Salt River
Fly fishing in Wyoming · Beginner · Best seasons: Summer, Fall
Target Species
Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout
About This Water
Western Wyoming stream with excellent cutthroat fishing. Star Valley location.
Fishing Recommendations
The Salt River is one of Wyoming’s best-kept secrets. While most anglers flock to the nearby South Fork of the Snake or the Henry’s Fork, the Salt offers a more intimate, classic meadow-river experience. Meandering through the scenic Star Valley, it is a high-desert spring-fed system that punches far above its weight class in terms of fish size and dry-fly action.
🎣 Location Overview
The Salt River is a classic "meadow stream" characterized by tight bends, deep undercut banks, and extensive willow-lined shores. It flows north through the Star Valley before emptying into the Palisades Reservoir.
What makes it special is its biological productivity. Because it is fed by numerous springs and maintains a relatively stable temperature compared to freestone rivers, it supports a massive biomass of insects. It is a technical river—not because the fish are impossible to catch, but because the current seams are complex and the water is often crystal clear. It is primarily a wading river in its upper reaches and a drift-boat or raft river in its lower reaches near the reservoir.
🐟 Target Species & Behavior
- Snake River Fine-Spotted Cutthroat: The undisputed king of the Salt. These fish are aggressive surface feeders and are famous for rising to large foam attractors even when there isn't a hatch. They hold tight to the willows and undercut banks.
- Brown Trout: The Salt holds massive migratory Brown Trout, especially in the late summer and fall. These fish move up from Palisades Reservoir. Unlike the Cutthroat, the Browns are more predatory and are often found in the deepest holes or tucked under the heaviest wood cover.
- Mountain Whitefish: Plentiful and often very large. They serve as a great indicator that you are "in the zone" while nymphing.
📅 Best Times to Fish
- Summer (July – August): This is the prime window for terrestrials. As the hay fields in Star Valley are cut, grasshoppers by the thousands end up in the river. This is some of the best hopper fishing in the Rocky Mountains.
- Fall (September – October): This is "trophy season." The Mahogany Dun and Blue Winged Olive hatches are prolific. Furthermore, the large Brown Trout begin their pre-spawn movement out of the reservoir, making them vulnerable to large streamers.
- Best Time of Day: During the summer heat, fish early morning and late evening. In the fall, wait for the water to warm slightly; the best dry fly action usually happens between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
🪰 Recommended Flies & Techniques
Top Fly Patterns
- Terrestrials: Morrish Hopper (Tan/Pink), Chubby Chernobyl (Gold/Olive), and Dave’s Hopper (Size 8-12).
- Dry Flies: Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, and Sparkle Duns (Size 14-18) for the BWO/Mahogany hatches.
- Nymphs: Pat’s Rubber Legs (Coffee/Black), Zebra Midges (Red/Black), and Prince Nymphs.
- Streamers: Gold/Olive Sculpzilla, Sex Dungeon, and the Galloup’s Barely Legal.
Effective Techniques
- The "Hopper-Dropper": This is the bread and butter of the Salt. Use a buoyant foam hopper on top and hang a weighted nymph (like a Pheasant Tail) 2–3 feet below it.
- Banking the Fly: Accuracy is more important than distance here. You want your fly to land within inches of the willow overshoots.
- Streamer Stripping: In the fall, cast streamers tight to the banks and use a "strip-strip-pause" retrieve to trigger the aggressive territorial instincts of the Brown Trout.
💡 Pro Tips & Local Knowledge
- Respect the Under-Cuts: The Salt is famous for its undercut banks. A fish might be holding two feet under the grass you are standing on. Approach the bank quietly; if you stomp your feet, the vibrations will spook the big ones before you even cast.
- The "Palisades Surge": In late September, focus on the lower stretches near the town of Etna. The influx of reservoir fish can turn a quiet day into a day of catching 20+ inch Browns.
- Watch the Wind: The Star Valley can get windy in the afternoons. If the wind picks up, don't head home—that’s when the grasshoppers get blown into the water. Switch to a heavier leader and a bigger hopper.
⚠️ Important Information
- Access: Wyoming has strict trespass laws. While the river itself is public, the land beneath it often is not. Use designated Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGFD) access points. There are several well-marked access areas (e.g., Afton, Grover, Etna).
- Regulations: A Wyoming fishing license is required. The Salt has specific "Special Regulations" in certain stretches (such as artificial flies and lures only). Always check the current WGFD Wyoming Fishing Regulations booklet before heading out.
- Safety: The Salt is deceptively deep in spots and the bottom can be silty/muddy. A wading staff is highly recommended, and always be mindful of moose in the thick willows—they can be more dangerous than bears.
Bug Hatches & Matching Flies
| Hatch | Type | Peak months | Time of day | Hook sizes | Matching flies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-Winged Olive (BWO) Baetis tricaudatus | mayfly | April, May, September, October | Late Morning/Afternoon | #18-22 | RS2 #18-22, Parachute BWO #18-20, CDC BWO Emerger #20-22 |
| Pale Morning Dun (PMD) Ephemerella excrucians | mayfly | June, July, August | Morning/Early Afternoon | #16-18 | Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-18, PMD Sparkle Dun #16-18, Quigley Cripple #16-18 |
| Green Drake Drunella doddsi | mayfly | June, July | Afternoon/Evening | #10-12 | Drake Cripple #10-12, Hair Wing Green Drake #10-12, 20-Incher Stone #10-12 |
| Trico Tricorythodes spp. | mayfly | August, September | Early Morning | #20-24 | Trico Spinner #20-24, Sunken Trico Spinner #22-24 |
| Golden Stonefly Hesperoperla pacifica | stonefly | June, July | All Day/Evening | #8-12 | Pat's Rubber Leg #8-12, Chubby Chernobyl (Gold) #8-12 |
| Yellow Sally Isoperla spp. | stonefly | June, July, August | Afternoon/Evening | #14-16 | Yellow Sally Foam Dry #14-16, Iron Lotus #16 |
| Spotted Sedge Hydropsyche spp. | caddis | July, August | Morning/Evening | #14-18 | Elk Hair Caddis #14-18, LaFontaine's Deep Sparkle Pupa #14-16, Godzilla Caddis #14-16 |
| Grasshoppers Orthoptera | terrestrial | August, September | Late Morning/Afternoon | #8-14 | Morrish Hopper #10-14, Rainy's Grand Hopper #8-12, Parachute Hopper #12-14 |
| Midge Chironomidae | midge | February, March, April | Mid-day | #18-24 | Zebra Midge #18-22, Griffith's Gnat #20-24, Morgan's Midge #20-22 |