I have had a number of fishing clients and friends get in touch with me recently with concerns about their upcoming fishing trips to Wyoming this spring and summer. The worry is that when they arrive, the runoff may still be happening, and clear water may be hard to find. Well, looking at this photo (click to enlarge) would make me wonder too. The University of Wyoming Water Resource Data System has updated their water-content map. These numbers are incredible. After a very wet winter across the state, you can see that the driest area is still at 129% of normal for early May. From there, the numbers just get higher. On top of this, the weather around the Western part of the state has still been wet, and very cool...there has been virtually no runoff yet. So what does it all mean? I guess the worst case scenario is that May and early June continue to be cooler and wet (which has happened before), which means a delayed runoff. If this happens, we may not see many low, clear streams and rivers until early August. Hopefully, we will start to see a warming, drying trend which should get this snow melt started. Bureau of Reclamation officials are emptying both Jackson Lake and Palisades Reservoir on the Upper Snake River to make room. I would think that the best case at this point, is that the Green and Snake Rivers would be ready to fish by mid July, at the very earliest. In reality, we may not have the Snake and its tributaries until early August, and the Green and South Fork will be higher than normal...which is OK. In the end, it is still good news...we are certainly out of any drought scenario; fish and insect life will prosper! Visit WRDS to learn more.
This second photo is a great shot that my buddy Bobb Cannella took near the Upper Snake River a few days ago...a spring Griz looking for food. Keep your eyes open out there!
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