Soda Butte Creek overall continues to  fish pretty well at this point, though rains in the past three days will impact fishing a bit this week.

Soda Butte Creek below Amphitheater Creek remains under special regulations right now - basically the river below Amphitheater Creek is closed from 2 PM to 5 AM.  As detailed below, conditions have improved a great deal in the past few weeks, and we’re hoping to see these restrictions revoked soon.

The automated temperature measuring at this station has registered air temperature highs in the low 80s all week, though it cooled the 17th and 18th with highs in the 60s; lows have been in the upper 30s.

Water temps have peaked at 63 to 65 most afternoons by the automated monitors, and have been dropping to around 50 at night - the water temp. is 47.6 F per the automated station this morning.  Given this improvement over several weeks ago, we’d hope restrictions won’t be in place long.

Flows near the Lamar Ranger Station were pretty steady all week in the mid 40s until the rains started on Thursday afternoon - there was a spike at near 70 cfs around midnight Friday, and flows have stabilized for about 24 hours around 60 cfs (today at 0645 -59 cfs, today’s average 86 cfs).  The point - she’s been running low, and the 1/2 inch or more rains the past few days have push flows up, and stained / muddied several of the waters in the area.  There will be a chance for more showers through Monday night - the water may be off for several more days pending rain.

The best strategy right is to search with small terrestials (hoppers, beetles, ants) and attractor nymph droppers.   We keep hearing reports that there are still a few Spruce Moths around, but we’d be surprised if in any numbers at this point.

Required flies on Soda Butte are going to be a bit smaller (#16-18) than on other Park waters.  There may be a few PMDs around in the morning, and a pocket or two of Caddis in the evenings still coming off.  We had a friend up there last week before the rains who did well with a small (18-20) Baetis parachute (he credits the Madison River Outfitter guys with the tip.)

The bad news is that as Slough, Soda Butte, and the Lamar have been some of the best fishing Park waters through a challenging summer, there’s been some pressure on these rivers, and the trout have seen a lot of flies.  Think before you cast, and make that first cast to an unfished run count.

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Flies to have in the box:

Dries:  PMDs - parachute, sparkle dun, sprout, cripple, CDC emerger, PMX - yellow, peacock, royal; Paradrake, gray, green/olive; Parachute Adams; Lime Tude; X-caddis (higher); Royal Trudes (higher); Stimulator, olive, yellow; Humpy, yellow;  Wulffs; Baetis Parachute

Nymphs:  WD 40, red, green; BH PT; Copper John, green / chartreuse; Micro Mayfly, olive, black; Barrs PMD emerger; small brown caddis nymphs

Terrestials:  Hoppers, small to mid size, VW hopper, Grand hopper - tan; Beetles, Ants - CDC winged ant, Chernobyl, ParaAnt, black and cinnamon;

Streamers / Others:  Wooly Buggers, olive /brown / black; Girdle Bug, small

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