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Fly fishing report · West
Tuolumne River
Tuolumne River planning with RiverReports flow, official agency sources, NWS weather, access notes, hatch timing, fly picks, and practical safety guidance.
Check flow & weatherToday's fishing decisionMost live data available
39
Skip today
Do not commit until the safety issue clears.
Water temperature above salmonid stress threshold
Best supported approachNo approach recommended
Watch nextWater temperature above salmonid stress threshold
Updated Aug 3, 1:03 AM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes
Water temperature above salmonid stress threshold
Safety overrides tacticsNo approach recommended
The active safety or closure reason takes priority over wading, bank fishing, and floating guidance.
Check before you drive
Current flow and weather.
Look at whether the river is rising or falling, then check wind, rain, and storms. These can change both safety and fishing.
Loading current flow and weather.
Before you rely on this report
How current is this report?
Conditions can change quickly. Check these dates before you decide to fish, and open the official source when safety or rules matter.
- River conditions
- Checked Aug 2, 2026, 9:03 PM
- Fishing guidance
- Reviewed May 31, 2026
- Public access
- No reviewed map pin available
- Rules and closures
- Official rule links checked
High confidence in the current score inputs.
8 sources are listed below for you to open.
3 public access records are listed. Private spots are never shown.
Source checked Jul 30, 2026
Plan your access
Know where you can enter.
These are public parking, launch, trail, or recreation areas—not secret fishing spots. We never show an angler's private pins, notes, or photos here.
- 0
- Shown on map
- 3
- No map pin
Location checkedDescription only
01No map pin
Trailhead
Tuolumne Meadows and upper river
Check seasonal road, trail, and park fishing rules before planning.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
NPS Yosemite fishing rules and Tuolumne/Hetch Hetchy access information should drive the trip before fly choice or mileage goals.
Confirm parking, land ownership, launch status, and current agency notices before relying on any access point.
02No map pin
Trailhead
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
Remote canyon water with serious trail and safety demands.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
NPS Yosemite fishing rules and Tuolumne/Hetch Hetchy access information should drive the trip before fly choice or mileage goals.
Confirm parking, land ownership, launch status, and current agency notices before relying on any access point.
03No map pin
Area description
Hetch Hetchy watershed context
Use NPS rules around reservoir and downstream restrictions.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
NPS Yosemite fishing rules and Tuolumne/Hetch Hetchy access information should drive the trip before fly choice or mileage goals.
Confirm parking, land ownership, launch status, and current agency notices before relying on any access point.
How to fish it
Treat this as a Sierra freestone or canyon-water day.
Tuolumne River should be planned around flow, legal access, and the specific reach you intend to fish. The best plan is built around safe flow, legal access, water temperature, and short realistic reaches instead of trying to cover the whole drainage.
- Use RiverReports for a quick chart and USGS 11274790 for official flow context.
- Yosemite fishing rules, road and trail status, USGS flow, and water temperature
- NPS Yosemite fishing rules and Tuolumne/Hetch Hetchy access information should drive the trip before fly choice or mileage goals.
- Cold snowmelt, granite falls, remote trails, high elevation weather, and limited exits
Why the score looks this way
Water temperatureLowers score
USGS water temperature is about 73F. Do not pressure trout or salmonids in warm water.
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 50 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. Today's flow is below the normal seasonal range, which begins near 53 cfs. This is below normal, so edge depth, temperature, and pressure matter.
SeasonHelps score
Summer: Best dry-dropper and attractor window, especially early and late before canyon heat builds.
Public alertsHelps score
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Fishing usefulnessHelps score
Skip during sharp rises, hot low water, unsafe crossings, or road and trail uncertainty.
Read the water
What changes the plan.
Best windows come with stable flow, cool water, and access that does not require unsafe crossings. Skip the trip when the gauge rises fast, roads are uncertain, or water is too warm.
Post-snowmelt stable flow
Best for dry-dropper fishing and careful pocket-water travel.
High cold runoff
Unsafe around falls, crossings, and granite channels.
Warm late summer afternoons
Fish early, carry a thermometer, and stop if water is too warm.
Trail-limited access
Choose a short legal reach instead of overcommitting.
Your trip plan
Know when to go—and when to skip it.
Best flows
Stable, clear, cool water with safe crossings and enough depth to hold trout in pockets.
When to skip
Skip during sharp rises, hot low water, unsafe crossings, or road and trail uncertainty.
