Fly fishing report · West

Shoshone River

A Cody-area Shoshone report focused on the mainstem below Buffalo Bill Reservoir, public access, dam-influenced flow, and practical trout tactics.

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.

Wade4/100

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

Bank / edge21/100

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

Float · Best fit43/100

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

Before you go

Water temperature above salmonid stress threshold

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 the Cody mainstem context before treating the forks as the same river.

The most defensible Shoshone page covers the mainstem around Cody below Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The North Fork and South Fork have their own access and fishery details, so this report keeps them as context instead of pretending every reach is identical.

Use the below-Buffalo-Bill source for Cody context and the Lovell gauge as downstream live flow trend.
Check WGFD rules and public access before fishing any dam, riverway, or diversion reach.
Expect nymph and streamer fishing to be more dependable than unsupported hatch expectations.
Wind and dam operations can change a good-looking plan quickly.

Why this score moved

Water temperatureLowers score

USGS water temperature is about 77F. Do not pressure trout or salmonids in warm water.

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.

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.

FlowHelps score

USGS shows 451 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1967-2025, 59 readings) puts the normal middle range around 350 cfs-3,370 cfs. Flow is inside the same-date normal range, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.

SeasonHelps score

Summer: Mornings and evenings are best; watch temperature and recreation traffic.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

Stable flows below Buffalo Bill Reservoir are the best starting point. If releases are high, wind is strong, or access is unclear, choose a safer bank or another Wyoming report.

Stable release

Best for nymphing seams, riffle edges, and deeper runs.

High release

Stay near safe edges, avoid aggressive wading, and use heavier nymphs or streamers.

Low clear water

Use smaller flies, longer leaders, and careful angles.

Windy afternoons

Fish heavier rigs, sheltered banks, or early mornings.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Use USGS 06285100 near Lovell as the live downstream trend and keep USGS 06282000 below Buffalo Bill Reservoir as reach context. Stable flows are easiest to plan around; abrupt dam-operation changes, strong wind, or unclear access boundaries should shorten the day.

When to skip

Skip or reset the Shoshone plan when Wyoming rules are unclear, wind makes casting or boat control poor, flow is changing hard, public access is not obvious, or the day depends on treating North Fork, South Fork, and Cody mainstem water as one fishery.

Local plan

Choose the Cody mainstem first, then choose the access. Use Shoshone Riverway for the main public anchor, below-Buffalo-Bill context for dam-influenced planning, and North Fork sources only when that separate canyon plan is intentional.

Backup water

If the Shoshone is windy, changing, crowded, or access-limited, compare the Bighorn near Thermopolis, the upper Wind near Dubois, or the Snake River for a different Wyoming trout plan.

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 a two-nymph rig in walking-speed seams below structure.

Use streamers near banks and deeper slots when flows have color or cover.

Fish early if wind is forecast; line control matters more than fly changes.

Do not assume North Fork or South Fork conditions match the Cody mainstem.

Respect public access boundaries around riverway and diversion-area reaches.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Check Wyoming Game and Fish Area 2 regulations and any reach-specific Shoshone River exceptions before fishing or keeping trout.

Shoshone Riverway

WGFD access context near Cody; verify current posted rules.

Buffalo Bill Reservoir tailwater context

Use the below-reservoir gauge before fishing downstream reaches.

North Fork Shoshone public-land context

A separate canyon/fork plan; do not use it as the mainstem gauge.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-06-01

regulationWyoming fishing regulations regulationWyoming 2026 fishing regulation changes backgroundWGFD Shoshone River instream-flow map accessWGFD Shoshone Riverway public access area accessBLM North Fork Shoshone public access context flowUSGS Shoshone River below Buffalo Bill Reservoir 06282000 flowUSGS Shoshone River near Lovell 06285100 safetyNational Weather Service Cody forecast point backgroundNPS Buffalo Bill Dam background

Common questions

Before you leave.

What should I check before fishing Shoshone River?+

WGFD Area 2 rules, Buffalo Bill release context, USGS flow, public access, wind, and road conditions

Which flow should I use for Shoshone River?+

Use the USGS 06282000 Shoshone River below Buffalo Bill Reservoir station page for Cody mainstem planning. The embedded official USGS graph uses 06285100 near Lovell only as downstream context because the below-reservoir graph endpoint was not usable during review.

Where should I start on Shoshone River?+

Start with WGFD Shoshone Riverway and other Cody-area access points, then confirm posted boundaries and current conditions.

Can I wade Shoshone River?+

Yes in some normal-flow edge water, but dam releases and slick rocks make conservative wading the right default.