The Canyon

Just downstream of the South Fork Lodge and the Conant boat ramp is the storied canyon stretch of the South Fork of the Snake River. For 22 miles, the river slices through basalt cliffs and a roadless, verdant cottonwood forest. It’s a wild float through wild country on a river bursting with trophy trout.

The canyon is one of the most dependable floats on the South Fork in terms of quality fly fishing for big, healthy wild trout.

A float through the canyon is a float through geologic time

The canyon is a remnant of the last great eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano that deposited lava throughout the region. The river cuts through this volcanic past, giving anglers the opportunity to see with their own eyes how this stunning landscape came to be.

That’s only if the fishing allows for some sightseeing.

On most days

Anglers are just too busy to take in the geologic wonders of the canyon, at least to any great degree.

Instead, they’ll be exploring hidden side channels, backwater sloughs, or walking among the many riffles in search of the next trout they’ll tell stories about for years to come.

Browns, rainbows, cutthroats, hybrids, and mountain whitefish are plentiful through this productive stretch of river.

The canyon offers shelter from the renowned eastern Idaho wind and the habitat is among the best in the West for trout that always seem to be looking up.

During the early-summer stonefly hatch and the late-summer terrestrial season, the canyon is where any enthusiastic dry-fly angler wants to be. Big browns seemingly lose their innate sense of self-preservation when the big bugs are on the water, and equally big cutthroats and rainbows key in surface flies.

The canyon stretch of the South Fork is famous for a reason.
The fishing is among the best anywhere.
Every avid fly fisher needs to experience it — at least once.

Explore River Spotlights

Lower Canyon

The lower canyon, much like the upper reaches of the canyon, cuts through the high black-rock cliffs and a healthy cottonwood forest. But here, miles away from the coldwater genesis of the South Fork, the river gets a bit warmer and more big brown trout show up in the net. This is a great float all summer long, but it really shines in the fall, when the river’s giant browns are on the move. This stretch is a streamer angler’s paradise.

Brown Town

Starting at the Byington boat ramp in the farm country of eastern Idaho, Brown Town is where many fly fishers go to swing streamers or throw big terrestrial bugs and a discerning brown trout population. Here, there are likely fewer fish, but more trophy trout, and, depending on the time of year and what’s hatching, the fishing can be absolutely incredible.