Provo River Fishing Report for Early July

We fished twice on the Middle Provo River this week.

On Wednesday we guided some folks on the river and then scouted again on Friday.

What flies and techniques caught fish on the Lower and Middle Provo River – Early July?

This report was prepared on June 30, so the dates include 29 total days from June 16 – July 14 (14 days before and after).

We have 17 fishing trips recorded for this time period (2014 – 2018) and we caught a total of 163 fish. We’ve fished the Lower Provo three times  (24 fish) and we fished the Middle Provo 6 times and caught a total of 45 fish.

We also made 8 additional fly fishing trips to Strawberry Res., the Strawberry River, Diamond Fork and other places in surrounding areas.

Catch Chart Middle Provo River –
June 16 – July 14

Catch Chart Lower Provo River –
June 16 – July 14

During this time frame on the Middle Provo, we caught most fish (42 of 45) by nymphing (mostly bounce rig and light in-line rigs).  Three fish were caught on top using green drakes. Notice that nymphs (midges and PMDs) are catching more fish than worms and sow bugs.

Most fish on the Lower Provo during this time of year were caught on sow bugs followed by PMD nymphs under the water and PMD dry flies on top of the water.

What to expect in Early July on the Lower and Middle Provo Rivers

The water is usually running fairly fast on the Lower Provo this time of year. Today (June 30), it is s running at over 600 cfs, so the water is back up from last week.

Fishing the Lower Provo is tough with the water running so fast, so concentrate on deep runs next to the bank. Try sow bugs and small nymphs (time for PMDs) along the banks where the water is not too fast.

The Middle Provo is still running about 630 – 640 cfs, so our favorite holes still are not fishing like they do with lower flows.

Look for deeper holes that are not too fast and try fishing inside bends where the water is a little slower. Also take time and look for new areas the high water makes available.

This week a client said our bounce rig “was the weirdest he’d ever seen”. That was about 2 seconds before he hooked into a giant whitefish…

We have been pushing the limits of the Provo River Bounce Rig. High flows mean fish hide in deep holes. How do you reach them? You go deep and you go heavy. If the bounce rig is not bouncing, you are not fishing.

Clients this week hooked a fair number of fish, but as Jim called them “they were strong arm hook setters”, so they lost most and even broke some off on the take.

Most fish this week were caught on PMD nymphs, but fish were also caught on sow bugs, worms and tiny midge nymphs.

When fishing is tough, keep at it. Try fishing deeper holes. Check your rig often for moss and tangles and change flies if they aren’t biting. But most of all, make sure you are fishing with drag-free drifts.

Don’t know where to fish? Want to improve your fly fishing skills? Looking for something special for out of town guests? Book a guided trip with Jim and Dan. Click Here to Learn More.

Flies to Use in Early July on the Provo River

What flies should be in your fly box the next few weeks on the Lower or Middle Provo River?

Our Catch Charts for this time frame had only three flies for the Middle Provo and only sow bugs for the Lower Provo.

These were the most important flies for the Middle Provo Rivers:

• PMD nymph
• Sow bug
• P.R. worm
• Midge nymph
• PMD fly

For both the Lower and Middle Provo combined, PMD nymphs and sow bugs accounted for 69% of our fish. Add a few Provo River worms to your fly box and that accounted for 78% of our fish.

This time of year (since we do not only fish dry flies), only 9 of 69 fish were caught on top and most were on PMD dry flies.

July Provo River Flows

Today (June 30), the flow out of Jordanelle has been slowly increasing and has been above 640 cfs in the upper part of the Middle Provo River for the last week.

The flow in the Lower Provo has been up and down between 520 and 580 cfs, but now is back above 600 cfs.

Your favorite spots will not fish the same with the water running fast. Look for inside bends and in the deepest holes where the water is not running as fast. Also look for places where warmer water is entering from side canals.

We look forward to seeing you on the river.

This Provo River Fishing Outlook Report is provided by Jim O’Neal & BackcountryChronicles.com

If there is enough interest, we will offer another Free Guided Fly Fishing trip later this Summer. So leave comments on the this fishing report to show interest..

See all of our fly fishing videos here at Jim’s YouTube site.

Since we still don’t have a new video ready this week, here is another video from Last year on the Provo when the water was still high.

Big Provo River Trout on Tiny Flies

This is the best fly box we’ve ever used. It’s Magnetic! Simply drop your wet flies on the magnetic pad and never lose another fly to the wind!