2016 North Platte General

[Supplicate]

Well, its 2016 and my sights have been set upon attempting to spend as many days on the North Platte as I did last year as well as keeping this thread more up to date than I did the last one.

With that, the spring flush is starting already.

SPRING FLUSH...
Fluctuation of North Platte River Flow Downstream of Gray Reef Dam
MILLS, Wyo. – The Bureau of Reclamation, in response to a request from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, has scheduled a series of fluctuating flows in the North Platte River downstream of Gray Reef Dam.
The purpose of the fluctuations is to improve trout reproduction in the river. This spring, the Wyoming Game & Fish has requested flows for ten consecutive days. The Wyoming Game & Fish will collect data before, during, and after the flushing flow in order to evaluate its effectiveness.
On March 7, flows in the river below Gray Reef Dam will fluctuate from 500 cfs to 4000 cfs according to the following schedule:
HOURS GRAY REEF OUTFLOWS (cfs)
00:01 to 01:00 a.m. 500
01:00 to 03:00 a.m. 2000
03:00 to 07:00 a.m. 4000
07:00 to 08:00 a.m. 3000
08:00 to 09:00 a.m. 2000
09:00 to 10:00 a.m. 1000
10:00 to midnight 500

This schedule will be repeated daily on March 8 through March 16. After completing the flushing flow on March 16, the flows below Gray Reef Dam will return to 500 cfs. The schedule may be modified depending on river ice conditions.
The flushing flows are expected to clean the spawning gravels of fine sediment which has accumulated over the winter. The fluctuations in the river flow will be achieved without loss of power generation and the water released from Alcova Reservoir will be restored downstream in Glendo Reservoir.
The public is urged to use caution during this period of rapid fluctuation of flows below Gray Reef

Has anyone been fishing the Reef yet? We stopped by earlier this month but missed the good weather by a day.

 

[dharkin]

I wonder if and when the F&G will post the results of their findings.

 

[Supplicate]

I hope they will at least publish some of the data in their "Casper Region Newsletter" but that is highly doubtful.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Casper-Region

Casper Regional Office
3030 Energy Lane
Casper, WY 82604
ph: (307) 473-3400

Might be worth a call towards the end of March to speak to one of the biologists.

 

[m85]

Thanks for the flushing info, I have been wondering when that was going to start.

I was out fishing the Grey Reef for a few of the good weather days in mid February and the fishing was outstanding then. I found the best fly was a size 22, 24 grey foam winged rs2. I fished three days, and when the weekend crowds came in, left for the Bighorn in Thermopolis, where again it was outstanding.

I was planning on hitting the reef the week of March 8, right during the 10 day span of flushing. I suspect though that the flushing fluctuations are going to throw the fishing off, but I could be wrong.

 

[Supplicate]

We fished it last year during the flushing and it was a bit slow, but it wasn't non-existent.

The grey foam wing rs2 should be a solid performer until mid-March. From mid-March until June the black foam wing rs2 was our biggest hitter. After June it depending on if we were wading or floating. If we were floating, the rs2 was always at least one of the flies on our line. If we were wading we were fishing whatever seemed to be the flavor of the day.

 

[m85]

Thanks for the info. I was hoping to hit the reef again before the flushing, but the schedule did not allow for that. I'll give it a try during the flushing time period, if it slows down too much, I'll spend some more time on the Bighorn in Thermopolis.

 

[Supplicate]

Linking comeonavs Trip Report for a float with Wyoming Flyfishing here.

 

[Supplicate]

Winter Weather Advisory in place for Casper. Calling for up to 5" of accumulation.

Winter Weather Advisory

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
611 AM MST MON MAR 7 2016

...SNOW TO RETURN TO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WYOMING...

.A PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL WYOMING AND BRING A
RETURN TO WINTRY CONDITIONS TO MANY AREAS.

WYZ019-072300-
/O.CON.KRIW.WW.Y.0011.160307T1400Z-160308T0700Z/
GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...JEFFREY CITY
611 AM MST MON MAR 7 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST
TONIGHT...

* TIMING...A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL BEGIN THIS MORNING AND
CHANGE TO SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THIS
AFTERNOON.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION...2 TO 5 INCHES.

* WIND AND VISIBILITY...NORTH WIND AT 15 TO 25 MPH. VISIBILITY
WILL BE REDUCED TO UNDER ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES IN SNOW.

* IMPACTS...SNOW WILL BRING SLUSHY AND ICY ROADS TO MANY AREAS.
MOTORISTS SHOULD CHECK THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS BY VISITING
WYOROAD.INFO OR BY DIALING 5 1 1.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

&&

$$

Wind forcast for this week looks favorable through Wednesday, unfortunate with the flush coinciding.