Green River, Wyoming
Below Fontenelle Dam — Wyoming tailwater where the famous Green begins its journey
The Green River of Wyoming flows south from its Wind River Range headwaters through the Great Basin toward Utah and eventually the Colorado River — one of the most historically significant rivers in the American West, the primary supply route for the 19th-century mountain man rendezvous that established the fur trade, and the river that defines the geology of Dinosaur National Monument and Flaming Gorge.
Below Fontenelle Reservoir in Sublette County, the Wyoming Green takes on tailwater characteristics that support surprisingly good trout fishing in the arid high desert of southwestern Wyoming. Cold releases from the dam maintain water temperatures in the trout zone through the intense Wyoming summer, creating a fishery that would otherwise be impossible in this climate. Wild rainbow and brown trout populate the river from the dam downstream through La Barge and toward the Utah border.
The Wyoming Green is dramatically less fished than its Utah counterpart below Flaming Gorge — most anglers make the drive directly to the famous Utah sections without stopping for the equally productive Wyoming water. This oversight creates a genuine opportunity: good trout fishing in spectacular Wyoming high desert with minimal competition from other anglers.
The landscape here is classic Wyoming Basin — sagebrush flats, eroded badlands, sandstone buttes, and the wide sky of the Overthrust Belt. It is austere, dramatic country that gives the Green River's Wyoming section a character entirely distinct from the canyon fishing below Flaming Gorge.
Fontenelle Dam — Tailwater
Access near the dam outlet for coldest flows. Limited facilities but good wade access on gravel bars below the outlet.
La Barge Area — Mid River
The town of La Barge provides access to the middle river section. Good wade fishing from multiple river access points along the highway.
Below La Barge — Lower Wyoming
Highway access continues downstream toward the Utah border. Less-traveled sections with minimal fishing pressure. Good fall streamer fishing.
Rainbow Trout
Dominant species below the dam. Wild fish averaging 12–16 inches. Most active during midge and Caddis hatches. Less selective than their famous Utah counterparts due to lower pressure.
Brown Trout
Present in good numbers in the mid-river sections. Larger average size than rainbows. Best during fall pre-spawn with streamers.
Stop and fish the Wyoming Green on your way to or from the Utah sections — it's the same river, similar fish, and a fraction of the pressure.
The Wyoming landscape gives this section a completely different character from Flaming Gorge — austere high-desert beauty that many visiting anglers never experience.
Fall fishing (September–October) on the Wyoming Green is significantly better than summer due to cooling temperatures triggering more aggressive feeding.
The historical significance of this river corridor — mountain man rendezvous sites, Pony Express route — adds meaningful context to every trip.
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