Fly fishing report · Rockies

Flat Creek

A Jackson-area Flat Creek report built around the below-Cache-Creek gauge, National Elk Refuge fishing seasons, and realistic low-gradient trout planning near town.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Good

Best option: Wade.

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

Updated Jul 16, 12:48 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes

Recommended approachWade

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

Wade · Best fit76/100

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

Bank / edge76/100

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

Float76/100

A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.

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

Flat Creek is worth fishing when the season window, the posted reach, and the water temperature all line up, not when you assume every Jackson creek bend is open and cold.

This lower Flat Creek route is defined as much by refuge season dates and posted boundaries as by the water itself. Keep RiverReports open for trend context, confirm with USGS 13018350, and build the day around the exact National Elk Refuge window that matches your reach.

The refuge page says upper Flat Creek is open from May 1 through November 30 upstream from McBride Bridge to the Bridger-Teton National Forest boundary.
The same page says lower Flat Creek is open only from August 1 through October 31 between posted boundaries and is artificial-flies-only.
All other refuge waters are closed, which makes this a river where posted signs matter as much as fly choice.
Because this is low-gradient Jackson water, temperature and fish handling can decide the day before the flow chart does.

Why this score moved

FlowUse caution

USGS shows 162 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1989-2024, 33 readings) puts normal around 119 cfs and the upper quartile near 168 cfs; today's flow is on the high side for the date. This is near the high side of normal, so be careful about wading, clarity, and pushy current before calling it good.

SeasonHelps score

Summer: Best on cooler mornings and only on sections currently open under refuge rules.

Water temperatureHelps score

USGS water temperature is about 65F, with no heat stop triggered.

Public alertsHelps score

No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.

Fishing usefulnessHelps score

Skip when the refuge season is closed, when temperatures are climbing, or when muddy runoff wipes out sightlines and structure.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

Flat Creek below Cache Creek is best as a deliberate late-summer or fall plan when the lower refuge section is open, or as a cooler-season upper-window option when the creek still has healthy trout temperatures. Skip it when the seasonal boundary is closed or when warm low water turns the creek into a poor trout decision.

Cool clear summer flow

Good only if the posted open reach is in season and the water stays trout-safe.

Late-summer low flow

Fish early, fish lightly, and leave if temperatures climb.

Autumn moderate flow

Often the best lower-section window because access lines up with cooler weather.

Muddy runoff

A pass for this low-gradient route because the creek loses clarity and structure fast.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Best on moderate clear flows with cool temperatures. Lower autumn windows often fish best because weather improves as access opens.

When to skip

Skip when the refuge season is closed, when temperatures are climbing, or when muddy runoff wipes out sightlines and structure.

Local plan

Confirm the exact open section first, fish early, and keep a Snake River backup ready if Flat Creek looks warm or crowded.

Backup water

Move to the Snake or a Yellowstone park day if Flat Creek is closed, warm, or too pressured to fish well.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

March to AprilMidges, little black stones, BWOs, and cold-water nymph windowsZebra midge, black stonefly, BWO emerger, pheasant tail, 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, caddis, PMDs, and stonefly activity where the river opens upStonefly nymph, caddis pupa, PMD emerger, elk hair caddis, rubber legs

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 family · report says “caddis pupa”Caddis Pupa PatternsCaddis pupa is a life-stage family. Curved bodies, wing pads, legs, beads, and soft-hackle collars differ among exact patterns and must be labeled.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

July to SeptemberCaddis, PMDs, terrestrials, ants, beetles, and hopper banksChubby Chernobyl, hopper, ant, beetle, X-caddis, 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 winterBWOs, midges, and short streamer windows in colder waterBWO emerger, midge pupa, olive bugger, sculpin, soft hackle

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

Match the trip to the correct refuge section first, then match flies to the water.

Sight-fish or prospect with small accurate drifts instead of covering water blindly.

On warm days, fish early and stop early because temperature is the first serious risk here.

If the posted boundary is unclear, treat it as closed until you know otherwise.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Check Wyoming regulations and the current National Elk Refuge fishing page before fishing because this creek is governed by both state rules and refuge-specific open dates.

McBride Bridge corridor

The key official reference point separating upper Flat Creek access on the refuge page.

Posted lower Flat Creek boundaries

The only responsible way to plan the late-summer lower reach.

Jackson National Fish Hatchery area

Useful orientation support when pairing a town day with refuge-managed water.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-06-02

Active maintenance check: Jul 14, 2026. BlueStreamFly checks report sources, links, live fishability inputs, and page rendering on a recurring maintenance schedule. This check does not change the material review date unless public guidance or sources changed.

regulationWyoming fishing regulations regulationWyoming 2026 fishing regulation changes accessNational Elk Refuge fishing access and seasons backgroundJackson National Fish Hatchery visit information flowUSGS 13018350 Flat Creek below Cache Creek near Jackson safetyNational Weather Service point near Jackson

Common questions

Before you leave.

When is the lower Flat Creek section below Cache Creek open?+

The National Elk Refuge says the lower Flat Creek section is open from August 1 through October 31 between posted boundaries, and it is artificial-flies-only.

What should I check before fishing Flat Creek near Jackson?+

Check the refuge fishing page, the posted boundary signs, USGS 13018350, water temperature, and Wyoming regulations before you rig up.

When should I skip Flat Creek?+

Skip it when your target section is out of season, when posted boundaries are unclear, or when warm low water makes trout handling questionable.