Category: Uncategorized

June 14, 2026

The North Platte has maintained a consistent flow around 400 CFS for the past week. Water clarity is clear and the fishing has been very productive. Fish have been holding throughout the entire stream, including the deeper runs. Nymphing with stoneflies followed by a smaller mayfly nymph or caddis pupae imitation have been working well. We are starting to see hatches of pale morning duns (PMDs) on high sun days and large caddis hatches throughout the mornings and evenings.

Big Creek is clear and the fishing has been very productive in the canyon stretch as well as in the meadows and spring fed ponds. Nymph rigs are most productive in the faster water, while in slow water along the banks the fish are beginning to look up. For productive dry fly fishing, we recommend searching for the slower water along the banks with attractor dries and terrestrial patterns late mornings and evenings. Our go-to rig has been a hopper-dropper using a large terrestrial dry fly with a # 08 – 14 stonefly or flashy beadhead mayfly nymph tied ~20 inches below the dry on 3x or 4x tippet.

Current Hatches: Caddis, Golden Stonefly, Black Stonefly, Salmonfly, Pale Morning Duns

Suggested Fly Patterns: Black Rubber Legs (#4 – #8), Psycho Price Nymphs (#12 – #14), Caddis larvae (#12 – #14), Zirdle Bug (#6 – #8), Flashback Pheasant Tails (#12 – #16), Hare’s Ears (#12 – #16), Worms (#12 – #10), Streamers (#4 – #8), Elk Hair Caddis (#16 – # 12), and PMD Dries (#16 – 14)

General Entomology

The major insect hatches consist of stoneflies, caddis, and mayflies. There is also an ample supply of terrestrial insects, aquatic worms, and native minnows that make up much of a trout’s diet.

Hatches generally begin mid-morning, and at times will last the entire day. Spring offers a diverse range of caddis, stoneflies, and mayflies. Terrestrial insects are most abundant during the heat of the summer—July and August—and will survive until the first hard frost. The most notable mayfly hatch in the upper North Platte River watershed is the trico mayfly, which usually arrives late-July and August. In the fall, and especially with a little moisture, blue winged olive mayflies may hatch the entire day.

Throughout the year trout will feed subsurface on the aquatic stages of many insects. Spring is often a time when lots of terrestrial nymphs and aquatic worms are flushed through the streams. It is also a time when stoneflies and caddis hatch, attracting the attention of many trout. In correlation with the seasonal hatches and as stream levels drop, trout will shift their focus to smaller mayfly and midge nymphs later in the season.

Trout are opportunistic feeders, and at certain times territorial. Streamers imitate the various life stages of fishes and leeches, and can be an effective method of fishing the entire season. Streamers are usually large and flashy, which make them a great option during the early season when water levels are high and off color. They also work well in lakes where trout sometimes ambush their prey.

General Hatch Guide

Mid-June to July

• Caddis
• Stoneflies (golden, salmonflies, yellow sallies, and little black)
• Mayflies (pale morning dun, green and brown drakes)
• Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
• Aquatic worms

July to August

• Caddis
• Stoneflies (yellow sallies)
• Mayflies (trico, pale morning dun, callibeatis, and mahogany dun)
• Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
• Midges

August to September

• Caddis
• Mayflies (trico, blue winged olive, and blue quill)
• Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
• Midges

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