Henry's Lake Cutty

This cutthroat, among many others, was caught on a crystal dubbed leech in the Fall, 2008.
The Brook Trout (below) was caught on the same fly. But they do grow over 7 pounds!

Henry’s Lake Brook Trout

7 pound Cutthroat

Great friends and fellow guides Travis and John smiling at a 7 pounder.

What a beauty!

………and this is what happens when you take your wife fishing!! Jen Chutz with her 10+ pounder during her first trip to Henry’s Lake.

Henry’s Lake truly is one of Island Park’s great fishing experiences. With the Centennial Range as one of the backdrops, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more beautiful place to cast a fly.

(Look at “Henry’s Lake Property” under my featured listings to see a sportsmans paradise property!)

Dave Padrutt with a big Madison Brown during Stoneflies

Great hatches of Salmon Flies, Golden Stones, Caddis, PMD’s, Yellow Sallies, Flav’s, and Epeorus make the Madison yet another phenominal dry fly river in the Island Park region. Terrestrial activity through the late summer and early fall also add to the Madison’s dry fly experience.

Another Happy Customer With a Madison Brown on a Dry Fly

The Madison River has healthy populations of Rainbows as well as Browns. This particular Rainbow (below) was caught on a Stoefly nymph.

Madison Rainbow

From Henry’s Lake Outlet to Island Park Resevoir, you have the fishing style and feel of a creek. Slow flats with some rising fish activity, moving down to deep undercut banks as you move toward the confluence with Big Springs water, and flowing South through Coffee Pot Rapids before flattening back out and dumping into Island Park Resevoir. Fishing can be good in those “upper” stretches of the river, but the majority of the well known trophy trout fishing is from Island Park Resevoir down.

Big Rainbows on Streamers

This Rainbow was stuck on a leech pattern streamer in the Box Canyon located in the center of Island Park, ID. The Box Canyon is the stretch of the Henry’s Fork below the Island Park dam. This stretch is faster moving and full of trenches and lava rock. This fishes best if attacked like pocket water, concentrating on one small area at a time. The canyon is predominantly a nymph fishery with some great dry fly opportunities during the Stonefly hatches. Streamers of different styles and colors also work well, especially in overcast and foul weather.

The Box Canyon opens up into Last Chance (South Island Park) and the river flows into the Harriman Ranch. This stretch of the river holds the most challenging fish in Island Park, if not some of the toughest fish in the country. The “Ranch” fishes like a classic Spring Creek with relatively shallow clear water and a lot of bugs for the fish to choose from. Finding fish, watching hatch activity, picking flies accordingly, and presenting great drifts in a fish’s feeding lane are usually critical steps to hooking fish on the Ranch.

Warm River to Ashton Brown

This fish was caught just south of Island Park on the Warm River to Ashton stretch of the Henry’s Fork. This stretch of river is the last before reaching the Ashton Resevoir. Fishing throughout the year is possible on this stretch given its water volume, cool temperatures due to the cold water of the Warm River and Robinson Creek, and hatches of insects throughout the seasons. When times are tough late in the summer, nymphs and terrestrials will bring fish to a fly.

Dry Fly Rainbow

Jason Gillette holding a big Lower River Rainbow

The “Lower River” fishes all year, but best in the spring/mid summer and again in the fall. These stretches of the Henry’s Fork boast big hatches of PMD’s, Fav’s, Green Drakes, and Gray Drakes throughout the months of June and early July. Early spring and mid to late fall will bring Baetis (BWO’s) to the water. The fish will feed on the nymphs as well as the adults depending on the weather. Again….never be afraid to strip a streamer.

The Island Park, ID region contains many diverse and rich trout fisheries.
The world renowned Henry’s Fork, Henry’s Lake, the Fall River and all surrounding tributaries are a only a start into fishing the Island Park area.
The Madison River, Hebgen Lake, Quake Lake, and all of their tributaries begin only a few miles to the North.
All of the Yellowstone Park fisheries are a short trip out of West Yellowstone, MT which sits about 15 miles north of Island Park.
With the South Fork of the Snake to the south, and a couple hour drive north to many of Southwest Montana’s great fisheries such as the Beaverhead, Bighole, Ruby, and Jefferson; Island Park, ID sits in the epicenter of western trout fishing.
Click on a few of my fishing pages to check out some photos of what Island Park, ID waters can produce.

For updated fishing reports, click the Trouthunter or “Island Park’s Fly Fishing Outfitter” link at the bottom of the page.