Grey Reef Fishing Report Provided By North Platte River Fly Shop
Grey Reef fishing reports and video report on the North Platte River is a free service provided by our Casper, Wyoming based fly shop fishing guides and customers. These Grey Reef fishing reports will be updated as often as needed and we will always change the report if any sudden changes should occur. However please understand that sudden storms can often change conditions overnight in and around Grey Reef before we can change the report. We welcome any fishing reports that you would like to provide on Grey Reef by giving the fly shop a call or email.
Grey Reef Fishing Report
- Grey Reef Conditions: Clarity is good
Grey Reef Hatch Chart
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS FOR RIVER FLOWS
The snow is starting to fly, and so are the fisherman!!! The fishing is en fuego and we’ve got THE guides that will hook you up! Fishing in November & December can be some of the best! It’s just playing the game with old man winter! In fact I’m watching it snow right now as I write this report. This is what we wait for! The fishing this time of year can produce the opportunity to go chase a true reef or mile beast!
The mile is kicking out toads on the lower, lake run fish are starting to show up! Trout Spey with black or yellow streamers have been hanging big fish. As far as nymphs go worms, midges and egg patterns have all been taking fish. Please stick to the deep runs and avoid the shallow gravel as these fish are spawning.
The reef is fishing great. The browns are hanging in the upper sections and the bridge down has also been kicking out some nice bows. Worms, eggs, scuds and midges are the HOT ticket.
Fremont is still fishing good as well. Wait for the water to warm up a little. I like starting about 10am. These fish are big and fat but they eat small bugs. Some of our favorites are the rainbow warrior, the mayhem midge,small rock worms, Darth beatis, and any of your favorite midge patterns size 20-18.
Put on your warm and fuzzies and get out there!
Give yourself a holiday break and go FISHING.
Current Flows:
Reef – 450 CFS
Miracle Mile – 550 CFS
Fremont Canyon – 75 CFS
- OCTOBER 2022 N PLATTE RIVER FISHING REPORT -
- SEPTEMBER 2022 N PLATTE RIVER FISHING REPORT -
Life in the whole valley is fun!! From the Mile to Casper, we are experiencing low traffic and beautiful weather. All the guides have been out enjoying the dog days of summer and are kicking out some big rainbows and browns!! The latest report from the Bureau of Reclamation is that they plan to keep the river levels high until September 6th. This is awesome for our fishery! Keeping the river high and cold until our cooler nights arrive really get protects these fish. When they do drop the river, the big ditch will be on the prowl.
The high mountain stuff has been in play! We recommend a variety of hoppers and our custom-tied Majerus Ciggy’s! The big ditch is kicking out great fish. However, don’t be afraid to go up the hill! Stop by the fly shop for a map and a few of the latest and greatest terrestrials! There is nothing like a gorgeous hike and nailing a big fish on a hopper. Kind of like “earning your turns” on a snowy mountain! With that being said, all four of our North Platte tail waters and the Big Horn in Thermopolis are staging for an epic fall! The fish are starting to look up, which means primetime for both streamers and dries. With clear water and fish looking up, the big fish are shopping for, what I call, the “impulse buy!” These fish make split decisions this time of year, so jump in one of our boats and be the cashier. Make a reservation with your favorite guide and come for an experience. We can’t wait to share this beautiful place with you.
Ryan, Liz, shop gals, and your favorite guides
- AUGUST 2022 N PLATTE RIVER FISHING REPORT -
The fishing has been steady this August! Our current river flows are Reef 2200 CFS, Mile 540 CFS, Fremont 400 CFS, and the Big Horn 1200 CFS. The Reef is in good shape from top to bottom. Keep in mind the Reef is 80 miles long and can provide you with your own little slice of heaven. Some days it’s rare to see another fishermen or boat. The fishing itself has been about “big game” nymphing! Stone flies, your favorite worm (squirmy or pegged) purple has been a popular color lately. Leeches and caddis nymphs are also getting it done. The fish on the Bighorn, Mile, Reef, Fremont, and the afterbay are all beginning to look up! There have been some nice early morning Trico hatches. We recommend fishing a traveling rig………. we personally prefer a sexy hopper (Amy’s ant, meadow hopper, thunder thighs etc.) with a bead head caddis dropped off. The bread crust, anato-may, and dirty bird are the guides favorite dropper. For the targeting rig we recommend an Adams, or an extended body blue wing all lubed up, then drop a “Mayer sink it spinner” or a mayhem midge in gray or black. To sum it all up, the fishing is great, and our playground is huge! The current river flows are Reef 2200 CFS, Mile 500 CFS, Fremont 400 CFS, and Big Horn 1500 CFS. We are excited to be approaching our favorite time of year when it becomes “dealers’ choice”. You can fish, nymphs, streamers, hoppers, and little dries! Drop us a line if you want to jump in one of our boats or just stop by our little red schoolhouse for a map and the right gear!
