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Flaming Gorge Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The two-state canyon sea: record-book lake trout, kokanee clouds and the Green River's emerald tailwater pouring out the bottom.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
80 / 81 F
Wind
SSW 21 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 21 mph, rising pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 81. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Lake troutFair

Transition depths: work 40-80 ft structure edges with white tubes and flutter spoons. Early mornings can find fish surprisingly high over deep water chasing bait.

Yellow perchFair

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Similar at 82 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp80 F
High / Low81 / 60 F
WindSSW 21-26 mph
Pressure1005.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:47 / 19:45
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 81/60 F, wind 21 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 21 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Flaming Gorge Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Lake trout illustration

Lake trout

Best: ice-out and fall turnover

The char of the deep: 40-year-old predators patrolling the cold basins of glacial lakes, from the Finger Lakes to the Rockies. Transition depths: work 40-80 ft structure edges with white tubes and flutter spoons. Early mornings can find fish surprisingly high over deep water chasing bait.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Flaming Gorge Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lake trout
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Flaming Gorge Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 80 F, wind to 22 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 27 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 27 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 75 F, wind to 18 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Wyoming requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Wyoming or Utah license with reciprocal stamps for boaters crossing the line: check both states. Lake trout: slot protections Utah side; burbot: mandatory kill.

Access

Wyoming: Buckboard, Firehole. Utah: Cedar Springs, Lucerne, Antelope Flat ramps; Dutch John services.

About this water

42,000 acres on the Green River, Sweetwater County WY / Daggett County UT. Canyon depths past 400 ft.

Fishing Flaming Gorge Reservoir: the full guide

Ninety-one miles of red rock

Flaming Gorge floods the Green River through Wyoming badlands into Utah's canyon country: the Wyoming half runs open and windswept (rainbows, browns cruising the flats), the Utah half plunges into 400-ft canyon depths where the monsters live. One reservoir, two states, two personalities: plan licenses accordingly.

Lake trout of legend

The Gorge grew the West's most famous lakers: 50-pound-class fish over the Utah canyon's deep structure, jigged with heavy tubes or trolled at depth. Management encourages harvesting the small 'pup' lakers (protecting kokanee) while the trophy hunters release the giants: winter and early spring put even the big fish within jigging reach.

Kokanee and the surface game

Summer kokanee fleets circle the Utah arms (dodgers and squids at 30-60 ft), building the forage story that feeds everything. Rainbows patrol the shorelines spring and fall for bank casters; smallmouth colonize every rock slide; and the burbot invasion created a bizarre bonus: night jigging for eelpout with glow lures, harvest unlimited and encouraged.

Below the dam

The Green River tailwater below Flaming Gorge Dam is a destination unto itself: emerald water, 8,000-plus trout per mile in the A Section, and dry-fly cliffs walked by a riverside trail. Reservoir and river together make the Gorge a complete trip: jig giants at dawn, drift the A Section at noon.

Common questions

How big do Flaming Gorge lake trout get?

Fifty-pounders exist and 30s are annual: the Utah canyon's depth and kokanee base build them. Winter jigging over 60-100 ft structure is the realistic trophy window.

Do I need two licenses on Flaming Gorge?

Boating both halves, effectively yes: each state sells a reciprocal stamp honoring the other's license on the water. Bank anglers stay legal with the state they stand in.

Is fishing good at Flaming Gorge Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Green River67 miStarvation Reservoir84 miStrawberry River96 miJordanelle Reservoir107 miStrawberry Reservoir109 miBear Lake110 mi
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