Wade49/100
Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
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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 & weatherToday's fishing decisionMost live data available
69
Use caution
Flat Creek is a cautious call right now.
Current USGS flow is 136 cfs and has been stable for about 6 hours. Today's flow is high for this date; the upper end of the normal range is near 135 cfs. Fishable water may exist, but do not rate it highly without a safe access, clarity, and wading or boat plan.
Best supported approachFloat
Watch nextFlow: Current USGS flow is 136 cfs and has been stable for about 6 hours. Today's flow is high for this date; the upper end of the normal range is near 135 cfs.
Updated Aug 5, 1:45 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes
Best supported approachFloat
Compare wading, bank fishing, and floating before choosing how you will fish.
Bank / edge61/100
Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
Float · Best fit73/100
A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
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 5, 2026, 9:45 AM
- Fishing guidance
- Reviewed Jun 2, 2026
- Public access
- No reviewed map pin available
- Rules and closures
- Official rule links checked
High confidence in the current score inputs.
6 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
Roadside access
McBride Bridge corridor
The key official reference point separating upper Flat Creek access on the refuge page.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
The refuge page says upper Flat Creek is open from May 1 through November 30 upstream from McBride Bridge to the national forest boundary.
Lower Flat Creek is open only from August 1 through October 31 between posted boundaries and is artificial-flies-only.
02No map pin
Area description
Posted lower Flat Creek boundaries
The only responsible way to plan the late-summer lower reach.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
The refuge page says upper Flat Creek is open from May 1 through November 30 upstream from McBride Bridge to the national forest boundary.
Lower Flat Creek is open only from August 1 through October 31 between posted boundaries and is artificial-flies-only.
03No map pin
Area description
Jackson National Fish Hatchery area
Useful orientation support when pairing a town day with refuge-managed water.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
The refuge page says upper Flat Creek is open from May 1 through November 30 upstream from McBride Bridge to the national forest boundary.
Lower Flat Creek is open only from August 1 through October 31 between posted boundaries and is artificial-flies-only.
How to fish it
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 the score looks this way
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 136 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. Today's flow is high for this date; the upper end of the normal range is near 135 cfs. Fishable water may exist, but do not rate it highly without a safe access, clarity, and wading or boat plan.
SeasonHelps score
Summer: Best on cooler mornings and only on sections currently open under refuge rules.
Water temperatureHelps score
USGS water temperature is about 59F, 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.
Your trip plan
Know when to go—and when to skip it.
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
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 ↗
Fly family · report suggests “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
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 “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
Fly pattern · report suggests “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 ↗
Fly family · report suggests “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
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 family · report suggests “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 What to carry
Choose flies for the water you expect.
Use the condition that best matches your plan, then open a reviewed guide to identify and fish the pattern.
ApproachFlies to bringWhen it fits
Dry fliesChubby Chernobyl, parachute Adams, PMD, BWO, elk hair caddis, ant, beetleBest when trout are looking up and the banks or meadow edges let you stalk fish cleanly.
Fly pattern · report suggests “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 ↗
Fly pattern · report suggests “parachute Adams”Parachute AdamsThe upright light post and horizontal parachute hackle are the defining visual cues. The classic pilot example uses a gray-brown body and divided tail, but color and size variations should be labeled instead of treated as identical.See photos & how to fish it ↗+ 5 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box NymphsPheasant tail, hare's ear, perdigon, zebra midge, caddis pupa, stoneflyThe default choice for runoff edges, cold mornings, and faster slots.
Fly pattern · report suggests “Pheasant tail”Pheasant Tail NymphThe pilot page distinguishes the sparse original idea from the bulkier American form. Both use pheasant-tail fibers and copper wire, but bead heads, peacock-herl thoraxes, legs, flashbacks, jig hooks, and soft-hackle collars are variations that must be labeled.See photos & how to fish it ↗
Fly pattern · report suggests “hare's ear”Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear NymphStart with the material architecture, not brown color alone: a short fibrous tail, tapered rough-dubbed abdomen, open metallic rib, fuller buggy thorax, and dark wing case. A bead, flashback panel, hot spot, soft-hackle collar, jig hook, or dry-fly treatment changes the form and must stay named. The two photographed artificials are bead-head variations; the reviewed Fly Fishers International tying guide below is an unweighted Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear.See photos & how to fish it ↗+ 4 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box StreamersOlive bugger, black leech, small sculpin, sparse articulated baitfishUseful when weather knocks color into the river or bigger fish hug undercuts.
Fly pattern · report suggests “Olive bugger”Woolly BuggerThe shared pattern language is a marabou tail, chenille or dubbed body, and palmered hackle. Bead heads, dumbbell eyes, flash, rubber tails, colors, and body materials materially change the tied variation and must be labeled. A Woolly Bugger can suggest a leech, crayfish, baitfish, or large nymph, but its marabou-tail and palmered-hackle construction remains a named pattern rather than the separate leech, rabbit-strip Zonker, or shaped-head sculpin families.See photos & how to fish it ↗
Fly family · report suggests “black leech”Leech PatternsLeech patterns share an elongated moving silhouette, but material, weighting, hook orientation, and retrieve vary. Pine-squirrel, rabbit-strip, balanced, and Woolly Bugger forms remain separately labeled rather than being presented as one recipe.See family guide ↗+ 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box 01
Match the trip to the correct refuge section first, then match flies to the water.
02
Sight-fish or prospect with small accurate drifts instead of covering water blindly.
03
On warm days, fish early and stop early because temperature is the first serious risk here.
04
If the posted boundary is unclear, treat it as closed until you know otherwise.
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 Flat Creek. 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: Jun 2, 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.
regulationWyoming fishing regulationsregulationWyoming 2026 fishing regulation changesaccessNational Elk Refuge fishing access and seasonsbackgroundJackson National Fish Hatchery visit informationflowUSGS 13018350 Flat Creek below Cache Creek near JacksonsafetyNational 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.