The cutthroat trout have largely moved on, and we’re now seeing some nice-sized brown trout taking their place. The past few years have produced a good run of larger browns in July, so these may be early arrivals.

So far, anglers have landed fish up to 18 inches using Yellow Spot nymphs, Olive Woolly Buggers, and size 12 EC Caddis flies fished similarly to the Buggers. There have also been some grabs on a stonefly pattern called “Trina’s Dog Puke” (you’ve got to love that name), and hoppers remain a good option for targeting browns.

Flows are currently around 120 CFS and remain cool enough that the hot weather should not impact fishing for the time being.

Since the winter of 2023, hopper populations have been noticeably absent during the summer, and it appears that trend will continue this year. Even so, hopper patterns remain productive for both browns and rainbows.

Depending on how hot July and August become and what happens with flow levels, fishing could remain productive or slow into the summer doldrums before picking back up in mid-September. Time will tell.