What the 2026 Snow Drought Means for Your Summer Fly Fishing

Picture by Mitch Bowers

It’s mid-January. By now, Western river corridors are often buried beneath a comforting blanket of white—cash within the financial institution for July hatches and August dry-fly motion. However this 12 months, a look on the SNOTEL map reveals a starkly completely different actuality: pink and orange dots dominate the panorama, signaling a winter that merely hasn’t arrived.

In line with the National Integrated Drought Information System, snow cowl throughout the West is at its lowest extent within the MODIS satellite tv for pc report, which dates again to 2001. The offender isn’t essentially a scarcity of moisture, however slightly a scarcity of chilly. Unseasonably heat temperatures have pushed the freezing line larger in elevation, inflicting a lot of the season’s precipitation to fall as rain slightly than snow. December temperatures in Utah and Colorado have been the warmest on report.

“A lot of the western U.S. has began 2026 within the midst of a snow drought,” reports The Conversation. “Which may sound shocking, given the report precipitation from atmospheric rivers hitting the area in latest weeks, however these storms have been really a part of the issue.”

Regional Breakdown: The Good, The Unhealthy, and The Naked

Utah & Colorado: The Epicenter

The state of affairs is most important within the central Rockies. Snow water equal in Utah and Colorado is lower than 60% of median in most basins, with southwestern and western Colorado and the Higher Colorado basin of Utah hit hardest. Utah’s assistant state climatologist Jon Meyer highlighted broader issues: “We have a look at the potential for the Olympics arising and eager to have fairly good snow circumstances for the 2034 Winter Olympics, and years like this spotlight the danger of how local weather change is impacting snowpack in Utah.”

California: A Story of Two Sierras

The Golden State presents a divided image. Statewide, the snowpack is 71 % of common based on the California Department of Water Resources’ first survey of the season. The info reveals a pointy north-south divide: the Southern Sierra is performing effectively at about 114% of regular, whereas the central Sierra lags at 61%. Anglers concentrating on the northern drainages ought to anticipate leaner flows.

Pacific Northwest: Moist however Heat

Washington and Oregon have seen near-normal precipitation totals, however the heat has taken its toll. In line with Washington’s Department of Ecology, “For Washington water provides, there is no such thing as a substitute for snow. We depend on a thick snowpack to construct up over winter, after which regularly soften in spring and summer time, feeding rivers and refilling aquifers.”

The December atmospheric river that dumped report precipitation really made issues worse. The rainfall melted a major quantity of snow in mountain watersheds, lowering the quantity of water saved within the snowpack by about 50% within the Yakima River Basin.

Montana: The Vivid Spot

If there’s a silver lining, it’s in Large Sky Nation. The Flathead River basin reached a snow water equal of 114% of regular by January 9, with the Solar-Teton-Marias basin at 126%. Nevertheless, hydrologists describe the state as a “story of two snowpacks,” with low-elevation SNOTEL stations constantly under 70% of median whereas excessive elevations present a distinct development.

What This Means for the 2026 Fishing Season

For fly anglers, this trajectory suggests a summer time season requiring adaptability. Low snowpack traditionally correlates with diminished runoff quantity, earlier peak flows, and—most critically—larger water temperatures earlier in the summertime.

Put together for Early Hoot Owl Restrictions

Freestone rivers in Utah, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest are at highest danger. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks institutes “hoot owl” restrictions—prohibiting fishing from 2 PM to midnight—when water temperatures attain at the least 73 levels for 3 consecutive days. Water temperatures of 77 levels or extra may be deadly to trout. With out the sluggish launch of snowmelt to chill rivers in July and August, anticipate these restrictions earlier and extra extensively than in typical years.

Shift Your Technique

If these traits persist by spring, anglers ought to diversify their locations. Tailwaters just like the Inexperienced in Utah or the Fryingpan in Colorado depend on reservoir storage slightly than rapid runoff, offering colder, extra secure flows. Excessive-country streams usually keep cooler longer—this could be the summer time to hike in deep slightly than floating the large rivers. Primarily based on present knowledge, Montana and the Southern Sierra could supply essentially the most dependable flows come late summer time.

Whereas late-season storms might nonetheless flip the tide, the present deficits would require what water managers name a “miracle March” to offset. For now, keep watch over the gauges—however begin forming your plan B.