Wade4/100
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 · West
Green River Below Fontenelle Reservoir
A decision-first Fontenelle tailwater report: check the exact release trend, confirm legal access and seasonal restrictions, then choose a bank, wade, or float plan that fits the water you find.
Check flow & weatherToday's river scoreLive calculation
39
Poor
Best option: Bank / edge.
Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
Returned dataHigh reliabilityReliability of the flow, weather, and alert data that returned.
Today's decisionHigh confidenceA verified hard stop is active, so the avoid-or-wait decision is clearer than the fishing score itself.
Score calculated Aug 10, 12:59 AM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes
Recommended approachBank / edge
Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.
Bank / edge · Best fit21/100
Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
Float19/100
A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
Red Flag Warning issued August 9 at 12:55AM MDT until August 9 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Riverton WY
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.
Loading current flow and weather.
River strategy
Check the release trend before choosing how much river to cover.
Fontenelle is a release-controlled tailwater, so the useful question is not whether the Green River is generally fishing well. It is whether the exact below-dam trend is stable, the access you intend to use is open and legal, and the wind or storm risk still leaves a safe plan.
- Use USGS 09211200 for the machine-readable flow that feeds the fishability decision on this page.
- Treat a sharp rise or fall as a reason to simplify the plan and stay off uncertain crossings.
- Use the BLM Tailrace Camp Area as a verified public starting point, not as permission to cross neighboring private land.
- The first mile below the dam closes October 1-December 31; the separate trophy rule begins 4.5 miles below the dam at County Road 8.
Why this score moved
Public alertLowers score
An active alert is in effect: Red Flag Warning issued August 9 at 12:55AM MDT until August 9 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Riverton WY. Check public safety sources before going.
Best mode nowLowers score
Bank / edge: Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 725 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1964-2025, 62 readings) puts normal around 1,380 cfs and the lower quartile near 1,070 cfs; today's flow is below normal for the date. This is below normal, so edge depth, temperature, and pressure matter.
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.
SeasonHelps score
Summer: PMDs, caddis, terrestrials, and evening activity improve when releases remain stable.
Read the water
What changes the plan.
Stable releases and manageable wind create the cleanest nymph, dry-fly, and streamer windows. Rapid flow changes, severe weather, an annual first-mile closure, or a reach-specific heat advisory should narrow or stop only the part of the plan they actually cover.
Stable release
Fish defined seams with small nymphs, dry-dropper rigs, and dries when adults are visible.
Rising release
Step back from crossings, fish softer banks, and wait for the new level to stabilize.
Falling release
Expect fish to reposition; work remaining depth and avoid stranding a boat or wade route.
Severe wind or lightning
Leave exposed water. A favorable flow does not make an open tailwater safe in a storm.
Field plan
Fish it with intention.
Best flows
No single universal discharge is promised. Favor a stable trend that leaves defined edges and safe entries at the exact access you inspect.
When to skip
Skip the first mile during the October 1-December 31 closure; elsewhere skip or narrow the plan for sharp release changes, lightning, unsafe wind, unclear access, or a reach-specific advisory.
Local plan
Start at the official tailrace access, inspect clarity and edge speed, then decide whether the day stays local or expands downstream.
Backup water
Use Fontenelle Reservoir or the separate Warren Bridge report when the tailwater's release, wind, or restrictions do not fit the day.
Hatches & flies
Bring a flexible box.
TimingWhat to watchUseful flies
Winter to early springMidges and short blue-winged olive windowsZebra midge, black beauty, RS2, BWO emerger, Griffith's gnat
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 pattern · report says “black beauty”Black Beauty MidgeA very slim black thread body, fine silver rib, and small dark thorax define the core Black Beauty. Glass-bead Mercury Black Beauty and flash-wing variants must stay labeled separately.See photos & how to fish it ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box Late spring to early summerBWOs, caddis, PMDs, and seasonal stonefly activityPheasant tail, caddis pupa, PMD emerger, soft hackle, small stonefly
Reviewed pattern · report says “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 ↗
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 Mid- to late summerPMDs, caddis, tricos, ants, beetles, and hoppersPMD, trico spinner, X-caddis, ant, beetle, hopper-dropper
Reviewed family · report says “PMD”Pale Morning Dun PatternsPMD names an insect group, not one fly. Pale nymphs, trailing-shuck emergers, upright or low-riding duns, cripples, and spent-wing spinners stay visibly separate.See family guide ↗
Reviewed pattern · report says “trico spinner”Trico SpinnerThe reviewed dry form is extremely sparse and flat, using a black body or thread head and pale spent wing. A weighted Sunken Trico Spinner is a separate variant.See photos & how to fish it ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box FallBWOs, midges, and baitfish or sculpin movementBWO emerger, midge pupa, olive bugger, leech, small sculpin
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 01
Read the release graph before tying a rig; trend direction matters as much as the displayed discharge.
