River & Run
Home/Rivers/Salt River

River guide · Wyoming

Fly Fishing the Salt River

Star Valley's Salt River is a small, intimate freestone stream fed by springs and high-country snowmelt, running cold through willowy ranch corridors with wild Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat and sizeable brown trout that don't see nearly enough pressure. The float from Afton to the Snake takes anglers through some of Wyoming's most scenic agricultural valley, and some surprisingly technical dry-fly water.

See fly shops ↓

When to fish

Late June–November

Best months: June–November

  • Best
  • Off-peak

Salmonfly: late June–early July. Golden Stonefly: July.

Today's conditions

Where to fish

Along the Salt River

The Salt River winds through mostly private ranchland in Star Valley; drift boat floating is the primary way to cover good water. Wyoming Game & Fish has purchased public easement access areas at several points along the corridor, well-signed from Highway 89 between Afton and Alpine.

The water

Freestone

Key hatches

  • Salmonfly
  • Golden Stonefly
  • Pale Morning Dun
  • Caddis
  • Terrestrials / Hoppers
Hatch calendar

Conditions

Loading river conditions

6-day forecast

Loading forecast

Forecast from the National Weather Service ↗

Key hatches

  • Salmonfly (late June–early July)
  • Golden Stonefly (July)
  • Pale Morning Dun (June–July)
  • Caddis (July–August)
  • Terrestrials / Hoppers (August–September)
  • Blue-winged Olive / Baetis (Sept–Nov)

Fly shops near the Salt River

Shops and guides that fish the Salt River. See all 35 Wyoming shops →

7 fly shops shownSalt River at Afton

Species on this water

Trout

Nearby towns

AftonDanielJackson

Rivers nearby

Snake RiverNew Fork RiverFirehole RiverNorth Platte River
From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Salt River

Step-by-step tying recipes & videos for these patterns.

Browse patterns at The Fly Bench
Gear up

Gear up on the Salt River

Everything you need before the next trip — rods, lines, leaders, and fly-tying materials.

Shop the gear Flies that work

The flies that work on the Salt River

Find the most effective patterns for where you're fishing — and learn to tie them yourself, step by step.

Find your flies