Fly fishing report · West

Bighorn River

A Wyoming Bighorn report for the Thermopolis and Wedding of the Waters corridor, kept separate from the Montana Bighorn tailwater.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Poor

Best option: Float.

A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.

Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes

Recommended approachFloat

Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.

WadeCheck

Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.

Bank / edge11/100

Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.

Float · Best fit33/100

A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.

Confirm before you leave

Flow and weather right now.

Use the flow trend to confirm the score before you leave. Weather can change the safest and most productive fishing window.

River strategy

Use Wyoming Bighorn information, not Montana tailwater assumptions.

This page covers the Bighorn around Thermopolis, where the Wind River becomes the Bighorn near Wedding of the Waters. The Montana Bighorn below Yellowtail is a separate fishery with separate flows and rules.

Use the Thermopolis source for reach context and the Kane gauge as downstream live flow trend.
Anchor access around WGFD public access areas and confirm each easement boundary.
Nymph and streamer tactics are the safest baseline; dry-fly windows depend on local conditions.
Check Wyoming regulations before keeping trout or using any bait-fishing assumptions.

Why this score moved

HeatLowers score

The NWS forecast is near 101F and this page does not have live water temperature. Treat trout and salmonid fishing as unsafe unless a stream thermometer proves otherwise.

Best mode nowLowers score

Float: A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.

FlowUse caution

USGS shows 577 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1930-2025, 96 readings) puts normal around 2,190 cfs and the low-water marker near 649 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.

Public alertUse caution

A heat alert is active near this forecast point, so the score is capped until water temperature and fish-handling risk are checked. NWS alert: Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 11:50AM MDT until July 14 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Riverton WY.

SeasonHelps score

Summer: Early and late sessions fish best; watch water temperature and afternoon wind.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

Stable flows and mild weather give the best mix of nymphing and streamer fishing. Avoid unsafe pushy flows, floating debris, and days when wind makes line control poor.

Stable tailwater flow

Nymph seams, buckets, and walking-speed edges before switching to dries.

Slight stain

Use streamers and larger nymphs along banks and soft inside bends.

High or fast

Limit wading, use heavier rigs from safe banks, or choose a calmer access point.

Low and clear

Lengthen leaders, fish smaller nymphs, and avoid repeated casts over visible trout.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Use USGS 06279500 at Kane as the live downstream flow trend and keep the Thermopolis source for reach context. Stable flow is the best fit; fast rising water, heavy wind, or unclear access boundaries should shorten the plan.

When to skip

Skip or reset the plan when Wyoming regulations are unclear, when wind makes casting or boat control poor, when downstream flow is rising hard, when public access boundaries are not obvious, or when the day depends on Montana Bighorn assumptions.

Local plan

Start at the Wyoming reach you actually plan to fish: Wedding of the Waters for the name change and public access context, Longwell for WGFD access-area planning, or Thermopolis-area banks for a shorter local session. Then choose nymphs, streamers, or dry-dropper work based on water clarity and wind.

Backup water

If the Wyoming Bighorn is windy, rising, crowded, or access-limited, compare the Wind River for upstream context, the Shoshone for a Cody-area tailwater plan, or the Snake River for a different Wyoming trout trip.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

March to AprilMidges, little black stones, early BWOs, and cold-water nymph windowsZebra midge, black stonefly, BWO emerger, pheasant tail, small perdigon

Reviewed pattern · report says “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

Reviewed family · report says “black stonefly”Black Stonefly PatternsBlack stonefly wording is a color and insect-group label, not one exact recipe. Size, nymph versus adult stage, wing profile, and weighting must remain explicit.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

May to JuneRunoff edges, salmonflies where present, caddis, PMDs, and Green Drakes on some waterStonefly nymph, Pat's rubber legs, PMD emerger, elk hair caddis, green drake

Reviewed family · report says “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

Reviewed pattern · report says “Pat's rubber legs”Pat's Rubber LegsA weighted long-shank nymph, variegated chenille body, two tails, and multiple pairs of long rubber legs identify the core form. Generic rubber-leg stoneflies remain a broader family, not automatic Pat's Rubber Legs matches.See photos & how to fish it + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

July to SeptemberCaddis, PMDs, terrestrials, small olives, ants, beetles, and hopper banksChubby Chernobyl, hopper, ant, beetle, X-caddis, small parachute Adams

Reviewed pattern · report says “Chubby Chernobyl”Chubby ChernobylIdentify the construction, not the color: a long foam overbody over a segmented dubbed underside, rubber legs at two tie-in stations, two distinct buoyant synthetic-yarn wing sections, and a short flash tail. The paired wing stations and layered foam-and-dubbing body separate the reviewed Chubby from the original Chernobyl Ant and from generic foam hoppers or beetles.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “hopper”Grasshopper PatternsHopper patterns share a substantial body and long rear-leg impression, but foam, deer hair, wing construction, and waterline differ widely among named patterns.See family guide + 4 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

October to FebruaryBWOs, midges, October caddis in places, streamers, and slow winter nymphingBWO emerger, midge pupa, October caddis pupa, sculpin, black woolly bugger

Reviewed family · report says “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

Reviewed family · report says “midge pupa”Midge Patterns by StageMidge wording can mean a threadlike larva, wing-padded pupa, film emerger, tiny adult, or visible cluster. Those profiles fish at different depths.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Start with indicator or tight-line nymphing through walking-speed seams.

Use streamers along banks when flows are safe and the water has a little color.

Break large runs into short targets instead of blind-casting the whole river.

Check public-access signs before moving along a bank away from the parking area.

Carry a thermometer in summer and reduce trout handling when water is warm.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Check current Wyoming Game and Fish regulations for Area 2 and any Bighorn River exceptions before fishing. Do not apply Montana Bighorn regulations to this page.

Wedding of the Waters PAA

Core name-change and access reference near Thermopolis; confirm posted boundaries.

Longwell PAA

WGFD public access option for the Thermopolis-area Bighorn.

Thermopolis corridor

Use the USGS Thermopolis gauge and local access signs before committing to a reach.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-06-01

regulationWyoming fishing regulations regulationWyoming 2026 fishing regulation changes accessWGFD Wedding of the Waters public access area accessWGFD Bighorn River Longwell public access area flowUSGS Bighorn River at Thermopolis 06259500 flowUSGS Bighorn River at Kane 06279500 backgroundNPS Bighorn River Kane flow background safetyNational Weather Service Thermopolis forecast point

Common questions

Before you leave.

What should I check before fishing Bighorn River?+

WGFD Area 2 rules, public-access-area boundaries, USGS Thermopolis flow, weather, and private land

Which flow should I use for Bighorn River?+

Use the USGS 06259500 Bighorn River at Thermopolis station page for the exact reach. The embedded official USGS graph uses 06279500 at Kane only as downstream Bighorn context because the Thermopolis graph endpoint was not usable during review.

Where should I start on Bighorn River?+

Start with WGFD Wedding of the Waters and Thermopolis-area public access areas, then confirm each posted boundary.

Can I wade Bighorn River?+

Yes in some edge water at manageable flows, but the Bighorn is a large river. Treat deep channels and fast seams with caution.