The Best Time of Day to Fly Fish, by Season

"What time should I show up?" is the most common question new fly anglers ask, and the answer changes completely with the season. Here's the short version.

Spring: late morning into afternoon

Spring water is cold. Insects don't hatch and trout don't feed actively until the sun warms the river a few degrees. The best window is roughly 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Showing up at dawn in April is usually a long, cold wait.

Summer: dawn and dusk, period

Once daytime water temps push past 65°F, midday is the worst time to fish — for the trout's sake more than yours. Be on the water at first light, off by 10 a.m., and back on around 7 p.m. until dark. Terrestrials in the morning, caddis at dusk.

If a river is hitting 68°F or warmer, take the day off. Catch-and-release mortality climbs fast at those temps.

Fall: mid-morning into early afternoon

Fall mirrors spring. Cool nights pull water temps back into the productive range, and the best fishing usually runs from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. BWO hatches in this window can be the best dry fly fishing of the year.

Winter: the sunny middle of the day

In winter, you're fishing the warmest water of the day, which means 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a tailwater or spring creek. Tiny midges, deep slow seams, and patience.

The shortcut: solunar plus water temp

The seasonal clock above will get you 80% there. The other 20% comes from solunar feeding windows (major and minor periods) overlaid on water temperature. Angler Tech surfaces both for every river on the map — but if you only remember one rule, remember this one:

Fish when the water is in its active temperature range. Skip the rest.