Blue-Winged Olives are marked at peak in October on 88 of the 92 rivers charted on this site, so the question in fall is not whether there is a hatch. It is which river gives you the Baetis plus something else: a brown-trout population on the move, an October Caddis, a Red Quill, a crane fly, a steelhead run, or simply a chart that stays busy into November after the freestones have gone quiet. This page is the list. The fish behavior behind it, pre-spawn browns and redd etiquette, is on the fall trout behavior page.
Brown-trout tailwaters that fish through November
These are the rivers where the fall rows stay at peak the longest and the browns are the draw.
- Missouri River, Montana: Tricos at peak in September, BWO at peak October through December, midges back to peak by October, and a scud and sowbug row at peak every month. The best fall dry-fly tailwater in Montana and one of the best streamer rivers for browns.
- Bighorn River, Montana: the same shape as the Missouri, with Tricos at peak in September and BWO peaking October into winter. Browns and rainbows both.
- Weber River, Utah and the Middle Provo: crane flies at peak in September, BWO at peak in October and November, midges at peak from October. Both are brown-trout rivers, and both get the fall streamer bite.
- Frying Pan River, Colorado: the only river here with a Red Quill row, and it hits a second peak in October alongside BWO and midges. A big-fish tailwater that stays open all fall.
- Taylor, Gunnison, Blue, and South Platte in Colorado: all show BWO at peak from October and midges at peak from October, and all list browns.
- Green River below Flaming Gorge: terrestrials at peak in September, BWO at peak in October and November, and scuds on every month. The A section's browns stage in fall.
- San Juan River, New Mexico: midges at peak all twelve months and BWO at peak from October through April. When Montana closes down, the San Juan is just getting started.
The October Caddis rivers of the Northwest
Dicosmoecus, the October Caddis, is a large orange caddis (size 8 to 10) that hatches in the fall and is marked on in September and peak in October on eight rivers: the Deschutes, Metolius, North Umpqua, and Rogue in Oregon; the Yakima, Klickitat, and Methow in Washington; and the Clearwater in Idaho. On the Deschutes and Yakima the row overlaps with BWO at peak and caddis on; on the Metolius it overlaps with BWO at peak and Callibaetis on. Several of these are also fall steelhead rivers, which is the other reason to be there.
Montana freestones before they go quiet
The big Montana freestones have a shorter fall than the tailwaters, but September and October on them are the best weeks of the year for browns.
- Madison River: crane flies at peak in September and October, Tricos at peak in September, hoppers on in September, BWO at peak in October. Browns stage through the Channels and above Ennis.
- Yellowstone River: hoppers still at peak in September, BWO at peak in October. Big browns move in the Paradise Valley stretch in fall.
- Bitterroot: hoppers at peak in September, BWO peak in October.
- Big Hole, Blackfoot, Gallatin, Clark Fork, and Rock Creek: hoppers on in September, BWO at peak in October, and browns on every one. By November their midge rows are at peak and little else; the season is effectively over.
Idaho and Wyoming
- Henry's Fork: Tricos at peak in September, Callibaetis on, BWO at peak in October and November. The fall Baetis on the Ranch is a serious technical fishery.
- Silver Creek: Tricos at peak in September, BWO at peak in October and November, midges at peak from September. A spring creek, so it fishes into winter.
- South Fork of the Snake and Snake River, Wyoming: caddis and hoppers both at peak in September, BWO at peak in October. Both list browns alongside the cutthroat.
- New Fork River: hoppers at peak in September and the only species listed is brown trout.
- North Platte: BWO at peak October and November, midges at peak from October, browns.
Utah and the Southwest into November
The lower-elevation rivers keep fishing after the northern freestones freeze up. In Utah the Logan and Blacksmith Fork carry crane flies at peak in September and October and BWO at peak in October and November; the Strawberry and Ogden show crane flies in September and BWO through November. In Arizona the Colorado at Lees Ferry, Salt, Verde, and Oak Creek show BWO at peak from October or November through the winter; on the Salt and Verde it is the start of the best season, not the end. California and Nevada's Owens, East Walker, and both Truckees are brown-trout rivers with BWO at peak from October.
Steelhead rivers where fall is the season
The Clearwater (B-run steelhead) and the Salmon in Idaho, and the Klickitat, North Umpqua, and Rogue in Oregon and Washington, are on this site because of fall fish. The Sandy and Skykomish are winter-steelhead rivers whose season starts later. Seasons, bag limits, and gear rules on all of them are set by the state agencies and change yearly; check before you plan a trip.
Picking by month
| Month | Go to | Why, per the charts |
|---|---|---|
| September | Madison, Missouri, Bighorn, Henry's Fork, Silver Creek, Weber, Middle Provo | Tricos or crane flies at peak, hoppers on, BWO on |
| October | Any of the above plus the Deschutes, Yakima, Metolius, Frying Pan, Yellowstone | BWO at peak everywhere; October Caddis and Red Quill at peak |
| November | Missouri, Bighorn, San Juan, Green, Frying Pan, Taylor, Lees Ferry, Salt, Owens, Silver Creek | BWO and midges still at peak on tailwaters and low-elevation water |