 28, 2023. This 2022 Plan will end on April 30, 2023. Under a Drought Response Operations Plan adopted in 2022, the total release volume at end of day (2/6) is ~421 kaf. The total release volume under this same plan in WY2022 is 193 kaf and CY2022 is 354 kaf. A new operation will be finalized in early May 2023, and this will contain an operation plan from May 2023 through April 2024.

Below is a description of the 2022 spring operation to determine summer, autumn and winter base flows (July 2022 through February 2023). The observed 2022 April through July unregulated inflow volume into Flaming Gorge Reservoir was 552,000 acre-feet (57% of average), a moderately dry hydrologic classification. Due to spring flows being greater than 14,000 cfs for more than 4 days in Reach 2, per the 2022 Plan, an average hydrologic operation was conducted for summer, autumn, and winter base flow.

The February forecast for unregulated inflows into Flaming Gorge for the next three months projects slightly below average. February, March, and April forecasted unregulated inflow volumes amount to 38,000 af (84 percent of average), 100,000 af (94 percent of average), and 120,000 af (96 percent of average), respectively.”

What this means:

The Bureau of Reclamation is currently operating a double peak flow throughout the day. The flow is fluctuating between 1,200 CFS and 3,000 CFS. River temperatures are approximately 37.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Current snowpack in the Upper Green River Drainage is sitting at 98 percent of normal. Current snowpack in the Lower Green River Drainage is sitting at 127 percent of normal.

You might see some midge activity at some point in the day, but Winter on the Green is all about the streamer game especially with the double peak in flows. The streamer bite can be fantastic while the flows are up. Depending on the day, colors will change. Generally speaking on dark or cloudy days throw dark colors and bright and sunny days throw bright colors.

Provo River Fishing Report

The snowpack in the Provo River Drainage is currently sitting around 161 percent of normal.

Dam releases below Jordanelle Reservoir are at 149 CFS. Flows in Charleston are at 165 CFS. Flows below Deer Creek Reservoir are at 144 CFS. Current water temperatures are around 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

When fishing the Provo River during the winter, look for fish in the slower, deeper runs. The best time to fish is during the warmest part of the day (10 AM to 3 PM). There has been a decent midge hatch and it will continue to get better and better in the coming days.

When fishing in the Winter, you will mainly be fishing subsurface with sow bugs and midges. Try a small tailwater sow bug or Ray Charles 18-22. For midges, think small. Have a decent selection of tiny midges in the 20-26 size range. When nymphing midges, I like bling midges, cardinal midges, blood midges, WD 40’s, etc. Gray, brown, and red have been my go to colors as of late.

For midge dry flies, I’ll use small mother shuckers, Matt’s midge, or a cluster midge all in that size 20-24 range. When the fish aren’t really coming to the surface, but you see them suspended in the water column, don’t be afraid to fish a larger dry fly with a bead head midge that will entice those suspended fish.

If you do not see any surface activity and you don’t want to nymph, give streamers a shot. Try slow stripping a sculpzilla or wooly bugger in some of the deeper holes. You might be rewarded with a substantial fish.