Wyoming / West
Wind River
A Dubois-area upper Wind River report that avoids reservation/lower-river confusion and focuses on public access, USGS flow, and high-country trout tactics.
Image: Wind River (Wind River Canyon, Owl Creek Mountains, Wyoming, USA) 6 (19661212968) / CC BY 2.0 / James St. JohnFishability now: Wind River fishability today
GreatData confidence: High96/100
Fishable now because the live gauge is falling, weather is mild, and no public alert is active.
Flow observed
5:15 PM UTC
Weather observed
5:00 PM UTC
Score calculated
6:11 PM UTC
Why this rating
Flow
Weather
Public alerts
Next 6-12 hours
Improving / hold
A falling gauge and usable weather should keep the next 6-12 hours in play unless tributaries stain or heat builds.
USGS flow
419 cfs
Current trend: flow falling, rating likely holding strong unless weather or clarity changes.
More planning details: flies, flow bands, and live source checks
Fish it today
Start here
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.
Best flow clue
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 trigger
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.
Flow decision bands
Upper Dubois scope
Use this page for the upper Wind near Dubois, not lower Wind, reservation water, or Bighorn tailwater assumptions.
Stable or falling after runoff
Stable or slowly falling Wind River flow after runoff is the best walk-and-wade signal.
High, cold, or windy
Runoff, cold crossings, or upper-basin wind should turn the day into scouting or a backup plan.
Boundary-sensitive water
Private, tribal, and reservation boundaries mean public-access areas should lead the plan.
USGS flow
419 cfs
Current trend: flow falling, rating likely holding strong unless weather or clarity changes.
Live USGS flow
419 cfs / falling about 16%
Live NWS forecast
64F / Sunny
Water temperature not verified
Heat guidance uses weather and river type unless an official water-temperature value is available.
No NWS alert flag
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
USGS 06218500 near Dubois is the best page-scoped flow source.
Check public access areas such as Dunoir and Sawmill before walking banks.
Reservation and private-land boundaries are major planning issues downstream.
Runoff, cold water, and wind decide whether dries, nymphs, or another river make sense.
Editorial review
How this report is maintained
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.
Byline
BlueStreamFly editorial team
Reviewed by
BlueStreamFly source review
Maintained by
Mountain Brook Run LLC
Last material review
2026-06-01
Report confidence
Good confidence
89/100
Good confidence: Wyoming regulation, WGFD Dunoir and Sawmill access, USGS near-Dubois flow, weather coverage, licensed media, and route-specific upper-Wind guidance support the page. Confidence is moderated by downstream boundary complexity, runoff, wind, and private or tribal access sensitivity.
Regulations
Wyoming fishing regulations and 2026 regulation-change information support current legal checks.
Access
WGFD Dunoir and Sawmill public-access pages provide strong upper-Wind anchors, with downstream boundaries still requiring extra care.
Flow and weather
USGS 06218500 near Dubois and the National Weather Service point support live flow and weather decisions; the nearby Dubois station remains context.
Fishing usefulness
The page now separates upper-Dubois scope, runoff, public-access-area choices, boundary risk, pressure, and backup-water decisions.
Fishability dashboard and source review
2026-06-01 / material content or source review
Wyoming fishing regulations, 2026 regulation-change information, WGFD Dunoir and Sawmill public-access sources, USGS Wind River near Dubois and Dubois station references, National Weather Service data, and route-specific media-credit sources were checked before updating the current-fishability decision layer.
2026-06-01
Updated Wind River to the current fishability-page standard with Dubois flow bands, public-access cards, backup cues, stable fishability SEO, and confidence signals.
2026-05-28
Added Wind River trip-fit guidance, upper-Dubois wade planning, Dubois gauge framing, public-access-area nuance, pressure timing, backup-water suggestions, editorial review signals, and a page-specific report-confidence meter after source review.
2026-05-25
Initial source-reviewed report published with flows, weather, hatches, flies, tactics, access, regulations, and FAQs.
