Fly Fishing Arkansas River - Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Overview

Bighorn Sheep Canyon carries the Arkansas from Wellsville toward Parkdale through red granite walls, sweeping riffles and boulder-studded pocket water. Brown and rainbow trout use the deeper slots and softer seams beside the main current. Caddis, mayflies and summer terrestrials give anglers surface opportunities, while nymphs and streamers cover deeper holding water.

Seasonal flies

The Mother’s Day caddis hatch is a distinctive spring event on the Arkansas, bringing Brachycentrus adults and surface-feeding opportunities. As runoff recedes in early summer, golden stoneflies appear along rocky banks, followed by PMDs and tricos through the summer. Terrestrial season (summer through fall) offers another approach — the canyon’s grassy benches and exposed banks deliver a steady supply of hoppers, ants, and beetles that can draw trout toward bank cover. BWOs bookend the season with productive spring and fall hatches, while midges provide year-round subsurface opportunities.

Canyon presentations

Nymph rigs can work the deeper slots, while streamers cover undercut banks and pool edges. The canyon narrows below Texas Creek, with faster current separated by sheltered holding lies. Look for a seam where a boulder breaks the main current, and adjust the drift to keep the fly in that softer water. On a rise, cover the fish’s feeding lane with a dry rather than repeatedly casting across the whole pool.

Fall brings another opportunity to fish blue-winged olives on overcast afternoons. During colder periods, use smaller nymphs and concentrate on slower holding water. Snowmelt, releases and storms change the reach’s current and clarity; choose your fishing presentation from the water you can observe.

Arrival

Rincon Recreation Site provides designated parking and fishing access off US-50. Use the signed site entrance and the river access within the recreation area.