5/21/2026: Bear Creek

Current Conditions:

Flows above Idledale were sitting around 13 cfs today on Bear Creek after a full week of rain. With the bump in water, we were curious to see how the creek would fish, especially given how low and touchy it can get when there isn’t much moving through the system.

The answer was pretty simple: fish were active.

With a little more water pushing through Bear Creek, the fish seemed much more willing to feed. We only fished for about two hours and did not move from the spot we started in, which tells you plenty about how good the window was. Fish were up, feeding consistently, and responding across a mix of dries, nymphs, and emergers.

There were two noticeable waves of bugs, mostly caddis and mayflies in a wide range of sizes. Some were standard BWO-sized bugs, while others were huge brown mayflies around a size 10, which felt slightly ridiculous and confusing in the way only bugs can be. No clear ID on those, anyone know?

The water was consistently boiling with rises. Despite the caddis activity, we did not bring fish up on caddis dry patterns. Nearly all of the dry fly eats came on a Parachute Adams, with a few also coming on the mole fly. The Parachute Adams was by far the most productive dry of the day.

Nymphs and emergers also produced, with fish willing to eat subsurface when targeting slightly deeper seams. The main takeaway was that the fish were keyed in and actively feeding across different parts of the water column.

It’s hard to know how long these flows will hold, especially with Bear Creek being Bear Creek and therefore committed to making consistency feel like a myth. But while there is a little extra water moving through the system, it is absolutely worth getting out there.

Flies of the Day:

sz16 parachute Adams

sz16 frenchie

sz16 mole fly

Overall, a strong short session on Bear Creek with active fish, steady surface activity, and just enough extra water to bring the creek to life. While these flows last, it is well worth the stop.