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My wife just let me know that she has booked us a campsite at Flaming Gorge from July 1st to 5th as a surprise birthday present. I am way excited, but I've never been there before, and am having a bit of a struggle trying to figure out how to fish it. We are thinking of renting a boat for a day or two on the lake, and I'd also like to fish the Green River. I will be there with my wife and our 3 children ages 9, 6, and 3.
Suggestions on anything would be helpful and greatly appreciated! Where to fish, where to rent a boat, techniques, lures to use, any spots we can fish from shore and have success, any other helpful information.
Are there areas on the river that you can wade and fish, or do you have to have a boat?
Also if anyone knows of any guides that might still have openings this late I would love to look into going out with one of them.
I'd also love some suggestions on fun activities to do with my family in the area that aren't' fishing 
Thanks a million for any help you can offer!
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I also have a float tube that I might take out if there are any good areas on the lake or river. Anyone know if I could have any success floating down the river for a time in a float tube and then get out and walk back up to my car?
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You can rent boats on the Utah side from Lucerne or Cedar Springs marina's. Shore fishing can be found near any boat ramp and a few other places. One other good spot is the dam visitor center. While there you can take a tour of the dam and feed the huge trout at the bottom. Also visit the Red Canyon overlook and Red Canyon Lodge for lunch or dinner. The Sheep Creek geological loop is a nice drive.
All species of fish can be caught if you have a boat on the lake. Rainbow trout, and SM bass can be taken from shore most of the time. I like getting on a main lake point with deep water access and you never know what you might catch.
On the river I think wading is more consistently productive. In a raft you get swept past so much good water too quickly. You can access the river below the dam, you'll see a river access sign after you cross the dam, and at Little Hole, 7 miles below the dam, go to Dutch John then follow the signs. It is a nice float but I just prefer to wade. You can rent rafts at Flaming Gorge Lodge or at Trout Creek Flies (less expensive and better rafts IMO).
I'm headed up the Gorge right now and it should be hot - fishing and weather.
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Thanks for the advice! How deep does the river get? Would my 9 year old be okay wading in it with me?
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there are deep holes on the river. as long as you dad right, and you are already by taking the 9 year old fishing, you will be fine. If you want to play it safer then sorry, have the kid wear a life jacket while wadding the river with you. have fun! Be aware that water is cold as hell, since it its released in stages (steps) it remains a constant temp.
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I just got back from the Gorge and was fishing from my tube. lots of places to launch as there are dirt roads all over. I headed up to Anvil and managed 1. We had a very bright full moon over the weekend. We also did the dam tour. I only bring this up as they are running the water jets at wide open, and said they will probably be doing it for another 10 days to 2 weeks. I only bring this up as it adds about 4000 Cubic feet a water per sec.
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I just got back from my Gorge trip. I would be very careful in the Green right now as mentioned it's running very high and fast. Normally there are plenty of safe places to wade in little to no current but not so much right now. I wouldn't want to risk it with a younger person.
Fishing on the Gorge is really good right now in a lot of places, but like any lake it has its ups and downs so you have to take it for what you get at the time you're there.
There are lots of smallmouth bass to be caught near shore right now, rainbows are also near shore especially if you can find a spot with access to deeper water (Mustang, Cedar Springs, dam visitor center, Sheep Creek ramp, etc. Surface temps are near 68 to 71 right now. If you have a boat it may make it easier for you to get at them. Kokanee are 25 to 35 ft down in the lower reservoir and laker pups are 45 to 90 ft.
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Thanks for the help. I think I read somewhere that the really high flows on the Green were only supposed to last for 2 weeks. Anyone know if that's true? I'm hoping it will be back down by the time we get there the first of next month.
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Today is the 14th straight day of 8580 CFS being released....Still going strong. Makes No sense.
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I heard someone say that there is more flowing in than is being released right now. I haven't checked the validity of that but I'm sure it would be easy to verify.
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The river is very big right now. 9120 cfs.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ut/nwis/uv?site_no=09234500
I would strongly suggest not wading.
I have heard rumor of these flows continuing until the 29th, when they will be ramped
down.
Inflow remains very high. The reservoir hasn't dropped much at all since the flows came up.
Here is a very helpful link to see what is going on at the gorge:
http://flaminggorge.water-data.com/
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Thanks for the links! Any idea how fast the river drops when they cut down the flows? We will be getting there on the 30th and staying through the 5th, so I'm hoping if they cut down the flows on the 29th and the river drops quickly we will be able to do some wading.
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Just found this info:
Green River Flow Update from the USBR...
Releases from Flaming Gorge Dam are currently 8,600 cfs. Inflows are decreasing and the reservoir elevation is decreasing.
Therefore, Flaming Gorge releases will be decreased to base flow levels of 1,100 cfs beginning Wednesday, June 29, 2016, according to the attached schedule. Releases may be decreased further and an updated notification will be distributed.
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Great News Thanks!!
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The river drops immediately when they decrease the flows. Even with reduced flows, I would encourage you to have your youngster wear a life jacket while wading in the river. When I was a teenager, I was riding my Tote Gote up the trail along the river when I came around a bend and found some folks walking out of the river. I found out later that a guy in his early 20's had fallen into the river, when their raft capsized, and drowned. They dropped the flow of the river for a day or so in order to find his body. I don't know if it is still the case, but in those days the level of the river would change quickly at various times during the day (as demand for electric power changed).
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Thanks Kent, that's great advice that I will definitely follow.
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