Encampment River Fishing Guides
A Sierra Madre trout stream running out of a wilderness canyon to the North Platte, with a walk-in canyon section and easy access at the mouth.
Guides on the Encampment River
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About the Encampment River
The Encampment River rises in the Sierra Madre on the Wyoming and Colorado line and runs north out of the mountains to join the North Platte near the towns of Encampment and Riverside. The gauge sits at the mouth, where the river has left its canyon and crosses open ground to the Platte, but the character that matters to anglers is upstream. The Encampment River Canyon is a steep, rocky, largely roadless section reached by a trail that follows the water for several miles through the Encampment River Wilderness, and it is the sort of place where a day of fishing is also a day of walking.
The fishery is a straightforward mountain trout fishery and none the worse for it. Brown trout dominate the lower river and the canyon, rainbow trout are well distributed, brook trout occupy the colder upper water and the tributaries, cutthroat are present in the headwaters, and mountain whitefish are common throughout. The fish are not large by western standards, but they are numerous, willing, and they live in pocket water and plunge pools that make for engaging fishing. Anglers who fish the canyon typically do so on foot with light gear, and the fishing pressure drops off sharply within the first mile of trail.
The North Platte at the confluence is the bigger and better-known fishery and it is the reason most anglers are in this corner of Wyoming, so the Encampment tends to be a change of pace rather than a destination in itself. That works in its favour. The USGS gauge at the mouth shows the pattern clearly: a large snowmelt peak through late spring, a long steady recession into summer, and low clear water by August that fishes best early and late. Access at the mouth and through the BLM land above it is simple, while the canyon requires the trail and a willingness to work for it.
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Access
Encampment - the town near the mouth, with basic services and the nearest supplies.
Riverside - the adjacent village at the North Platte confluence.
Encampment River Canyon Trail - the walk-in access to the canyon section above town.
Encampment River Wilderness - the roadless upper canyon, reached on foot.
North Platte River confluence - the downstream end, and the larger fishery most visitors come for.
Saratoga - the nearest town of size, north down the North Platte valley.
Sierra Madre - the range the river drains, south toward the Colorado line.
Seasons
Spring: high, cold snowmelt through late spring, with the river largely unfishable at peak runoff and the canyon dangerous to wade.
Summer: the main season, with flows dropping into shape by July and the canyon fishing at its best through August.
Fall: low clear water and aggressive brown trout, which many anglers consider the best fishing of the year here.
Winter: cold and snowbound, with access limited and the drainage storing the snowpack that drives the following spring.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Encampment River?
As of Oct 18, 4:30 pm, the USGS gauge ENCAMPMENT RIVER AT MOUTH, NEAR ENCAMPMENT, WY reads 102 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Encampment River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout on the Encampment River in Wyoming.
Where can you access the Encampment River?
Encampment - the town near the mouth, with basic services and the nearest supplies. Riverside - the adjacent village at the North Platte confluence. Encampment River Canyon Trail - the walk-in access to the canyon section above town. Encampment River Wilderness - the roadless upper canyon, reached on foot. North Platte River confluence - the downstream end, and the larger fishery most visitors come for. Saratoga - the nearest town of size, north down the North Platte valley. Sierra Madre - the range the river drains, south toward the Colorado line.
When is the best time to fish the Encampment River?
Spring: high, cold snowmelt through late spring, with the river largely unfishable at peak runoff and the canyon dangerous to wade. Summer: the main season, with flows dropping into shape by July and the canyon fishing at its best through August. Fall: low clear water and aggressive brown trout, which many anglers consider the best fishing of the year here. Winter: cold and snowbound, with access limited and the drainage storing the snowpack that drives the following spring.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Encampment River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Wyoming agency site: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/regulations