Fly Fishing the Teton River in Victor, Idaho
It’s hard to argue with people who claim that Idaho is the best place to fish in the United States. The miles and miles of National Forest land provide great access to beautiful rivers and alpine lakes filled with pristine fly fishing water. The town of Victor on the far east side of the state offers anglers a chance at perhaps the best fly fishing river in Idaho: the Teton River.
This beautiful town makes for a perfect home base when exploring Idaho fly fishing water.
Geography and Topography
Victor, Idaho sits at 6,200 feet above sea level right next to the beautiful Teton Mountain Range that spreads across Western Wyoming and Idaho. Visitors are surrounded by beautiful forests, soaring mountain peaks and hundreds of miles of rivers and streams. It truly is considered to be a small piece of paradise by anyone who is fortunate enough to visit.
Anglers who wish to visit and fish near Victor should be prepared to drive and hike in the area. Many of the access points along roads offer some productive fishing, but the true beauty is found if you’re able to get a way off the beaten path.
Type of Water
The Teton River is closest to Victor and it has two different sections: the Upper and the Lower. The Upper Teton River is slow and filled with beautiful seams and eddies. People see it as the ideal dry fly water.
The Lower Teton River runs through a canyon and is fast moving with great pockets and pools. This section of river holds some of the largest trout in the river. The water temperatures stay fairly steady, so fishing is great throughout the spring, summer and into fall.
Some anglers choose to wade in the Teton River, but it’s best fished from a drift boat. You’re able to cover more water and be more selective in the section of water that you target.
Climate
In the winter, Victor sees temperatures in the 20s and 30s with lows in the single digits. In the spring and fall, temperatures are often in the 50s and 60s. Throughout the summer, average temperatures creep up into the 80s.
Rain and snow are common throughout the year, but most days are great fishing days.
The spring, summer and fall are the best times of year to fish.
Fly Fishing on the Teton River & Surrounding Waters
The Teton River is one of those rivers that look perfect. Deep runs, beautiful eddies, large pools and plenty of riffle sections are found throughout the 82 miles. Since the water temperatures are steady throughout the entire river, you don’t have to avoid a certain section. Be prepared to stay patient and work different seams and runs. These fish regularly see flies, so you’ll want to make sure your skills are up to par.
There are numerous streams that run off of the Teton River that also are great to fish. These streams don’t always stay full throughout the summer, but the spring and early summer are often great times to hit these. Check out Darby Creek, Dick Creek and Woods Creek.
Best Time of Year to Fish the Teton River & Surrounding Waters
The best time of year to fish the Teton River is from late-May through June. The water levels are coming down after the runoff and fish are extremely hungry after winter. They’ll eat dries, streamers and nymphs.
How To Access the Teton River
One of the better access points on the Teton River is from Cache Bridge. You can find the bridge off of Highway 33 about 15 minutes north of Victor. Take a left onto W 4000 North and you’ll run directly into it.
Otherwise, there are several access points that are closer to Victor, but these tend to be a bit busier than Cache Bridge.
Gear and Flies to Use
When I’m fishing the Teton, I like to use my 5-weight 9’ rod. This is a great rod for dry flies as well as nymphs and streamers. I’ll pair it with a 5-weight large arbor reel and 5-weight floating line. Some sections of the river are fairly wide, so I like to be able to cover as much as I can.
For flies, I like to use Drakes, Blue Winged Olives, minnow patterns as well as general attractor flies.
Some of my favorite dries include a Chubby Chernobyl, Stimulator as well as any beetle patterns.
For nymphs, I throw Pat’s Rubber Legs (size 8), Golden Stones (size 10) and Pheasant Tail Nymphs (size 16).
For streamers, I like to throw Woolly Buggers as well as any buggy looking large fly.
Recommended Fishing Techniques
The Teton River is a fairly classic western United States river. The most important thing to remember is that you want to be accurate and patient. The rainbows, cutthroats, brooks and cutbows are smart. They’re wild and native for a reason. If you see a nice seam, feel free to work it for 10-15 casts. You want to get the perfect drift because that’s generally what fish require.
I like to throw my nymph rig (Pat’s Rubber Legs, Golden Stone and Pheasant Tail) along the banks and through some of the seams. I’ll cast above me around 10-20 feet, let my fly hit the water and mend upstream. This will let my fly take charge and begin drifting across my body. I want to make sure my flies are deep, so I strip in any slack and raise my rod tip to let it drop in the water column.
If I’m throwing streamers, I like to focus on pockets and pools. I’ll cast my fly into the shallow water, so it has time to drift naturally into the pool. As it gets towards the middle of the pool, I’ll give it a couple hard strips to see if the fish chase. This is a great technique to use at the beginning of your day to see the behavior of your fish.
Type of Fish Near Victor, ID
Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout, cuttbows as well as Whitefish are some of the highest targeted fish near Victor. All these populations near Victor are extremely healthy.
Conclusion
Victor, Idaho puts a smile on fly anglers faces. The numerous fly shops and fly fishing culture that surrounds Victor is special. You have the Teton River right out of your door and numerous other streams and rivers within easy driving distance. No fly angler should give up the chance to visit Victor, Idaho.