- JUNE 2022 FISHING REPORT -
Gray Reef to Town
With our flows at 2000cfs, it’s making for some exciting shallow-water hookups. These fish are on fire right now and even the little 16 inchers are peeling out line and bending our clients’ rods double. A lot of our guides are running fairly shallow all day, with a BB or even a #1 and about five feet from indicator to weight. This rig allows lots of flexibility for types of water you can fish, so don’t be afraid to look for water you wouldn’t normally spend time in! Things are getting buggy, but worms are always on the menu this time of year, so think about throwing a small San Juan and trailing your two favorite bugs behind it. Caddis, BWO’s, midges, and even a few small pmd’s nymphs are showing up, so stop by the shop and pick up a few of our hot patterns to match the hatch. Rockworms, breadcrust caddis, mayhem midges in black or gray, and splitcase pmd’s are all you need to have a great day up on the reef.
FISHING REPORT & FALL FORECAST
Oct. 27th, 2021
Grey Reef is cooking along as usual, with guides throwing mostly smaller bugs underneath an attractor of choice. The go-to rig for this stretch has been the IED worm, trailed by any size 18-20 midge or baetis nymph patterns. Popular small bugs are the Chocolate Thunder, grey or black Mayhem, or purple Darth Baetis. Keep it short and light, with a #4 weight. Dries are standard fare for this time of year, with small black Adams or Purple Haze patterns generating the most attention. For streamers, lighter colors and smaller silhouettes usually do better in the clearer water between the Reef and Lusby. The “trusty” Rusty Trombone and the small and heavy Goldie have seen lots of eats lately. Some guides are reporting success on orange eggs as well.
Bridge to Town has seen less pressure lately due to dirty water, but the upside to that is it gives the fish a rest. Things are already starting to clear and our guides are starting to work farther down in the system. It’s fall, and the big boy browns are starting to come out to play. This stretch is where you’ll want to go if you like throwing big bugs for big fish. Worms and leeches are steady producers, but don’t forget the little bugs. Any RS2-style pattern can be trailed behind a larger offering and you’ll be surprised how many eats it will get, even in off-color water.
MiracleMile fishing is starting to heat up for lake-run trophy browns. They haven’t hit their stride yet, but the closer we get to Thanksgiving, the more they’ll start thinking about the ladies. There’s nothing like the colors on a big male brown when he’s dressed for success, and our guides love taking clients up to the Mile to swing big flies for the chance at a lifetime fish. We have the program dialed in through mid-January, so give us a call if this sounds like your cup of tea.
Fremont Canyon is another place to start looking for big hungry fish in the fall. Egg patterns seem to be fairly effective in this stretch through the colder months, and various orange colors are usually the go-to. Also try going super light and stealthy with a small Cracked-back Baetis and two mayhems. There’s lots of fun waterfarther down in the canyon, but make sure to bring your studded wading boots. Those boulders can get slippery!
The Platte River Fly Shop All of our fly shop staff have spent time fishing during the winter season, so they know how important it is to have good gear that fits and works properly for Wyoming’s challenging cold-weather conditions. Take advantage of their technical knowledge regarding the top-line brands we carry by giving them a call or stopping by our beautifully remodeled shop! Our fall clothing lines are out on display, and we’ve got the accessories that make for great gifts! Check out our complete online selection at https://www.wyomingflyfishing.com/
Come see us for our BLACK FLY-DAY SALE on November 26th from 12-8pm. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided along with some KILLER in store exclusive deals! Pop out to the Little Red School House for a good time! This is a wonderful chance for us to connect with the many friends we’ve made through the years. As we head into a time of Thanksgiving, we hope you know we are so very grateful for having had the chance to share some time on the river with you. We hope to see you there!!!
