Seasonal Hatches

May

The Saturday of Memorial Day weekend is always opening day on Silver Creek. This May hatch chart reflects what you may see during those last few days of May.

PMDs (Pale Morning Dun) and Baetis are the dominant hatches, but Callibaetis, Brown Drakes, Ants and Beetles may also be in play. What you see depends on the weather and where you are on the Creek.

June

June hatches include strong PMD activity, as well as Baetis, Callibaetis, Prairie Caddis, Green Drakes, Ants, Beetles and from late May to the middle of June the Brown Drake. Keep in mind this hatch does not happen in the Nature Conservancy section. It usually starts downstream east of Picabo and works its way upstream to the HWY 20 bridge just upstream of The Willows.

July

July hatches ramp up with the heat, but we also begin to see peak activity happening earlier and later in the day. The hatches continue to be PMD, Baetis, Callibaetis, Ants, and Beetles. Anglers should begin to see the first Trico spinner falls of the season in the mornings and the first of the Damsel flies in the afternoon.

August

The heat of August makes the Trico spinner fall the event most anglers pursue. This is followed by Baetis, Callibaetis, Damsel Flies and Grasshoppers.

September

September is the beginning of transition on the Creek. The month starts out with summer hatches and ends with fall hatches. It is a time for great fishing, but load your fly box! Anglers will still see Tricos, Baetis, Callibaetis and Grasshoppers and by the end of the month the first of the Fall Baetis, October Caddis and Mahogany Duns begin to show up.

October

Fall is upon the Creek by October and the hatches are strong but limited to shorter windows. Fall Baetis, Mahogany Duns and October Caddis can be found during bankers hours.

November

Dry fly season is slowly fading away as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday. Fall Baetis is really the only game in town, with a few Midges present as well. If the weather is good, these can be magical days on the Creek.

December, January, and February

Only the lower half of Silver Creek is open to fishing in the winter. The regulations change to catch and release, and anglers can fish from the Highway 20 Bridge downstream. Don’t count on seeing hatches this time of the year on the Creek. Fishing continues, but it is almost all Streamer action.

March

There is a decent chance to find a big Midge hatch on the lower Creek by the end of the month given the right weather conditions. It is an excellent time of the year for Streamer action as well.

April and May

Silver Creek is closed for spawning activity through all of April and most of May. The Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend the season begins anew!