Henry's Fork Fishing Report - October 22, 2026
Henry’s Fork Streamflows
Island Park Dam: 91 cfs
Ashton Dam: 651 cfs
St. Anthony: 849 cfs
Fall River: 450 cfs
Not a lot has changed in Henry’s Fork country since last week. Overnight temperatures keep sliding, and we’re waking up to some serious frosts in the mornings. The past week brought a string of beautiful, sunny, warm afternoons, which are great for being outside but not always the best for our favorite fall fishing conditions. The good news is that the forecast for Ashton and Island Park calls for several scuzzy, cloudy days (starting today), and that should spell great things for baetis and mahogany hatches and some good streamer fishing. Flows remain low, weeds are still a factor, but water temperatures remain right where we want them for fall. For those willing to patiently wait for your truck to defrost and stow some extra coffee in a thermos, this time of year on the Fork can be amazing time to enjoy the solitude, admire the changing leaves, and pick up a quality fish or two before the sun sets. It may not be the bombastic hatch-based feeding frenzy of the spring and summer, but it’s one of our favorite times of year – for more poetic reasons!
Box Canyon
Flows out of Island Park Dam remain low, so floating the canyon is still a bump-and-scrape affair — for most, the sound of leaving fiberglass on volcanic rock is like nails on a chalkboard. For that reason, wading remains the better option here! Fishing the Box on foot has been good for those focused on finding the deeper holding water. Bring a wading staff, especially with frosty mornings making those square boulders even less forgiving. Small nymphs are still doing most of the work, but the coming cloudy days are a great excuse to swing a leech or strip a streamer. Our nymph picks haven’t changed: unweighted PTs, red and brown Zebra Midges, Split Case, Rednecks #16-20; Rubberlegs stonefly nymphs #10-12. For perdigons we like Olive Hot Spots, Spanish Bullets, Jake’s SH, Black Daggers and red Jig Napoleons #16-18.
Railroad Ranch
The Ranch continues to reward anglers who like to walk and stalk. Fish are rising, and their riseforms remain subtle this time of year. Sorting out the size and quality of your quarry remains difficult! Move slowly and carefully, since your wake travels a long way at these flows. Fish are fairly concentrated, so be ready to cover ground to find good targets. Baetis, pseudos and mahoganies are still your main bugs here, so carry emergers, duns and spinners for each. The sunny days have kept hatches on the sparse side, but the clouds over the next few days should bring better baetis and mahogany activity — those are the days we’d circle on the calendar. Weeds, both rooted and drifting, are still part of the game, so stay efficient and keep your focus on the fish. While the weeds may be a nuisance more often than not, they can sometimes help hide your approach and block your wake if you find risers: use them to your advantage! This might be one of the last shots at great Mahogany fishing on the ranch as they tend to taper off towards the end of the month. Gray, drizzly days will bring the heaviest and longest emergences. Together with the colder, humid air the duns also take longer to dry their wings and fly off — with bugs riding the surface longer often cause trout key on them more. Take heed and enjoy this hallowed ground while you can!
Canyon Country
The canyons are as beautiful as ever, but they’re still long floats at these flows with shorter and shorter days. During a stretch of nice weather they’ll still produce, and the incoming gray days could make streamers worth a serious look. Dry/dropper rigs remain the most useful setup otherwise.
Warm River to Ashton
Flows out of Ashton remain relatively unchanged in the scheme of things, and his stretch remains one of the most dependable options on the river. Numbers are good, with plenty of eager rainbows, browns, suckers and whiteys to keep the rod bent. Every so often something much bigger shows up to remind you why you came. Indicator nymphing is still the go-to for most folks, but don’t overlook the gray days in the forecast. Overcast skies and cooling water are exactly what get bigger browns moving this time of year, and this section has no shortage of streamer water: from fast riffles to deep buckets. If you’d rather swing, there are runs here that are great for a trout spey setup. Bring a couple different rigs and let the river tell you what it wants!
Below Ashton Dam
Baetis are still a daily part of the lower river’s routine, and the coming cloudy days should bring more great hatches later in the day. Sparse mahoganies are still around, more so under clouds than sun. On bright days, nymphing under an indicator or a dry will be the most consistent producer, while the gray days are prime for both streamers and looking for heads. Again, flies can mirror those recommended for the Box Canyon.
