Snake River cutthroat on the move as Teton runoff peaks in June

What's Biting

What's Next

As snowmelt from the Teton Range continues to feed the Snake, flows at 8,840 cfs (USGS gauge 06192500) are not unusual for the second week of June in a normal-to-above snowpack year. Expect the river to remain high and fast for at least another one to two weeks before runoff begins its gradual retreat. Water at 54°F is squarely in the ideal range for cutthroat trout metabolism — the fish are active and feeding, but they are hugging slower water to conserve energy against the heavy current.

The best near-term strategy is to target softer seams: outside bends, bankside eddies, and slough backwaters that catch the current's edge without requiring fish to fight it directly. On a float trip, pin your casts to within a rod's length of the grassy bank. Heavy beadhead stonefly patterns and attractor nymph rigs dropped deep will outperform dry-and-dropper rigs until flows moderate, though late-afternoon caddis or PMD activity can still coax fish to the surface in slower side channels and tributary mouths.

Looking toward the weekend, if air temperatures hold steady or dip slightly — tempering any additional snowmelt pulse — watch for the first reliable Pale Morning Dun hatches to establish a midday rhythm. Caddis Fly (OR) has been spotlighting the jigged Split Case PMD as an all-summer staple, and Wyoming's cutthroat waters tend to see PMD activity ramp up meaningfully through the back half of June. When the hatch fires, fish will stack in tailouts and flat seams — prioritize those over the main push of water. MidCurrent's recent fly-tying roundups emphasize full water-column coverage, from dense nymphs to CDC surface emergers, which is exactly the versatility this week demands. Carry both rigs and be ready to switch when you find calmer side channels.

For the Yellowstone drainage, smaller streams and park interior waters typically clear and drop faster than the main Snake following runoff pulses. Flylab (Substack) has documented cutthroat trout rising freely on the Lamar River under these conditions in past seasons — a pattern worth banking on this week for anglers willing to put in road miles into the park interior. Last Quarter moon this week typically softens the all-day feeding push, so weight your effort toward the morning and evening windows rather than expecting a continuous bite throughout the day.

Context

June is the big-water month across the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The Snake River near Moran regularly sees its annual peak flow somewhere between late May and mid-June as the Teton Range snowpack releases into the drainage. A reading of 8,840 cfs puts this year's runoff right in the expected range for early June — neither alarmingly high nor unusually low. Anglers who have fished the Tetons for years know this window as one of mixed reputation: the fish are active and hungry after the long winter, but the river is at its most imposing and the most productive access points shift dramatically with the water level.

Trout Unlimited has been actively investing in Snake River cutthroat habitat in this region, as highlighted in their recent Spread Creek video covering northwest Wyoming restoration projects. The population base these fish come from is receiving sustained conservation attention, which bodes well for the fishery's long-term trajectory. Hatch Magazine's feature on the 50th anniversary of the Teton Dam collapse is also a useful reminder of how fundamentally water infrastructure shapes the Upper Snake — for now, the river runs as a free-flowing system with its natural June pulse intact, and that remains good news for wild fish.

A water temperature of 54°F at this point in June is right on target for the Tetons. Cutthroat trout in this drainage become thermally stressed when temperatures push into the upper 60s, which on the main Snake typically does not happen until late July at the earliest. The current window — high flows, ideal water temperatures, PMD season building toward its peak — is actually productive for prepared float anglers, even if it feels imposing from the bank. Wading anglers are better served targeting tributary creeks and spring-fed side channels in the near term, where the water tends to be lower, slower, and often clearer than the main stem.