Green River below Flaming Gorge, Utah Fishing Guide

The Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam is a cold tailwater with clear water and high numbers of rainbow and brown trout. Section A is a canyon with a riverside trail and the most fish, while Sections B and C are quieter and are best fished from a drift boat. Utah's rules here are flies and lures only with a slot limit, and invasive predators like smallmouth bass must be killed.

📍 Northeast Utah, near Dutch John in Daggett County, inside the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Section A runs from Flaming Gorge Dam through Red Canyon to Little Hole; Section B from Little Hole to Indian Crossing in Browns Park; Section C from Browns Park to the Colorado state line. Vernal is the nearest larger town.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Rocky Mountain Trout Rivers map →

Quick facts

Flaming Gorge Dam is a 502-foot-high thin-arch concrete dam about 32 miles downstream of the Utah-Wyoming line; it was dedicated on August 17, 1964.
Section A, from the dam to Little Hole, is about 7 miles, and the Little Hole National Recreation Trail gives foot access to all of it.
Section B has 17 boat-in campsites, reserved through Recreation.gov.
From the dam to the Colorado line, Utah allows artificial flies and lures only, and every trout 15 to 22 inches must be released.
Fish numbers are highest in Section A and lowest in Section C; fish tend to get bigger downstream.

What you can catch

Rainbow trout
Main trout, most numerous in Section A.
Brown trout
Thrive in the more remote Section B; big fish are reported in B and C.
Cutthroat trout
Also present, per the Forest Service.
Smallmouth bass
Invasive; no limit and must be killed, not released.
Burbot, northern pike and walleye
Invasive; no limit and must be killed if caught.
Roundtail chub
Must be released from the Colorado line down to Sand Wash.
Endangered native fish
Threatened and endangered Colorado River fish live in the Green; release them at once.

Month by month

January	Utah season runs Jan 1-Dec 31, 2026. Midges and small nymphs; Section A fishes all year.
February	Midges; blue-winged olives start on overcast afternoons.
March	Blue-winged olives and midges; early caddis late in the month.
April	Blue-winged olives and caddis. Rainbows spawn in spring; stay off redds (light, clean gravel).
May	PMDs and caddis. Dam releases can rise in late spring; check flows.
June	Cicadas usually show in June and July. Free Fishing Day is June 6, 2026. Busy.
July	Cicadas, caddis, hoppers and yellow sallies; the busiest month.
August	Caddis, hoppers and tricos in the early morning. Section A stays cold; watch water temperatures lower down.
September	Blue-winged olives, caddis, tricos and hoppers; fewer people after Labor Day.
October	Blue-winged olives, midges and caddis; streamers early and late for browns.
November	Midges and blue-winged olives; very few anglers.
December	Midges and small nymphs in Section A.

Tips

No boat? Walk the Little Hole National Recreation Trail along Section A; it reaches the whole stretch.
Pinch your barbs, handle fish gently, and do not wade through spawning redds.
Floating? The Forest Service requires a life jacket on the water, plus a bail bucket, throw line and spare oar; overnight campers need a portable toilet.
The river is inside Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, so you need a Recreational Use Pass.
Check flows before you go: call 435-885-3106 or use USGS water data.

Rules and license

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR); U.S. Forest Service, Ashley National Forest (Flaming Gorge NRA) · Official rules page ↗

Utah fishing license required at age 12 and older; fees at wildlife.utah.gov/licenses/fees.
Colorado line to Flaming Gorge Dam (including Gorge Creek at Little Hole): artificial flies and lures only.
Trout limit 3: only 2 under 15 inches and 1 over 22 inches; all trout 15-22 inches must be released right away.
Burbot, northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye: no limit, and they must be killed, not released.
Closed to fishing from a boat with a motor between the Utah-Colorado line and the dam.
Release any threatened or endangered fish right away; no taking of nongame fish except common carp in this stretch.
Utah's 2026 season runs Jan 1-Dec 31; Free Fishing Day is June 6, 2026.
Flaming Gorge NRA Recreational Use Pass required; Section B boat-in campsites reserved on Recreation.gov.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 6 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Little Hole Boat Ramp (west)

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.