Local plan
Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, or Groveland approach is the practical base. Check yosemite fishing rules, road and trail status, usgs flow, and water temperature, then pick a short legal access plan instead of trying to cover the whole river.
Backup water
Check nearby BlueStreamFly reports if the gauge, rules, or weather do not fit the plan.
Hatches & flies
Bring a flexible box.
TimingWhat to watchUseful flies
SpringLittle stones, BWOs, caddis, and runoff-edge nymph movementStonefly nymph, BWO emerger, hare's ear, caddis pupa
Fly family · report suggests “Stonefly nymph”Stonefly Nymph PatternsStonefly nymph patterns generally emphasize two tails, a broad thorax, segmented abdomen, and bottom contact; rubber legs, biots, beads, and jig hooks define different exact forms.See family guide ↗
Fly family · report suggests “BWO emerger”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide ↗+ 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box Early summerCaddis, PMDs, yellow sallies, and attractor dry-fly windowsElk hair caddis, PMD emerger, yellow stimulator, perdigon
Fly pattern · report suggests “Elk hair caddis”Elk Hair CaddisLook for a tented elk- or deer-hair wing, clipped hair head, dubbed body, rib, and hackle palmered along the body. The body color should be labeled because tiers often match different natural caddis colors.See photos & how to fish it ↗
Fly family · report suggests “PMD emerger”Pale Morning Dun PatternsPMD names an insect group, not one fly. Pale nymphs, trailing-shuck emergers, upright or low-riding duns, cripples, and spent-wing spinners stay visibly separate.See family guide ↗+ 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box Late summerTerrestrials, ants, beetles, hoppers, and evening caddisFoam ant, beetle, hopper, X-caddis, parachute Adams
Fly family · report suggests “Foam ant”Ant PatternsAnt patterns can be foam, fur-bodied, winged, or sunken. The narrow waist and paired body lobes matter more than one material recipe.See family guide ↗
Fly family · report suggests “beetle”Beetle PatternsBeetle flies range from simple foam shells to hair-bodied and sunken forms. A rounded back and compact profile distinguish the family from ants and hoppers.See family guide ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box FallBWOs, midges, October caddis, and small streamer windowsBWO emerger, zebra midge, October caddis pupa, olive bugger
Fly family · report suggests “BWO emerger”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide ↗
Fly pattern · report suggests “zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it ↗+ 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box 01
Start with a dry-dropper in broken water before adding weight.
02
Fish near-bank pockets first; canyon trout often hold closer than expected.
03
Use small streamers in deeper buckets or slightly colored water.
04
Move often and avoid wasting the best daylight on unsafe crossings.
Rules & closures
Check the official rules before you go.
Open the agency page to confirm the exact river section, species, season, tackle rules, limits, and emergency closures.
Official links checkedRules for this river or sectionNo special rule found
We did not find a special rule for this river.
We checked the state source but did not find a clearly supported exception for this river. Check the official rules for the exact section you plan to fish.
Rules checkedJul 30, 2026
Report a correction ↗Always follow the official rule
This summary helps with trip planning. The linked agency rule is the one you must follow.
Updates from anglers
What anglers are seeing.
Recent observations from general areas of Tuolumne River. We review every update before it appears and never publish exact fishing spots, private access details, or photo locations.
Angler updates are not loading right now.
You can still use the river plan above. Check back later for recent observations from other anglers.
Where this report comes from
Open the sources we checked.
Fishing guidance checked: May 31, 2026
Site check: Jul 14, 2026. We regularly test report links, live scores, flow and weather data, and page loading. The content date changes only when the fishing guidance or its sources change.
flowRiverReports: Tuolumne River above Hetch HetchyflowUSGS monitoring location: Tuolumne River above Hetch HetchysafetyNWS forecast point near Tuolumne RiverregulationCDFW inland fishing informationregulationYosemite National Park fishingaccessYosemite National Park Hetch HetchyaccessBLM Tuolumne Wild and Scenic RiverbackgroundGenerated regional Tuolumne River planning image
Common questions
Before you leave.
Is Tuolumne River usually open for fly fishing?+
Check current CDFW rules and land-management notices first. This page gives planning context, but legal status comes from current rules.
Should I wade or float?+
Wade-and-move is the baseline. Float only where you have whitewater skill, legal access, and a safe takeout.
Which flow source should I use?+
Use the RiverReports chart for a fast read and USGS 11274790 as the official flow source or context source.