-All the staff at Wyoming Fly Fishing Guide Service
9/27/21 - What is not to love about this time of year! Look close at anyone coming off the river and you’ll be able to tell...there’s something about the mild weather, the trees changing colors, fish on the feed...it’s like this time of year just makes everyone breathe a big sigh of relief and you can see the infectious joy and that glint in their eyes after a day of relaxing and reeling in fish. The Fall season just has a way of recharging people’s batteries and reminding us all of why we love being in the great outdoors!
Grey Reef
Moss will continue to be an issue on the Reef section for a while, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the float. Find an open lane and be ready to present either small flies on light tippet, or a heavier rig with your worm of choice. Short rigs are a must either way. If you’re planning on matching the hatch, try a slightly larger caddis attractor and trail it with any skinny profile baetis or trico imitation. A good selection this time of year is a Bird’s nest followed up with double Mayhem midges in olive or grey. If the fish are particularly choosy, try a Darth Baetis as your point fly. Don’t hesitate to look for heads, and be ready with a small hi-vis Adams on 5x, possibly trailed by a small foam-post RS2. The key is to find a pod that is feeding consistently and competitively. Lead the rise by a good couple of feet, throw a gentle mend, and hold on!
As always, we are stoked to take you out and show you the best of the mighty N.P., or you can stop by the shop to pick our brains and pick up some patterns that will get it done for the area you are heading to. We love showing off our new remodel and the huge selection of premium gear, flies, equipment, and keepsakes that can make your outing one to remember. Lodging options are available close by, and our Dry Fly Inn continues to impress guests with its location. They always mention the beautiful views off the back deck and over the river!
We wish you all the best that this best of seasons has to offer. Hope to see you all soon! Tight Lines!
As the days get shorter, trout react to less light by starting to feed more in preparation for winter. Browns in particular are sensitive to this change in light and start ramping up their appetites and territorial behavior in preparation for the fall spawn. Every section of our river is in play right now, the cottonwoods will be putting on their fall colors soon, and the weather couldn’t be better! And best of all, this time of year it’s possible to float an el primo stretch of river and see very few or no boats the entire day! Give the gals at the shop a call and book your trip soon!
Whether you want to book a trip, pick up some flies, check out the new remodel, or try on some of our new clothing brands, our staff would love to show you around and talk fishing! We look forward to seeing you soon!
Tight lines!
All the staff at Wyoming Fly Fishing Guide Service
Grey Reef’s higher flows have the trout chowing on a diverse menu, so most of our guides have been triple bugging it with a small stonefly, a San Juan worm, and a small bug of choice...mostly caddis or trico patterns. Worms are the go-to and will net trout on any stretch of the NP right now, from the Mile to below town. Wine, purple, and red are all producing. No need to go long. Short and sweet will enable you to work the shallow shelves and pockets that hold the big boys this time of year.
Streamer and dry fly action are steady from the Mile to town. We haven’t seen the topwater bite go gangbusters quite yet but action is steady and as we slide into late summer and early fall and flows start to drop, expect pods of fish to begin feeding predictably on the inside edges. For streamers, anything with gold flash and olive, or flashy and white, seems to turn the trick. The best hopper action tends to be with the foam Morrish and any bead-head caddis dropper of choice.
This has shaped up to be one of the busiest summers ever, and the fall season is filling up fast, so give us a call soon! We have lots of lodging possibilities, including our exclusive Dry Fly, right on the river and across the road from the shop! We also have lots of new brands in house, including Howler Bros. and Free Fly
7/17/21
Fishing on all our permitted waters is in play! We had a rain event last week on the Reef, but waters are clearing, and fishing has been great! The fish are getting super buggy and sliding up into the fast water, which is way more fun to fish! The Mile is kicking out some great fish and the stones have shown! We are super busy and putting great trips out the door every day!
The Mile bugs have been Stoneflies, Chubby’s, purple Back Scuds, PMD’s, and Mayhem Midges in purple and gray.
Fremont is fishing great but can be a little busy. Bugs have been Crack Back PMD’s, and Mayhem Midges in black and purple.
The Reef, The Reef, The Reef is on Fire! The boys have been fishing all the the way into town and we have been seeing some big bows as well as some big browns. With the summer months upon us, there is a lot more hatches in the river. Yellow Sally’s, PMD’s, Caddis, Stoneflies, and Tricos. Don’t forget ‘yeh’ old trusty squirmy worm in red or purple. Crack the code and go catch some fish! Come by the shop and we can definitely get you set up with a map, and some bugs that will bend the rod!
