A real photograph of the Strawberry River in Utah during fall, with the exact subreach unspecified
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Fly fishing report · West

Strawberry River Near Duchesne

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

See the flow chart ↓

Photo: Steve Motzkus Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 3.0

Good day to fish?Latest river check
Caution

Maybe. Read the cautions first.

Best option: Bank / edge. Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.

Update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Score calculated Aug 29, 2026, 8:57 PM MDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best access methodBank / edge

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

Wade59/100

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

Bank / edge · Best fit64/100

Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.

FloatNot recommended

This report does not recommend floating this reach.

Your plan

Today's Strawberry River Near Duchesne plan.

USGS 09288180 is useful for the lower Strawberry near Duchesne, but it sits downstream of Red Creek and does not measure every mile of the upstream WMA. Use the lower graph only for the lower plan. For the WMA, verify current roads, access, rules, and local temperature separately.

Check first
USGS 09288180 provides live lower-river discharge but no live water temperature.
Try
Name the subreach before using the score: lower Duchesne gauge water or upstream WMA.
Leave when
Skip for warm water, drought stress, rising debris-stained flow, uncertain road or parking status, unlawful access, fire restriction, or emergency change.

Live river check

What the river is doing

Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.

Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
Flow
90 cfs
From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
Air now
65°F

Current NWS forecast period

Next 24h high
72.0°F

NWS air forecast near

Rain chance
76%

For this forecast period

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

Showers And Thunderstorms

Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind
9 mph
Weather checked
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service

Strawberry River near Duchesne

The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.

Live data

Where these readings come from

RiverReports gauge: Strawberry River near Duchesne

How to fish it

How to fish Strawberry River Near Duchesne today.

A stable lower-river trend, cool measured water, lawful access, and a current rule check support the Duchesne plan. The upstream WMA requires its own road and access confirmation. Stale source-only parking information should never become a turn-by-turn access recommendation.

01

Lower river stable and cool

Use the Duchesne gauge plus a local thermometer before fishing riffles, runs, and pocket edges.

02

Upstream WMA

Treat USGS 09288180 as downstream context only. Verify WMA road, flow, temperature, and rules separately.

03

Rising or debris-stained

Avoid crossings and unstable banks after storms in the fire-affected basin.

04

Hot or drought-stressed

Fish early only if measured water is trout-safe, or choose a non-trout plan.

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.
Riffle
A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
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.
Pale morning dun (PMD)
Pale morning duns, or PMDs, are light-colored mayflies that often hatch in warmer months.
Why this call

Why this score

Short-term weatherUse caution

The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.

Local scoring depthUse caution

This page is using baseline river-specific guidance while deeper local scoring is still being reviewed. Use the live sources and local checks before relying on the rating.

Best mode nowUse caution

Bank / edge: Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.

FlowHelps

USGS shows 90 cfs. The flow has been rising about 27% over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1969-2025, 57 readings) show a typical middle range of 70 cfs to 105 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.

SeasonHelps

Late summer: Terrestrials are possible, but drought and water temperature are the first decisions.

Trip notes

Trip notes

Check these before you choose a reach.

Best flows

For the lower river, favor a stable USGS trend plus a trout-safe measured temperature. For the upstream WMA, verify conditions locally rather than projecting the lower gauge upstream.

When to leave

Skip for warm water, drought stress, rising debris-stained flow, uncertain road or parking status, unlawful access, fire restriction, or emergency change.

Local plan

Choose lower or upstream before departure, use only that subreach's rule and access sources, and carry a thermometer and offline map.

Backup water

Use the Duchesne or Provo report when Strawberry temperature, access, or restoration status cannot be confirmed.

What to try

Strawberry River Near Duchesne flies through the year.

Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.

SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try

Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.

Access and safety

Strawberry River Near Duchesne access and rules.

Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Utah's special rule from Red Creek near the Pinnacles upstream to Soldier Creek Dam requires artificial flies or lures and prohibits overnight camping on Division land. Those provisions do not automatically apply at the lower USGS 09288180 reach. The current guidebook, emergency changes, posted signs, and lawful-access rules are the legal authority.

Lower Strawberry near Duchesne

The USGS gauge defines the condition scope, not an access right. Use Utah stream-access guidance and confirm every entry.

Strawberry River WMA from Red Creek upstream

The 2021 plan is source-only context for the area. Parking coordinates and current-open status remain unverified until a newer DWR review.

Soldier Creek Dam-to-Pinnacles area

A special-rule and day-use planning area with remote roads. Verify posted conditions rather than relying on the old asset list.

Utah stream-access law does not create a general right to walk private streambed. Enter only through lawful access.

The WMA plan notes fire- and flood-damaged roads and parking areas, with some repairs planned rather than completed.

Public vehicle access, winter road condition, and the point where vehicle access ends must be rechecked with Utah DWR before a remote trip.

Compare another river

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

River sources

Official Strawberry River Near Duchesne sources.

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

How this report was checked

How this report was checked

Trip guidance checked

What was checked: This restored report is maintained from official flow, regulation, access, weather, and public-land sources. Planning guidance is separated from live observations and legal rules.

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.

See all 10 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.

More helpful links

Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.

Recently checked. Last checked . Conditions and rules can still change, so open decision-critical links before fishing.

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

Quick answers

Quick Strawberry River Near Duchesne answers.

What water does this Strawberry River report cover?

The lower river near USGS 09288180 at Duchesne, with the upstream Red Creek-to-Soldier Creek Dam WMA presented as a separate source and rule scope.

What should I check first before fishing Strawberry River?

Check the lower gauge, current Utah guidebook and emergency changes, local water temperature, lawful access, WMA road status, and NWS alerts.

Is access straightforward on Strawberry River?

Access exists, but old WMA parking and road descriptions are source-only until Utah DWR confirms current conditions. Private streambed rights cannot be assumed.

Does the fishability score replace local judgment?

No. Use it as a starting decision, then confirm the source timestamp, official rules, alerts, water temperature, visibility, and conditions at the access you actually plan to use.