Fly Fishing The Encampment River Wyoming

The Encampment River begins in the alpine meadows of Colorado, and flows northwesterly into Wyoming through an 18 mile long canyon into a valley eventually joining the North Platte River. The Encampment river is like Rodney Dangerfield, “it gets no respect” but that is not exactly correct, it does get respect, just not as much as the better known North Platte River.

The Encampment River in the canyon section is wild and beautiful with some great pocket water as well as some more peaceful stretches; and although it contains a plentiful population of trout, it doesn’t see a great deal of pressure due to a lack of roadside access.

It does however, have a nice National Forest hiking trail that runs along the entire length of the canyon which can be accessed from its upper or lower end. Since the canyon is 18 miles long, it is a nine mile hike from either end. If you are willing to hike for some quiet fishing, the best access is in Commissary Park in the Routt National Forest.

The lower section of the Encampment River is entirely different for one thing, the river becomes wider and slower. More importantly, the PH increases due to the surrounding fertile valley and therefore it supports abundant hatches of aquatic insects. The trout feasting on these insects become larger than those found in the less fertile waters of the canyon and trout from sixteen to twenty inches are not uncommon in this section.

Now that is the good news, but the bad news is the lack of accessibility since the lower section flows through private property. Indeed, public access is confined to a one-mile section of river close to Baggott Rocks. That would not be a problem except for the crowds that appear during the prime hatches like the Green Drake Hatch.

During the normal fishing season, the Encampment River has enough water to maintain a float trip only during a period of time from the end of June through the second or the third week of July. Fortunately for anglers this time period coincides with the great Green Drake hatch.

If you prefer to float the river on a rubber raft, it can be launched at the Barrott after going down a high bank. Then it will be necessary to drift downstream for about 7 miles to take out at Treasure Island at the North Platte River. It should be noted that under Wyoming laws, the land owners own the streambed and you can not legally touch the bottom of the river or the banks with your anchor. In addition to that restriction, you should know that there is a dam with about a five foot drop in water levels to negotiate near the takeout
 

Fishing the Encampment River:

If you want to get away from the larger rivers like the North Platte, and do some hiking then try the Encampment. How you fish the river depends on where you will be fishing it since the canyon section is so different from the lower section, so select your destination before you venture out.

Spring:

In the spring with the exception of runoff, the fishing is great on the Encampment river.

Summer:

This is a great time to fish the river due to the abundant hatches especially with the amazing Green Drake Hatches, as well as the caddis and PMD hatches. Drift fishing will be rewarding in the lower section during the five or so weeks that it is practical.

Fall:

Look for good fishing in the canyon section in the early days of fall.