Parks' Fly Shop: Spring Creek Trips, Fishing the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, spring creek guided trips
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Spring Creek Sites
Longtime client Dave Kadko with a Depuy Spring Creek brown.
Introduction to Spring Creek Walk & Wade Trips
The three Paradise Valley spring creeks, Depuy, Nelson's, and Armstrong, are among the most famous spring creeks in the country. The offer consistent hatches, large but picky wild trout, and the certainty that you won't have to deal with the crowds that can sometimes jam the more-famous and easily-accessed waters inside Yellowstone Park. This comes at a cost, however. The creeks charge $40-100 per angler per day. On the other hand, in our opinion there are three periods when the creeks are at their best, and during two of them, March through mid-April and again in October and early November, their rates are at their lowest, even the limited crowds of summer usually aren't present, and the fish are at their least-spooky. The other great period to hit the creeks is during the July PMD hatches, when all three creeks are always fully-booked, with good reason.
Because the creeks themselves charge fees on top of our own charges for guide service, we offer significantly reduced rates to fish the creeks in spring and fall. As far as we know, we are the only shop to do this. During the summer months, when abundant walk trip options are available on public land, we charge regular walk & wade trip rates.
| Spring Creek Trip Rates (Full-Day Only) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spring and Fall | Summer | |
| One Angler | $350 | $395 |
| Two Anglers | $350 | $440 |
Spring and Fall Rates apply March 1-June 15 and October 1-November 15 on spring creeks.
Because of the skill levels required, the spring creeks are suitable for high-intermediate, advanced, and expert anglers only. Even anglers with high skill levels should expect to work hard for each fish, both in terms of getting them to take and getting them to hand after they're hooked. Flat, clear water with abundant weeds and natural insect life does not breed easy trout.
You have two choices in booking a day on the creeks. You can book your trip with the creek first, then book your guide (links to their websites are present on our links page as well as above left), or we can book the spring creek reservation for you. Please note that the creeks require deposits on top of those for our guide service fees, and deposits we make on your behalf with the creeks will generally be nonrefundable.
Read on for descriptions of how we approach the creeks at different times of year. We would be happy to make suggestions of which creek is right for you, as each offers something a bit different.
Spring Spring Creek Walk & Wade Trips
March 1 through Mid-June
Early spring sees large numbers of rainbow trout enter the creeks from the Yellowstone River on their spawning runs. Pre-spawn fish make great targets for San Juan Worms and streamers, while both pre-spawn rainbows and yearround creek residents will take midges and egg flies. There are also good hatches of Blue-winged Olive mayflies as well as midges on many days. We never fish for fish actively spawning over gravel, but these fish are fun to watch and to photograph. Later in the spring, after the BWO hatches have petered out and the spawners have finished, midges and streamers are top bets. Rod fees for spring trips begin at $40/day in March and rise to $75 in mid-April.
Below: Large Depuy Spring Creek rainbow trout downstream of a redd (nest). Fishing over redds is unethical, but the increased numbers of trout that enter the creeks to spawn provide good angling opportunities before they begin building redds.
Summer Private Spring Creek Walk & Wade Trips
Mid-June through Labor Day
Early summer, especially from late June through late July, is prime PMD time on the creeks. Most days will see a spinner fall early in the morning, followed by a hatch around midday and more spinners or possibly a caddis hatch in the evening. If the PMDs aren't hatching, PMD nymphs, small attractor dries, and small terrestrials are our primary bets. Later in the summer, the PMDs thin out, but the Sulphurs (cream Baetis) and Tricos begin hatching, and terrestrial insects get more and more common. The creeks can be booked solid several months in advance from late June through early August, so if you're looking to fish at this time, you need to do so as far in advance as possible. This is being written in mid-January, and Depuy Spring Creek is already fully-booked several days in July, for example. Rates reflect the insects and the demand: $100 per day per angler.
Fall Private Spring Creek Walk & Wade Trips
Labor Day through early November
In early fall, hatches are generally limited to midges and the occasional late Sulphur or PMD. Beetles and ants are our top dry bets, while tiny nymphs also work well. As fall progresses, fall BWO begin to hatch, and heavy emergences are possible on overcast days. In October, brown trout begin running into the creeks to spawn, and egg flies and streamers become great bets. Rates begin at $100, drop to $75 in mid-September, and drop to $40 in mid-October. The fishing runs counter to the rates, with the best fall fishing happening in late October and early November. Fishing remains good on all but the coldest days through the winter, with excellent midging possible, but our guiding season ends around November 15.