Fly Fishing Little Snake River - Dixon

Fly fishing Little Snake River at Dixon takes anglers to the far south of Wyoming, along the Colorado border, where the Little Snake flows through a broad valley of cottonwoods and ranchland. The Little Snake River is a lesser-known fishery but can offer strong trout action, especially for Brown Trout. By the time it reaches Dixon (in Carbon County), the river has gathered tributaries from the Sierra Madre and Park Range, making it a medium-sized stream. Spring runoff can make it unwadeable (often exceeding 1,500 CFS in May), but once flows recede to ~100–300 CFS in summer, wade fishing becomes feasible in many sections. The river's visibility also improves after runoff, revealing inviting riffles and cutbanks where trout lie. Access around Dixon is limited to public right-of-ways at bridge crossings (e.g. Highway 70 bridge) and a few BLM parcels; much of the land is private ranches, so anglers should respect posted lands. Those who do get on the Little Snake will find a brown trout fishery sustained by natural reproduction – feisty browns in the 10–16 inches range are common, and the occasional larger fish lurks under a deep cutbank. Rainbow trout are present too, some as holdovers from Colorado stocking upstream, and Wyoming Game & Fish has reintroduced Colorado River Cutthroat in upper reaches (though unlikely around Dixon). Terrestrial fishing is typically excellent from mid-summer into fall – hoppers, ants, and crickets blown in from the fields consistently draw strikes from hungry browns. In the mornings and evenings, anglers may encounter hatches of caddis or small mayflies; trout will rise in the gentle tailouts and seams, offering chances for dry-fly fishing when conditions are right. The Little Snake's character near Dixon alternates between meandering glides and faster sections with cobble riffles. Nymphing a hopper-dropper rig (with a stonefly or hare's ear nymph under a bushy dry) is a productive searching technique along the banks. As autumn approaches, brown trout get more aggressive; stripping a small streamer through deeper pools can entice a pre-spawn brown to lash out viciously. With the cottonwood leaves turning gold along the river, it's a scenic delight to fish here in September. One appeal of the Little Snake at Dixon is the solitude – it's off the main tourist radar, so anglers can often have a stretch to themselves, with only mule deer or ranch cattle as occasional company. The backdrop of sagebrush mesas and the distant Park Range in Colorado completes the scene. While the Little Snake doesn't boast the monster trout of some tailwaters, it offers solid wild fish and a sense of discovery. For anglers who enjoy exploring unheralded waters, the Little Snake River around Dixon provides a rewarding escape where the trout are willing, the pressure is light, and the fishing feels like your own little secret on Wyoming's borderland.