Fly Fishing Provo River - Lower

Overview

The Lower Provo River runs through Provo Canyon below Deer Creek Dam, with this guide covering the water upstream of Olmstead Diversion Dam. Riffles feed longer runs and pools, and willows, cottonwoods and grassy banks provide cover along parts of the river.

Brown and rainbow trout inhabit this tailwater. Selective feeding can make the placement and drift of a fly more important than repeated casts, especially when trout are rising in a defined feeding lane.

Seasonal hatches

Blue-winged olives are a spring and fall focus, while midges are useful patterns during colder months. In warmer weather, watch for pale morning duns, caddis and early-morning tricos before settling on a dry fly. Small hoppers and ants are other options along grassy banks in late summer and early fall.

Treat the hatch as a starting point rather than a promise of rising fish. Watch what is on the water and how trout are feeding, then match the size and presentation to that activity.

Presentations

Use a long leader where it helps keep fly line away from a feeding lane, and aim for a drift without drag. In clearer water, pause to locate fish before approaching. A well-placed cast along an undercut bank or through the seam at a pool entrance can cover the water more carefully than repeated casts across the whole run. When surface feeding is absent, work nymphs through the riffles and deeper runs.