Angler planning edge
Local details that change the plan
Best for
Anglers planning the upper Wind near Dubois, not lower Wind, reservation, or Bighorn tailwater water, Walk-and-wade trout days around WGFD public access areas when runoff and wind are manageable, Dry-dropper, nymph, and small-streamer trips where public access and cold-water timing matter more than distance covered, Wyoming travelers who need clear boundaries between upper Wind, Shoshone, Bighorn, and Snake River options
Wade or float
Treat this as an upper-basin wade and public-access-area report. The river can look easy in places, but cold runoff, slick crossings, private land, and boundary issues make conservative walk-in choices the right baseline.
Best flows
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.
When to skip
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.
Local plan
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.
Pressure
Pressure is usually local and access-area focused, with more activity during good summer weather and travel season. A slower start and willingness to change access areas can be better than crowding one obvious pullout.
Access nuance
WGFD access areas are strong anchors, but the broader Wind River drainage includes private, tribal, and reservation boundary issues. Confirm the exact public corridor before walking banks or crossing fences.
Backup water
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.
About the river
Setting, character, and why it fishes the way it does.
The Wind River begins in high Wyoming mountain country and runs past Dubois before continuing toward the reservation and, eventually, the Bighorn system.
This report is scoped to the upper Dubois public-water plan. That makes the page safer and more useful than mixing in lower reaches with different access and permission questions.
Expect mountain weather, cold runoff, pocket water, meadow bends, and access that must be checked reach by reach.
Target species
Brown trout
Possible in deeper bends and streamer water.
Rainbow trout
Common nymph and dry-dropper target in public access context.
Brook trout
Likely in colder upper tributary context and some nearby water.
Snake River cutthroat
Possible in the upper basin; identify trout carefully.
Mountain whitefish
Can be active in riffles and nymph lanes.
Reading the water
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.
Best seasons
Spring
Cold water and snowmelt make timing tricky.
Summer
Most dependable dry-dropper and terrestrial season after runoff drops.
Fall
Clear water and cooler days favor nymphs and small streamers.
Winter
Limited practical fishing; access, ice, and weather are the main checks.
USGS flow
Wind River near Dubois
This is the fallback for rivers that are not covered by RiverReports. Use the official USGS monitoring page for the live hydrograph, station metadata, and current water trend.
Open USGS gaugeUSGS data chart
Wind River near Dubois
Streamflow over the latest USGS reporting window.
Latest
419 cfs
Jun 3, 5 PM UTC
Weather
River weather report
Weather can change wading safety, road access, water temperature, hatches, and the best time of day to fish.
Live forecast loads as you reach this section
This keeps the report fast while still using the official National Weather Service forecast point.
Hatches and flies
Hatch chart and fly picks
March to April
Midges, little black stones, early BWOs, and cold-water nymph windows
Zebra midge, black stonefly, BWO emerger, pheasant tail, small perdigon
May to June
Runoff edges, salmonflies where present, caddis, PMDs, and Green Drakes on some water
Stonefly nymph, Pat's rubber legs, PMD emerger, elk hair caddis, green drake
July to September
Caddis, PMDs, terrestrials, small olives, ants, beetles, and hopper banks
Chubby Chernobyl, hopper, ant, beetle, X-caddis, small parachute Adams
October to February
BWOs, midges, October caddis in places, streamers, and slow winter nymphing
BWO emerger, midge pupa, October caddis pupa, sculpin, black woolly bugger
Dry flies
Chubby Chernobyl, parachute Adams, PMD, BWO, elk hair caddis, ant, beetle, hopper
Use when trout are looking up, when a dry-dropper needs a visible point fly, or when summer banks fish well.
Nymphs
Pat's rubber legs, pheasant tail, perdigon, hare's ear, zebra midge, caddis pupa
Use during cold water, runoff edges, bright afternoons, or when trout are holding in deeper seams.
