High Water on Utah's Green River

The Green River is an anomally in regards to fishing during high water flows.   Being a tailwater fishery with approximately 100,000 trout, we do not see many days of bad fishing.   During high water the water clarity is good for the first 12 miles below Flaming Gorge Dam. 

High water flows occur on the Green River when the flows reach 4,600cfs or above.  Currently the river is regulated to not go above 9,600cfs as going above this flow requires opening up the spillway.  If the spillway is opened it subjects the Green River to many invasive species, including Lake Trout, Kokonee Salmon, Burbot, and Small Mouth Bass.  In 1998 the flows reached 10,600cfs and fish were still being caught.  The river is currently managed to not go above 9,600cfs to prevent introduction of foreign species.

 

The first 3 days of high water churn up all of the previous years accumulated moss, sand and silt, making it almost impossible to catch fish.  After the moss, pine needles, and other debris have flushed out the river fishes great again, with each day opening up more and more clear water.  Typically, from about 1 mile below Red Creek Rapid (12 miles below the Dam) the water is too murky to have much success.  However, in years with prolonged high flows the river fishes decent on the C Section.