Fly Fishing
Where to fish
Rivers, lakes, and coastline with the shops that know them best.
Rivers & Streams · Colorado
Arkansas River
Tailwater browns below Pueblo Reservoir and a long wild section through the Buena Vista valley.
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Rivers & Streams · Michigan
Au Sable River
Birthplace of Trout Unlimited. Holy Water dries and night-time Hex hatches.
Brown trout · Brook trout
Rivers & Streams · Idaho
Big Wood River
Runs through Ketchum and Hailey. Spring creeks feed it all the way to the Snake.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Cutthroat trout
Saltwater & Coast · Florida
Biscayne Bay
Flats and mangrove shorelines from Miami to Key Biscayne. Bonefish, permit, and juvenile tarpon.
Bonefish · Tarpon · Spotted seatrout
Rivers & Streams · Montana
Bitterroot River
Wide, wadeable valley river below Missoula with heavy caddis and stonefly hatches.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Bull trout
Rivers & Streams · Colorado
Blue River
Tailwater below Dillon Dam with dense, small wild trout. One of the most technical waters in the state.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Saltwater & Coast · Texas
Bolivar Flats
Marsh flats at the mouth of Galveston Bay. Wade for redfish, speckled trout, and flounder.
Redfish · Speckled trout · Flounder
Saltwater & Coast · Massachusetts
Cape Cod
Stripers and albies from the beach, flats, and rips.
Striped bass · False albacore · Bluefish
Saltwater & Coast · Maryland
Chesapeake Bay
Striped bass from the bridges to the flats, plus speckled trout and red drum to the south.
Striped bass · Red drum · Speckled trout
Rivers & Streams · New York
Delaware River (Upper)
Wild rainbows on the East and West Branches; demanding dry fly fishing on the Catskills border.
Wild rainbow trout · Brown trout · Shad
Rivers & Streams · Oregon
Deschutes River
Desert canyon river known for redsides and a strong summer steelhead run.
Redband trout · Steelhead
Lakes & Reservoirs · Colorado
Eleven Mile Reservoir
High plains reservoir at 9,000 feet. Rainbow and brown trout from shore and boat, ice fishing in winter.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Lakes & Reservoirs · Montana
Flathead Lake
Largest natural lake west of the Mississippi outside Alaska. Lake trout and bull trout.
Lake trout · Bull trout · Kokanee salmon
Saltwater & Coast · Florida
Florida Keys
Flats for bonefish, permit, and tarpon; reef and offshore for snapper, grouper, and mahi.
Tarpon · Bonefish · Permit
Lakes & Reservoirs · Colorado
Grand Lake
Colorado's largest natural lake, on the west side of the Continental Divide.
Lake trout · Rainbow trout · Kokanee salmon
Rivers & Streams · Texas
Guadalupe River
Spring-fed Hill Country river. Smallmouth below Canyon Lake, rainbows in the winter tailwater.
Smallmouth bass · Rainbow trout · Largemouth bass
Rivers & Streams · Idaho
Henry's Fork of the Snake
Technical spring-fed water at Railroad Ranch. Selective rainbows and some of the best hatches in the West.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Rivers & Streams · California
Klamath River
Runs through the northwestern mountains. Summer steelhead and fall salmon runs.
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Lakes & Reservoirs · California
Lake Tahoe
Alpine lake on the CA/NV line. Mackinaw and trout by boat, wading the shore in spring.
Lake trout · Rainbow trout · Kokanee salmon
Rivers & Streams · Montana
Madison River
Fifty-mile riffle famous for salmonfly hatches and wild browns and rainbows below Hebgen and Quake Lakes.
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Mountain whitefish
Rivers & Streams · Idaho
Main Salmon River
Wild and Scenic river through the Frank Church wilderness. Fall steelhead and Chinook.
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Rainbow trout
Lakes & Reservoirs · California
Mammoth Lakes Lakes
Crowley Lakes and the Convict area hold big browns and rainbows in the Eastern Sierra.
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Lahontan cutthroat
Rivers & Streams · Montana
Missouri River
Tailwater below Hauser Dam near Great Falls, and the big brown trout of Canyon Ferry.
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Walleye
Saltwater & Coast · California
San Francisco Bay
Striped bass from piers, flats, and the gates, plus staghorn and halibut.
Striped bass · Staghorn sculpin · Pacific halibut
Rivers & Streams · Idaho
Silver Creek
Spring creek near Picabo. Slow, picky rainbows on tiny dry flies.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Rivers & Streams · Idaho
South Fork of the Snake River
Tailwater flowing 66 miles out of Palisades Dam on the Idaho-Wyoming border to its junction with the Henry Fork. Trout densities exceed 5,000 per mile and native Yellowstone and Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat make up most of the fishery.
Cutthroat trout · Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Rivers & Streams · Colorado
South Platte River
Tailwater gold medal water at Deckers and Cheesman Canyon. Tiny flies, big trout.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Rivers & Streams · Florida
St. Johns River
Florida's longest river. Bass from Lake Monroe to Welaka, snook and reds at the mouth.
Largemouth bass · Snook · Redfish
Rivers & Streams · California
Truckee River
Flows from Lake Tahoe through Reno. Wild trout in the upper canyon, hatchery rainbows below.
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Lahontan cutthroat
Rivers & Streams · Arkansas
White River
Cold tailwater below Bull Shoals Dam holding trophy browns. Drift boats and jon boats both welcome.
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Rivers & Streams · Colorado
Yampa River
Runs through Steamboat Springs. Native greenback cutthroat in the upper reaches.
Greenback cutthroat · Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Rivers & Streams · Montana
Yellowstone River
Longest free-flowing river in the lower 48. Paradise Valley floats, big dries, and native cutthroat upstream.
Yellowstone cutthroat · Brown trout · Rainbow trout