Wade82/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All Wyoming reports
Fly fishing report · West
Wind River
Is Wind River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Wyoming before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: James St. John Opens in a new tab. · CC BY 2.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Good fishing
Yes. Fishing looks good.
82
Good fishing based on the verified flow and weather. No official live water-temperature reading is available. Carry a thermometer during warm weather and stop if the water is stressful for trout.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 8:15 PM MDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade and Bank / edge have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edge82/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Your plan
Today's Wind River plan.
The useful Wind River report is the upper public-water plan near Dubois, not a vague mix of reservation water, Boysen tailwater, and Bighorn River naming changes. Use the Dubois gauge and WGFD access sources first.
- Check first
- USGS 06218500 near Dubois is the best page-scoped flow source.
- Try
- Use the Dubois gauge trend to decide whether to fish edges, pockets, or skip high water.
- Leave when
- Skip the Wind when runoff makes crossings unsafe, when access boundaries are uncertain, when the plan drifts into reservation or private water without permission, or when weather makes an exposed upper-basin day impractical.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 103 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 74°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 74.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 32%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Wind
- 7 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Wind River near Dubois, Wyoming
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
Latest stored USGS gauge: Wind River near Dubois
From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
How to fish it
How to fish Wind River today.
Best fishing is usually after the main snowmelt push settles and before late-season cold or low water narrows the day. Have a backup plan when the Dubois gauge is rising fast.
Settled post-runoff
Best all-around window for dries, dry-droppers, and nymphing.
Rising snowmelt
Fish soft edges only if safe. Otherwise wait for falling clarity.
Low clear water
Use smaller flies, longer leaders, and careful approaches.
Cold windy day
Nymph deeper, slow down, or choose a lower-elevation backup.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
- Pale morning dun (PMD)
- Pale morning duns, or PMDs, are light-colored mayflies that often hatch in warmer months.
- Pocket water
- Pocket water is a small calm spot among rocks or fast current.
Why this call
Why this score
Short-term weatherUse caution
The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.
FlowHelps
USGS shows 103 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1946-2025, 72 readings) show a typical middle range of 84 cfs to 141 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Most dependable dry-dropper and terrestrial season after runoff drops.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 74F. Chance Showers And Thunderstorms.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use USGS 06218500 Wind River near Dubois as the primary live trend. Stable or slowly dropping flows after runoff are the best fit. High cold water, wind, or unclear public access should move the plan to short scouting or another river.
Skip the Wind when runoff makes crossings unsafe, when access boundaries are uncertain, when the plan drifts into reservation or private water without permission, or when weather makes an exposed upper-basin day impractical.
Keep the day near the upper Dubois scope. Use Dunoir or Sawmill public-access information as the planning anchors, the Dubois gauge for flow, and a separate rule check before treating downstream Wind or Bighorn water as part of the same trip.
If the upper Wind is high, cold, windy, or access-limited, compare the Shoshone near Cody, the Bighorn near Thermopolis, or the Snake River for a different Wyoming trout plan.
What to try
Wind River flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
March to April
What to look forMidges, little black stones, early BWOs, and cold-water nymph windows
May to June
What to look forRunoff edges, salmonflies where present, caddis, PMDs, and Green Drakes on some water
July to SeptemberCurrent
What to look forCaddis, PMDs, terrestrials, small olives, ants, beetles, and hopper banks
October to February
What to look forBWOs, midges, October caddis in places, streamers, and slow winter nymphing
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Wind River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Check Wyoming Game and Fish Area 2 rules and current access-area rules before fishing. Confirm tribal, private, or reservation boundaries before fishing outside the upper Dubois public-water scope.
Dunoir PAA
WGFD public access context near Dubois. Verify current signs and restrictions.
Sawmill PAA
Another WGFD upper Wind access reference for reach planning.
Dubois gauge area
Use USGS 06218500 before committing to pocket-water wading.
This page does not cover reservation fishing permission or lower Wind/Bighorn tailwater rules.
Public access can be section-by-section and should be verified before walking banks.
Runoff and weather can make a short-looking crossing unsafe.
River sources
Official Wind River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report is maintained from current regulation, access, flow, weather, and public planning sources so anglers can make better trip decisions than a raw gauge or generic overview would allow.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
See all 7 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Quick answers
Quick Wind River answers.
What should I check before fishing Wind River?
WGFD Area 2 rules, access-area status, USGS Dubois flow, weather, snowmelt, and land boundaries
Which flow should I use for Wind River?
Use USGS 06218500 Wind River near Dubois for the upper page scope, with USGS 06220000 at Dubois as additional local context when needed.
Where should I start on Wind River?
Start with WGFD upper Wind public access areas such as Dunoir and Sawmill, then confirm posted boundaries and road conditions.
Can I wade Wind River?
Yes at normal summer flows in suitable pocket water, but snowmelt and cold pushy current make conservative wading essential.