Encampment River, Wyoming

Walk-and-wade anglers should concentrate their efforts in Commissary Park in Routt National Forest (in northern Colorado) and the 18-mile-long canyon downstream in Wyoming that reaches nearly to the town of Encampment. There is no road access to canyon water, but a national forest hiking trail runs along the entire length and hikers can gain access at the very top and bottom of the run. Begin at the BLM Oddfellows camp just upstream of town and follow the trail up to fish the wilderness sections of the river, or begin upstream at the state boundary and hike downriver.


The upper Encampment River is a pocketwater fishery with 10- to 16-inch brown trout (some reach up to 20 inches) and slightly smaller rainbows. There are also cutthroat trout and small, colorful brook trout.

Invariably, the middle section of this stretch sees very little pressure, and anglers who arrange a shuttle in Saratoga and spend and entire weekend hiking from one access to another often encounter very good fishing, and few or no other anglers. The river drops very quickly through the canyon, particularly in the upper reaches, and is punctuated with huge boulders in and around the river. This creates a superb pocketwater fishery, with short, deep holes and cascading whitewater in between.

Almost every pocket holds fish, and because of the nature of the water, a variety of attractor nymphs and drys work well. It's usually a good bet to use a high-riding dry fly like a Stimulator, Elk-hair Caddis, or Royal Wulff, and hang a small bead-head nymph below it as a dropper.

Near the town of Encampment, the river spills from the canyon out onto the fertile valley floor where it quickly gathers the nutrients required to produce heavy hatches of aquatic insects and surprisingly large trout. Unfortunately for most anglers, the river bank and bottom is almost exclusively privately owned through the lower river, and there is no public access except for a short, one-mile "state school" section near Baggott Rocks.

Great Rocky Mountain Outfitters leases what is locally known as the Hay Meadow stretch of the river between Encampment and Baggott Rocks. You can get on their water for $50 per day, but only if one of eight "club" members isn't already using it. They also offer guide services, and can launch boats from the property.

The only time the entire lower river can be floated by the public is during the first few weeks of July, when the river is high enough to get through without portage. There is no public boat launch at the access point, so rubber rafts must be carried to the river and dropped down a steep, eroding embankment. To complicate matters, there is an irrigation diversion dam just above the confluence with the North Platte River that must be negotiated without getting out of the boat. From there, it's a short trip down to the Treasure Island public access and boat launch on the North Platte.

Fortunately for anglers, this July window of opportunity is not merely the only time to fish the lower Encampment, it's the best time. The river is just starting to drop, clear, and warm, the trout are hungry, and millions of stoneflies, caddis, PMDs, and, most importantly, Western Green Drakes are hatching.

The hatch begins when water temperatures reach daytime highs of 58 degrees F. This usually happens right around the 4th of July, and the hatch lasts for about two weeks. The Drakes are very dependable, and usually begin to emerge around 11 A.M. and continue until about 3 P.M. As with many hatches, the dry-fly fishing is considerably better on cloudy, overcast days.

Although trout are caught on a variety of imitations through this period, the large trout in the lower section key on Green Drakes. A good angler with the right patterns, and a hard-rowing guide at the oars can expect to catch more than a dozen trout during the feeding frenzy right around lunch, and his buddy in the back seat will do the same. Most of these fish will be wild rainbows in the 17- to 19-inch range, with the occasional 14- to 18-inch brown thrown in for extra interest. Snake River cutthroat were stocked in the river several years ago, and their progeny are sometimes encountered, although you are more likely to catch a cuttbow.

Green Drakes are important on the Encampment River (downstream of the Canyon) and on the North Platte River (between Bennett Peak and Treasure Island) during the first three weeks of July. Look for the hatch to begin just before lunch and last several hours. The state school section (above) is the only public water on the river.

Although the lower river is very productive, and compared to some famous rivers, relatively unknown, the public area is very small and vulnerable to crowding. The one-mile stretch is often crowded during the Green Drake hatch with wading anglers, and a flotilla of rafts in the morning.

Dobson will only put three boats on the river at one time. When he is booked, he suggests alternate days, waters, or turns people away. With three flyshops in the immediate area, and a number of other outfitters and vacation ranches offering guided trips, his restraint makes good sense. Visiting anglers would be wise to make their reservations well in advance, and make plans to spend the majority of their time on the North Platte or in the canyon.