Henry's Fork
HENRY'S FORK
ReportHenry's Fork still offers some good top-water fishing if you venture there early in the day. Major evening caddis activity continues up and down the river. Box Canyon, a bit tough on wading, is in ideal flow for drift boating but will attract recreational boaters through Labor Day weekend. Dry-dropper rigs, large nymph, and terrestrial insect patterns fished close to banks are working there.
Overcast conditions offer the best fishing days from Last Chance through the Harriman State Park section. PMD and a few flavs life cycle patterns are bringing trout up during mornings, with terrestrial insect patterns fished close to banks taking over as best until bright afternoon sun makes trout head for overhead cover. Stealth, long fine leaders, and precise casts are required for successful fishing. Aquatic vegetation is dense enough to make landing large fish a task. Please play any trout no longer than necessary and do all you can to revive it enough to swim away on release — we want those big guys back in the gene pool!
Consider that warmest water temperatures take place from 3 PM to midnight on the entire river. From Warm River downstream, summer heat makes early and late in the day the best time to fish. Dry-dropper rigs with PMD life cycle patterns work throughout the lower river, but terrestrial insect patterns — from ants and beetles to small hoppers — fished tight to banks are most effective. Try dead-drifting that hopper pattern with occasional twitches in front of vegetated banks.
Flow at Box Canyon is about 1,000 cfs, below Ashton Dam is about 1,580 cfs, and about 1,040 cfs at St. Anthony.
| Insect | Size | Activity | Prime Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| PMD (Pale Morning Dun) | #16–20 | Moderate — life cycle patterns most effective | Morning |
| Flavs (Small Western Green Drake) | #16–18 | Light — a few mixed in with PMDs | Morning |
| Caddis | #18–20 | Major — up and down the entire river | Evening |
| Terrestrials (Ants, Beetles, Hoppers) | #12–16 | Strong — tight to vegetated banks | Midday through afternoon |
- FIRST LIGHT TO MID-MORNING: Top-water and dry-dropper fishing with PMD and flav life cycle patterns on the Last Chance and Harriman sections; early terrestrials near banks
- MID-MORNING TO EARLY AFTERNOON (OVERCAST DAYS ONLY): Extended PMD and flav activity continues under cloud cover; terrestrial patterns take over as sun increases — fish tight to banks
- EVENING UNTIL DARK: Major caddis activity up and down the entire river; also the prime window for the lower river from Warm River downstream