02
Fish the near bank and soft inside water before committing to deeper tailwater current.
03
Use small midges or baetis patterns when the water is clear and fish are pressured.
04
Cover deeper banks with a sparse streamer in low light or modest stain.
05
If releases are moving quickly, keep the plan bank-oriented and avoid long downstream commitments.
Access & responsibility
Know the entry. Know the exit.
The 2026 rule closes all fishing from Fontenelle Dam downstream about one mile to the USGS cable at Weeping Rocks from October 1-December 31. From County Road 8, 4.5 miles below the dam, to the Big Sandy confluence, the rule is one trout, release all trout under 20 inches, and artificial flies or lures only. The current WGFD brochure and posted signs are the legal authority.
BLM Tailrace Camp Area
Official public access below Fontenelle Dam with fishing and camping context; verify current site conditions before driving in.
Below-dam public corridor
Use signed public entries and current land-status maps; visible banks are not automatically public.
Seedskadee refuge float corridor
USFWS documents four ramps, designated roads, non-motorized boating guidance, and named river-mile access points downstream.
Rules and notices
Check the exact reach before you fish.
Official rules and access notices stay separate from fishing advice. Follow the linked authority if signs or current notices disagree with this summary.
Seasonal — check datesSeasonal closure
Fontenelle Dam to Weeping Rocks annual fishing closure
Applies to: Fontenelle Dam downstream about one mile to the USGS cable at Weeping Rocks Campground
When: October 1-December 31 annually
Source reviewed:
This closure does not extend to the full Fontenelle-to-Seedskadee corridor.
Open the official sourceActive when reviewedVoluntary advisory
Current Green River voluntary heat advisory below Slate Creek
Applies to: Slate Creek Campground downstream to Flaming Gorge
When: Voluntary catch-and-release pause from noon to sunrise while the advisory remains posted
Source reviewed:
The listed advisory begins 4.6 river miles below Fontenelle Dam and is not a statutory whole-river closure.
Open the official sourceRecent reach reports
What anglers are seeing.
Moderated, river-level updates for Green River Below Fontenelle Reservoir. Exact spots, private access notes, and private media never appear here.
No verified reach reports yet.
Be the first to share a generalized river update through the moderated BSF app flow.
Transparent sources
Check the facts behind the plan.
Editorial guidance reviewed . This date applies to access, hatches, tactics, and source notes—not today's conditions.
Active maintenance check: . 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.
flowRiverReports: Green River below Fontenelle ReservoirflowUSGS 09211200 Green River below Fontenelle ReservoiraccessBLM Tailrace Camp AreaaccessUSFWS Seedskadee fishing and rampsaccessUSFWS Seedskadee non-motorized boating and river milessafetyUSFWS Seedskadee access and safety FAQaccessWGFD Fontenelle-to-Flaming Gorge official access mapregulationWyoming fishing regulationsregulation2026 Wyoming fishing regulation brochureregulationFontenelle Dam to Weeping Rocks annual fishing closureregulationWyoming 2026 fishing regulation changessafetyCurrent Green River voluntary heat advisory below Slate CreeksafetyWyoming fishing-in-the-heat guidancesafetyNational Weather Service point forecast
Common questions
Before you leave.
What water does this Green River below Fontenelle report cover?+
The tailwater immediately below Fontenelle Dam and the downstream public-access corridor, not the upper Green at Warren Bridge.
What should I check first before fishing Green River below Fontenelle?+
Start with USGS 09211200, then confirm Wyoming rules, dam-area notices, BLM access, wind, and lightning risk.
Is access straightforward on Green River below Fontenelle?+
There is verified BLM tailrace access, but downstream ownership is mixed. Stay with signed public entries and confirmed parcels.
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.