The North Platte Above Saratoga

Intro | Upper River | Saratoga | Access | Tailwaters | Miracle Mile | Gray Reef | Encampment

This is the premier section of the North Platte. The first half down to the Bennett Peak Campground flows through majestic solitude where a fly fisher can fish alone for wild rainbow and brown trout in the company of elk, deer, bear, bighorn sheep, bobcat, mountain lion, coyotes, bald eagles, and moose. It's a long drive from anywhere.

The river flows through the Medicine Bow National Forest, so access is easy down to the confluence of Big Creek, below which there are public and private stretches. The river has steep grades, rapids, large boulders, narrow canyons, and dangerous white water in the runoff season. It becomes floatable and fishable after runoff.

The extreme upper reaches of the river--from the the state line to the Pickaroon Campground area (shown above)--is all public water and offers miles of wade-fishing opportunities. Downstream, public access is limited to the area around Bennett Peak Campground and Treasure Island (shown below). Below Saratoga there is public access at the Foote Fishing Access, Pick Bridge (boat launch only), Sanger Fishing Access, and the Rochelle Easement near I-80. Inquire at local flyshops for directions to these areas.

The upper section has few places to launch a drift boat, so the floating is limited to rafts and canoes. Pickaroon Campground on the east side of the river and Prospect on the west are the first (difficult) drift-boat launches. It's a long drive on the Pickaroon side and a very long shuttle at the end. On the Prospect side, the road down to the river is steep and the slightest moisture makes it impassable.

As the water begins to recede, attractor drys cast to banks and pockets bring explosive strikes, and nymphing with long leaders and strike indicators in the large pockets formed by midstream boulders produces large trout.

This is the time of year to float for transportation--drift, stop and fish the best water, drift, fish, camp along the way . . . relax. Float-fishing continues until the water level drops in midsummer.

Walk-in fishermen find this area to be an incredible adventure, especially if they take days to meander along the river, fishing and camping along the way. The riverside campgrounds are close enough together to reach by foot, and there is a trail connecting them. As the water level drops, the river becomes wadeable and there is an excellent variety of water types. These fish seldom see a fly.

This is a good place to use attractor patterns such as Stimulators, Humpys, Trudes, and Wulffs. Effective nymphs include the Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear and the local Halfback in various sizes. This is stonefly water, including Yellow Sallies, large golden stoneflies, and the giant salmonflies (Pteronarcys Californica). The hatch (usually the first two to three weeks of June) moves, and to hit it right you must be in the right place at the right time. High and dirty water is common this time of year, and can spoil plans for dry-fly fishing. Local fly shops can give you advice on water conditions, the latest hatch locations, and they can provide advice, professional guide services, and large(#4) salmonfly drys for your box.

The North Platte has an immense population of salmonflies (adult shown above with imitation) in the fast riffle water between Northgate Canyon and Treasure Island. Dry-fly fishing can be incredible in June, but during times of high, dirty water, dark Woolly Buggers or weighted nymphs produce the most fish.

Caddis comprise a large part of a North Platte trout's diet, and they hatch throughout the season. Perhaps this is why small attractor patterns are so effective. Mayflies hatch sporadically throughout the season, but the one of major importance is the Trico (Tricorythodes). The Trikes start in early August and run through September. The trout aren't particular, and a #20 Parachute Adams presented well will take fish. To be covered, make sure you have plenty of small Trico imitations (#18-#22) when you encounter this hatch.

Foothills and Bottomlands
As you travel downstream toward Saratoga, the topography changes from a wilderness canyonlike setting to foothills and ranch bottomland. The water changes from boulder-strewn pocketwater to riffles, runs, pools, and long glides, with braiding around midstream islands. This section is ideal for drift-boat fishing. There are more places to launch and take out, and the shuttles are easy. Much of this section runs through private land, and you must obey the signs that mark the river.

Walk-in anglers are restricted to the few public access areas, which provide adequate fishing opportunities. This is also the section of river that receives the most fishing pressure. Despite the fishing pressure (comparatively light), this section holds the largest trout in the upper river, and each year anglers catch trout in the 5- to 8-pound range.

In spring, prior to runoff but after the river sheds its winter ice (March 1-April 30), the water is relatively low and clear. Local anglers use stonefly nymphs to catch fish until the waters begin to rise with snowmelt. You should watch the backeddies and quiet runs for spring Blue-winged Olives (BWO). They hatch in the riffles, but the early-season flows make them difficult to see. Trout may be feeding on them, but unless you are in an area where the boat can be controlled, it may be difficult to get a good presentation to the fish.

Immediately after runoff, it's time to throw streamers and large nymphs toward the banks. This can be a time of excellent fishing, with a few large trout caught each year. The local favorite is a Woolly Bugger in black or olive-and-black, but a yellow-bodied, black-tailed, black-hackled Bugger works when other colors fail. (On bright days, an all-white Bugger often works.) Large #2 cranefly larva imitations fished to the banks draw strikes, probably because the trout are looking for naturals dislodged from the silty bottom by the high water.

The great fishing begins as the water levels begin to subside and currents slow around mid-June. Caddis pop from most riffles, sometimes as early as 8 A.M. Fishing an Elk-hair Caddis (Troth-style) dry trailing a bead-head larva or pupa imitation can be deadly, whether you fish from a boat toward the bank, or wade-fish a riffle.

By mid-June Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) begin in earnest and continue through most of the summer, with the #16 duns hatching about 11 A.M. and often mixing with the caddis. Watch the slower water downstream of the riffles for fish feeding on PMD duns and watch the riffles for fish eating caddis. Green and Gray Drakes hatch at the same time of day. While they may not hatch in massive numbers comparable to the great hatches on the Henry's Fork, they do bring fish to the surface. When you can see these large mayflies on the water, switch to a Green Drake pattern and hold on. This "glamour hatch" begins in late June or early July (depending on water temperatures) and lasts for approximately three weeks.

The typical North Platte brown trout is an aggressive 14- to 18-inch scrapper. Rainbows tend to be a little larger, and specimens over 5 pounds (of both species) are caught every year. All the fish are wild.

As the season progresses into midsummer, the PMD and caddis remain predominant hatches, but other mayflies hatch in scattered numbers. If you see a pod of fish working an area, look carefully at the insects on the water. It may be an isolated case of fish eating a mayfly of minor importance on the river.

The Trico season starts in early August and continues into September. As they begin to wane, the fall BWOs become the major hatch. Water levels drop dramatically, float-fishing is limited to deeper stretches, and wade-fishing is often more productive.

Rod Walinchus is a Fly Fisherman contributing artist and author of Fly Fishing the North Platte River: An Angler's Guide (Pruett Publishing Company, 1994). He now lives on Florida's Gulf Coast.

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