The fishing in central Wyoming is "en fuego" right now! The number of fish and also the size has been very impressive over the past couple weeks!
The Reef, The Reef, The Reef is on FIRE!!! The fishing on the reef is great. It is low, clear, and the fish are stoked! The three wise men are the way to go around government bridge. Leeches, Worms, and Eggs. However, if you are fishing the upper sections I would recommend fishing smaller bugs. Midges and BWO's are the ticket!
2-5-21
Happy New Year! We are back on the river already and it feels so good. Trout spey has been HOT!!! White streamer in the tail outs of the runs have been kicking out some of our biggest fish of the season. If you choose to nymph try a red rock worm with a midge dropped off of it. We'd recommend size 18 zebra or barbed wire midges as they have been taking fish on a daily basis. We are currently running $100 off of our full day guided trips through March 31st. Call us and let's talk fishing. We are here to help or to row you down the river.
5-6-20
4-1-20 Just a reminder there is no fishing during the month of April between the first set of cable crossings below Grey Reef to protect the rainbows that are spawning. These are located about a 1/4 mile below Grey Reef Dam.
3-17-20 CoronaVirus and the Platte River Fly Shop. We have reduced staff hours but we are still filling orders with normal business hours. From time to time we do drop ship orders directly from the manufacturer, but some of are suppliers are shutting down their warehouses. If your order will be delayed for any reason, we will contact you. You are not going to catch the disease by being outdoors, so get out there and do a little fly fishing to reduce the anxiety/stress factor. If any of this changes, we will make another post.
2020 Flush Schedule.
The BOR Announces Temporary Fluctuation of North Platte River Flow Downstream of Gray Reef Dam
The Bureau of Reclamation, in response to a request from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, has scheduled a series of fluctuating flows in the North Platte River downstream of Gray Reef Dam. Fluctuating flows are scheduled to begin on March 28. The purpose of the fluctuations is to improve trout reproduction in the river. The Wyoming Game & Fish has requested flows for ten consecutive days.
On March 24-25, Gray Reef Reservoir will evacuate storage to facilitate inspection of the radial gates. Although river flows will remain at the current rate of 500 cubic feet per second (cfs) during this reservoir operation, some fine sediment will be introduced from Gray Reef Reservoir into the North Platte River. Following the gate inspection, Gray Reef Reservoir will be refilled to the normal operating level. Then flushing flows will be initiated to flush fine sediment from the spawning gravels in the river.
On March 28, flows in the river below Gray Reef Dam will fluctuate from 500 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 4000 cfs according to the following schedule:
HOURS GRAY REEF OUTFLOWS (cfs)
00:01 to 01:00 a.m. 500
01:00 to 03:00 a.m. 2000
03:00 to 07:00 a.m. 4000
07:00 to 08:00 a.m. 3000
08:00 to 09:00 a.m. 2000
09:00 to 10:00 a.m. 1000
10:00 to midnight 500
This schedule will be repeated daily through April 6. After completing the flushing flow on April 6, the flows below Gray Reef Dam will return to 500 cfs. The schedule may be modified depending on river ice conditions.
The flushing flows are expected to clean the spawning gravels of fine sediment which has accumulated over the winter. The fluctuations in the river flow will be achieved without loss of power generation and the water released from Alcova Reservoir will be restored downstream in Glendo Reservoir.
The public is urged to use caution during this period of rapid fluctuation of flows below Gray Reef Dam.
2-27-20 First North Platte River / Grey Reef guide video report for 2020
10-30-19 Well as we go into winter I think everyone knows the routine by now. Streamers, Midges, Scuds, Eggs and Leeches will be the predominent patterns throughout the winter. This will be our last update until spring unless something major happens.
8-20-2019 Grey Reef Video Fishing Report
8-12-19 Tricos in the mornings switching to Caddis, Hoppers, Pats Rubber Legs, leeches and streamers in the afternoons.
6/25/19 Flows are finally ramping up on Grey Reef.....looking at 2100 as of this morning. Should cool the water back down and really kick them into high gear.
6/5/19 The reef is still at 500cfs with all the flooding going on in Neb. we don't see the levels coming up anytime soon. In turn, the river is warming up faster than normal so we are seeing some earlier hatchs. Pmd's, Caddis and Yellow Sallies have already started.
4-29-2010 Grey Reef Video Fishing Report
Grey Reef / Miracle Mile / Fremont Canyon Fishing Report from mark boname on Vimeo.
