Fly fishing report · West

Snake River

A Jackson Hole and Grand Teton Snake River report built around cutthroat conservation, float logistics, verified RiverReports flow, and official USGS and NPS sources.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Caution

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.

Wade34/100

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

Bank / edge46/100

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

Float · Best fit58/100

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

Build the day around cutthroat rules, flow, and float safety.

The Wyoming Snake is a world-class cutthroat river, but useful planning starts with rules and logistics. Check Grand Teton and Wyoming regulations, the Moran flow, boat requirements, weather, and hazards before picking a dry fly.

RiverReports has a verified Snake River at Moran page; USGS 13011000 remains the official backing source.
Grand Teton and downstream rules are not identical, so know which reach you are fishing.
Cutthroat handling and identification matter more than generic trout harvest language.
Braided channels, wind, sweepers, and cold water make float planning serious.

Why this score moved

FlowUse caution

USGS shows 5,020 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. This is high, fast, boat-first water for the upper Wyoming page. Treat it as an experienced-float or protected-bank scout, not a casual wade call. same-date USGS history (1904-2025, 122 readings) puts normal around 3,170 cfs and the upper quartile near 4,720 cfs; today's flow is high for the date.

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.

Best mode nowUse caution

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

SeasonHelps score

Summer: Prime dry-fly and terrestrial season when flows and temperatures cooperate.

Water temperatureHelps score

USGS water temperature is about 62F, with no heat stop triggered.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

Fish when flows are stable, visibility is good, and wind is manageable. High releases, muddy tributary influence, or uncertain boat logistics should push the day toward scouting or another report.

Stable clear flow

Best for dries, dry-droppers, and bank-focused cutthroat fishing.

High release

Favor boat fishing from skilled rowers and avoid casual wading.

Cold early season

Nymph soft seams and slower water until fish look up.

Windy afternoons

Use larger dry-dropper rigs, sheltered banks, or shorter floats.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Use the Moran trend as the trip gate. Stable clear flows with manageable wind are the best dry-fly window; higher releases, muddy tributary color, or sharp wind shifts should push the day toward a safer float, a short scout, or another river.

When to skip

Skip the day when the shuttle is uncertain, sweepers or braids are beyond your rowing ability, afternoon wind is building beyond safe boat control, or conservation-minded fish handling is unlikely in warm bright conditions.

Local plan

Choose the section before you rig: Moran and Jackson Lake Dam for upper flow context, Grand Teton reaches for park-rule and side-channel planning, and Jackson Hole canyon or downstream reaches only after you confirm boat ramps, takeouts, and non-park rules.

Backup water

If wind, flows, or boat logistics make the Snake a poor call, pivot to the Wind River for a simpler upper-basin wade day or to the Shoshone for a different dam-influenced 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

Use foam dry-droppers along banks and side-channel seams when cutthroat are looking up.

Nymph slower troughs during cold or high water instead of forcing dries.

Float anglers should plan takeouts, hazards, and wind before worrying about fly changes.

Keep fish wet and handle cutthroat quickly, especially during warm afternoons.

Do not apply South Fork Idaho flow or access assumptions to the Wyoming Snake.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Check Grand Teton National Park rules and current Wyoming Area 1 regulations before fishing the Snake. Cutthroat-release, artificial-fly/lure, and boating rules vary by reach.

Moran and Jackson Lake Dam context

Use the RiverReports and USGS Moran flow before downstream planning.

Grand Teton National Park reaches

Check park fishing, boating, and access rules before launching or wading.

Snake River Canyon context

Downstream reaches have different hazards, access, and rules than the park.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-07-06

flowRiverReports Snake River at Moran flowUSGS Snake River near Moran 13011000 flowUSGS Snake River at Moose 13013650 regulationGrand Teton National Park fishing backgroundWGFD Snake River cutthroat species profile backgroundSnake River Headwaters at Rivers.gov safetyNational Weather Service Moran forecast point accessGrand Teton National Park fishing access and rules

Common questions

Before you leave.

What should I check before fishing Snake River?+

Grand Teton rules, Wyoming Area 1 rules, boating/AIS requirements, Moran flow, weather, and river hazards

Which flow should I use for Snake River?+

Use the verified RiverReports Snake River at Moran chart for quick display and USGS 13011000 near Moran as the official source of truth.

Where should I start on Snake River?+

Start with Moran, Moose, or Grand Teton reach planning, then confirm park, state, boating, AIS, and takeout rules before launching.

Can I wade Snake River?+

Some side-channel and edge wading is possible at safe flows, but the Snake is mostly a float-first river with cold water and braided hazards.