Streamers
Sculpin, sparkle minnow, olive bugger, black leech, small articulated baitfish
Use around banks, undercuts, structure, and safe stained-water windows.
Tactics
How to fish it
Use the Dubois gauge trend to decide whether to fish edges, pockets, or skip high water.
Run a dry-dropper through broken pocket water once the river is clear and settled.
Use small streamers along undercut bends when flows are slightly up and safe.
Check access-area signs and avoid assuming downstream banks are open.
Carry bear spray and give yourself extra time on remote roads.
Rigging
Rod, leader, and setup notes
A 4 or 5-weight is enough for most upper Wind trout fishing.
Use 4X to 6X for dries and nymphs; carry 3X for small streamers.
Bring stonefly nymphs, caddis, PMDs, attractor dries, and terrestrial patterns.
Use wading boots with traction and do not cross high snowmelt channels casually.
Access
Access and planning notes
Wind River near Dubois gauge
Primary upper-river trendWade / float / trail
USGS gauge / wade
When to pick it
Start here when runoff, crossing safety, and flow trend decide whether to fish.
Caution
It does not confirm private or tribal boundaries downstream.
Dunoir public access
Upper Wind access anchorWade / float / trail
WGFD access / wade
When to pick it
Use this when signed public access and stable flows support a focused session.
Caution
Stay inside the public corridor and avoid assuming continuous bank access.
Sawmill public access
Second access-area optionWade / float / trail
WGFD access / wade scout
When to pick it
Pick this when Dunoir is crowded, windy, or not matching the day.
Caution
Road, fence, and posted-boundary checks still matter.
This page does not cover reservation fishing permission or lower Wind/Bighorn tailwater rules.
Public access can be reach-specific and should be verified before walking banks.
Runoff and weather can make a short-looking crossing unsafe.
Regulations
Check before fishing
Check Wyoming Game and Fish Area 2 regulations and current access-area rules before fishing. Confirm tribal, private, or reservation boundaries before fishing outside the upper Dubois public-water scope.
Primary base
Dubois, Crowheart, and upper Wind River country
Best day style
High-country road, PAA, and public-land trout planning
Check first
WGFD Area 2 rules, access-area status, USGS Dubois flow, weather, snowmelt, and land boundaries
Safety
Cold runoff, private and tribal boundaries, bears, remote roads, and fast pocket water
Gear
Helpful gear for this water
4 to 6-weight rod
Covers dries, nymphs, small streamers, and most trout-water wind.
Thermometer
Check water temperature before trout handling in summer or thermal water.
Wading staff
Western rivers and tailwaters have pushy seams, slick rocks, and sudden drop-offs.
Rain shell and layers
Mountain weather can change quickly even when the forecast looks mild.
Nearby water
Other water to research
Backup logic
Runoff or high cold water
Avoid crossings and compare Shoshone, Bighorn, or Snake River.
Access boundary uncertainty
Stay with WGFD public areas or choose another route instead of guessing.
Wind
Use shorter protected runs, scout only, or shift to a less exposed plan.
Heat
Check temperature and focus only on cool, legal water with quick releases.
Bighorn River
The downstream Wyoming river name near Thermopolis with a different gauge.
Shoshone River
A Cody-area mainstem alternative when the Wind is high or cold.
Snake River
A Jackson Hole cutthroat and float option with different logistics.
FAQ
Fast answers
Is Wind River fishable today?
Wind River looks very fishable right now. The live score is 96/100, based on current flow, weather, public alerts, and the report's planning context. Recheck the linked gauge and forecast before leaving because conditions can change quickly after rain, heat, access changes, or flow swings.
What flow is best for Wind River?
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.
When should I skip Wind 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.
Is Wind River safe to wade right now?
The fishability score is not a wading guarantee. Wade only where your chosen access has safe edges, clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings; high, rising, stained, or storm-affected water should be treated conservatively.
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.
Sources
Source set for this report
Reviewed 2026-06-01