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The Salt River runs through the heart of Star Valley in western Wyoming, a stretch of country locals call “Little Switzerland”. Meadow runs and spring-fed side channels. Willow-lined banks holding big fish tight to cover. Wild brown trout and native Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat sharing the same water. Hay fields, cattle, and the Salt River Range rising straight out of the valley floor. It’s one of the prettiest drifts we guide, and one of the most overlooked. Most Jackson Hole visitors never make it over the pass to Star Valley. That means fewer boats, less pressure, and water that still fishes the way Wyoming fly fishing is supposed to fish.
We run the Salt as a full-day float trip from July through October. It works as a standalone day or as a change of pace on a multi-day Western Wyoming fishing trip, paired with the Snake, the Green, or our Fontenelle tailwater float.
The Salt River runs roughly 90 miles from the headwaters near Afton, Wyoming, north through Star Valley, and into the Palisades Reservoir at Alpine. We float the public access water in the middle and lower sections of the river, with put-ins and take-outs at Wyoming Game and Fish Department access sites. Drive time from Jackson is about 45 minutes over Snake River Canyon.
Key Salt River Hatches: Midges and baetis in early and late season. PMDs and yellow sallies run strong from late June through August. Caddis activity peaks in July and August. Terrestrial fishing (hoppers, ants, beetles) is excellent July through September. Streamer fishing gets serious in September and October as browns move pre-spawn.
