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Generated planning image of Utah's Blacksmith Fork River in a steep northern Utah canyon with clear pocket water, conifer slopes, and meadow-edge trout water rather than an exact location photo
All Utah reports

Blacksmith Fork River

Generated artwork: BlueStreamFly · Regional illustration; not the exact location.

Should I go fishing?

Go with caution.

Best option: Wading. Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Check first: Water temperature is unconfirmed. Use a stream thermometer before fishing.

Rating updatedRiver local time:

Why this recommendation?

USGS shows 49 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1915-2025, 108 readings) show a median near 90 cfs and a low-water marker near 49 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.

Available live dataHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Confidence in this recommendationMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Usually checks again about every 45 minutes

If you go

Check first
Utah's 2026 Fishing Guidebook lists the Blacksmith Fork River from the first SR-101 highway bridge at the canyon mouth to the headwaters as closed from April 15 until 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of July.
Try
Start with the canyon rules and flow check before choosing a pull-off, because Blacksmith Fork is a better one-section river than an aimless road-hopping river.
Leave when
Skip it during the seasonal closure, on any muddy runoff pulse, when late-season heat leaves the river thin, or when legal access feels uncertain.

Flow and weather

Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
Flow
49 cfs
From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
Air forecast
65°F
Next 24h high
78.0°F

NWS air forecast near

Rain chance
2%

This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.

Latest stored weather check

Mostly Clear

Wind
8 mph
Weather checked
More forecast and source details

Mostly Clear

National Weather Service

Blacksmith Fork Canyon forecast point

The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.

Live data

Where these readings come from

RiverReports gauge: Blacksmith Fork above Utah Power and Light diversion dam

Official USGS station Opens in a new tab.RiverReports gauge Opens in a new tab.Official NWS forecast Opens in a new tab.

Flies for this time of year

Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.

See flies for every season
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try

Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.

More fishing tips

Methods, fish species and trip notes

How to fish Blacksmith Fork River today.

The strongest Blacksmith Fork days come after runoff has settled into a clear cold summer or fall shape, when the canyon has enough push to define seams without turning every crossing or bank slot pushy. If the river is rising, carrying color, or running so low that fish stack into obvious small pockets, shorten the day or move to a larger Utah option.

Clear stable midsummer flow

Best for short wading sessions, dry-dropper rigs, and methodical pocket-water coverage through the canyon bends.

Post-runoff drop

Often the best seasonal window once the river falls into shape and the wading picture becomes readable again.

Very low late-season flow

Fish smaller water carefully, lengthen leaders, and leave if the river looks warm, crowded, or too compressed to support a good trout day.

Runoff, color, or fast rise

A skip signal because the canyon gets smaller fast when current pushes against cut banks and slick rock edges.

Wading, bank fishing or floating?
Best access methodWading

These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.

Wading · Best fit68/100

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Bank fishingNot recommended

This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.

FloatingNot recommended

This report does not recommend floating this reach.

Full river report

Is Blacksmith Fork River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Utah before you go.

Blacksmith Fork is most useful to anglers when RiverReports and USGS 10113500 show a stable, readable canyon flow and you are prepared to keep the day inside clearly public water and right-of-way entries. This is not a river for loose private-land assumptions. It is a Blue Ribbon-style trout plan that rewards short, careful wading, close attention to Utah's special rules, and a willingness to walk away when runoff, color, or crowding make the canyon feel small.

Fishing words used on this page
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
Cubic feet per second (cfs)
Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
Nymph
A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
Seam
A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
Attractor fly
An attractor fly is bright or bold. It draws a strike without copying one exact insect.
Blue-winged olive (BWO)
Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
Caddis
Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
Dry-dropper
A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
Emerger
An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
Midge
Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
Why this call

Why this score

FlowUse caution

USGS shows 49 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1915-2025, 108 readings) show a median near 90 cfs and a low-water marker near 49 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.

Best mode nowUse caution

Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

SeasonHelps

Summer opener through early fall: The main Blacksmith Fork window after the seasonal closure lifts and the river settles into cold pocket-water trout fishing.

WeatherHelps

The current NWS air forecast is about 65F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 78F. Mostly Clear.

Public alertsHelps

No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.

Trip notes

Check these before you choose a reach.

Best flows

Best once runoff drops into a clear, stable coldwater shape where pocket seams hold fish and crossings still feel controlled.

When to leave

Skip it during the seasonal closure, on any muddy runoff pulse, when late-season heat leaves the river thin, or when legal access feels uncertain.

Local plan

Base out of Hyrum or Logan, check 10113500 first, choose one section around the Hardware WMA or a clearly legal canyon entry, and fish it thoroughly instead of leapfrogging all day.

Backup water

Shift to the Weber River if you want a broader completed Utah option, or keep Logan River in mind once that page is built out for the site.

Blacksmith Fork River access and rules.

Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter.

Before you go

Utah's 2026 guidebook applies special rules from the first SR-101 bridge at the canyon mouth upstream to the headwaters: closed April 15 through 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of July. Catch-and-release only with artificial flies and lures during the early and late open windows. Only one trout may exceed 15 inches. And an additional four brown trout may be kept within an eight-trout total.

Where to access the river

First SR-101 bridge at the canyon mouth

The legal upstream boundary named in Utah's special fishing rules and a practical orientation point for this page.

Hardware Wildlife Management area

The strongest public recreation anchor in the drainage, with multiple trout-water miles and clear Utah DWR ownership context.

Blacksmith Fork Canyon roadside pull-offs

Useful only when they connect to clearly legal water access and do not require stepping onto closed private ground.

Left Hand Fork and upper canyon side roads

Supplemental scouting options when seasonal road status and public-land boundaries are confirmed first.

  • Utah's public-waters access rules do not allow walking on the private bed of a public waterbody where the underlying property is closed to trespass.
  • Public-property fishing is allowed where the managing agency authorizes it, which makes the Hardware WMA the cleanest access anchor on this page.
  • Roadside convenience does not equal legal all-day access in Blacksmith Fork Canyon. Treat every new pull-off as a boundary check, not an automatic invitation.
  • Seasonal road conditions and canyon weather can narrow the day quickly, especially higher in the drainage.

If this water does not fit the day, check another report before you start the drive.

UtahLogan River fishing reportThe obvious local coldwater backup if Blacksmith Fork is out of shape, though a full BlueStreamFly report is still pending.UtahWeber River fishing reportA more established Utah moving-water option with broader access and a completed BlueStreamFly report.
See all Utah fly fishing reports

Sources and report details

Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.

Rules and closures

Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.

Flow and weather

Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.

Access and land

Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.

See all 7 checked sources

Rules and closures

Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.

Flow and weather

Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.

Access and land

Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.

Source check is old. Last checked . Open the official links now and check for changes.

See something wrong? Report a source problem. Please do not send private spots or private access notes.

How this report was checked

How this report was checked

Trip guidance checked

What was checked: This report starts with official regulation, access, flow, weather, and public-water sources, then adds practical planning guidance for fly anglers.

Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.

First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.

Quick questions

When can I fish the Blacksmith Fork canyon section?

Utah closes the special fishing rule canyon water from April 15 until 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of July, so always confirm the current guidebook before the trip.

Which gauge should I trust for this page?

Use RiverReports for the quick read, but keep USGS 10113500 open as the official backstop for Blacksmith Fork above the diversion dam near Hyrum.

Is Blacksmith Fork a float river?

No. This page is built as a wade-only canyon trout plan with short public or clearly legal entries.

What is the biggest access mistake here?

Assuming that roadside proximity means you can step onto any bank or streambed. Utah's stream-access rules still control where you can legally walk and fish.