The Best Fly Fishing Places in America

best fly fishing spots

One thing is for certain, there is no shortage in the United States of breathtaking and arousing spots in that are fantastic for fly fishing. The information provided here doesn’t even began to exhaust the list of wonderful places to enjoy this form of angling, but it may give you some great ideas if you are looking for a fly fishing vacation.

Just in case you are a novice, fly fishing, or flyfishing if you prefer, is a unique form of fishing in that the focus is more on the ability to cast the line, rather than a lure. The bait is usually hand-tied or artificial flies, hence the name. Most fly fishermen fish for trout, panfish or salmon, but some enjoy this method for bass, pike, and even saltwater species like snook, redfish and tarpon. For many, a big part of the enjoyment of the sport is tying their own flies. Others just get theirs from a fly fishing store.

Henry’s Fork, Idaho, is a great destination for rainbow trout. If you are fishing the Island Park area, it is better to fish in runoff conditions.

Sitka, Alaska is a major stopover for salmon heading to British Columbia, Washington, and other Alaskan waters. They have a great fly fishing lodge. Fly fishermen at Sitka, have a higher fishing catch rate than any other marine area in Southeast Alaska. June is the best month to fly in for fishing this area.

Kauai, Hawaii, is a great spot for fly fishing largemouth, smallmouth, and peacock bass. This Garden Isle also has excellent saltwater fly fishing.

The Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona, is one of the best fly fishing spots for rainbow trout. The fish are comfortable all year round in a 15-mile stretch of cold water that flows from the depths of Lake Powell between Glen Canyon Dam and the upper end of the Grand Canyon. Fly fishermen can also book a guide and go flats fishing for 25 pound carp.

Fishing Creek, Pennsylvania, is one of the states top wild trout streams. It generally stays cool throughout the summer. There is a five-mile stretch called the Narrows, near Lamar, that is a very popular area for fly fishing.

Driftless Area, Wisconsin, has many excellent fly fishing streams loaded with brown trout. There is excellent access to all of southwestern Wisconsin’s eight counties. There are 68 streams in Vernon County alone, including Kickapoo River and Timber Coulee Creek. Most fly fishermen in this area use mayfly and caddis imitations.

Saltwater fly fishing is at its best at Montauk Point, New York. Montauk Point is the easternmost point of Long Island and is best known for striper fishing. Fly fishermen have miles of beautiful shoreline in which they can cast their fly.

Gunpowder Falls, Maryland, is an excellent place to catch cold water trout. A deal was struck by the Maryland state authorities and Trout Unlimited to start cold water releases from Pretty Boy Dam. This has resulted in a combination of wild and stocked brown, brook, and rainbow trout. Most of the fly fishing is in Gunpowder Falls State Park.

Laguna Madre, Texas, is full of rivers and lakes that are excellent fly fishing locations. Texas also has its southern coast, which is among the world’s greatest saltwater fly fishing areas. The saltwater flats of Laguna Madre, next to Padre Island, are full of all different kinds of fish that make for a great fly fishing experience.

Lake C. W. McConaughy, Nebraska, is the largest lake in the state and also has some of the best fly fishing. Another excellent fly fishing spot in Nebraska is the Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area, which is a series of twenty sandpit lakes that have been carved into the Platte River basin. Red Willow reservoir is also a favorite of fly fishermen in this area of the country.

Like I said, this is not an exhaustive list. There is also great fly fishing in Montana, Florida, Wyoming, Colorado, Arkansas and even California.

So it makes little difference whether your pleasure is fly fishing in freshwater or saltwater, there are enough beautiful and product spots in the United States to keep you busy for a lifetime. In fact, there are probably enough in your area to keep you busy for a long time. But, if you should happen to get to them all, you can always go for a Canada fly in fishing trip, perhaps to Ontario. That’s a whole other story