Small Streams
SMALL STREAMS
ReportBlackfoot, Teton, and Warm Rivers are the best bets for fly fishing success during the fall season. BWOs and isolated tricos are what's left of those big emergences of a few months ago. Caddis, although diminishing in general, are active during late afternoons. Wet fly fishing will produce better action.
In lower Warm River, BWO and midge activity bring fish to the top, but nymphing is the best option for attracting trout. Killing frosts are reducing bankside terrestrial insect populations everywhere.
Flow in the Blackfoot River below the Blackfoot River Reservoir is low enough to allow extensive wading, especially around the four BLM campgrounds from the Trail Creek Bridge on upstream. Best fly-fishing results are through using streamer, rubber-leg, and wooly bugger patterns.
| Insect | Size | Activity | Prime Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-Winged Olive (BWO) | #20–22 | Active | Midday |
| Midge | #20–22 | Active | Midday to afternoon |
| Caddis | #18–20 | Diminishing | Late afternoon |
| Trico | #20–22 | Isolated / tapering off | Morning |
| Terrestrials | #12–16 | Declining — frosts reducing populations | Midday (where present) |
- LATE MORNING (10 AM–NOON): Prime window for BWO and midge activity on Warm River as air temps recover from overnight frosts — nymph or dry-dropper setups shine here.
- LATE AFTERNOON (3–5 PM): Caddis activity picks up across all three rivers — swing wet flies and CDC caddis patterns through likely runs before light fades.
- MIDDAY TO AFTERNOON (BLACKFOOT): Low flows make the BLM campground stretches above Trail Creek Bridge ideal for wading — work streamers, rubber legs, and wooly buggers through deeper runs and seams.
