Kelly Creek hatch chart including fly sizes and emergence dates for the major mayfly, stonefly, caddisfly and midge hatches occurring along Kelly Creek in northern Idaho. Annual hatch dates and fly sizes may vary due to changes in seasonal weather conditions and water flows.

As with many of Idaho’s trout streams matching the hatch is the name of the game and Kelly Creek has some big hatches anglers should pay attention to.

Caddisfly, mayfly, and stonefly are the main groups of hatches on Kelly Creek. Specific hatches you want to look for are the Blue-winged Olive, Pale Morning Dun, and Yellow Quill. If you only model your selection of flies around these three hatches you’ll be in good shape.

For spring and summer months you’ll want some good caddis patterns (nymph and adult). June and July is when Pale Morning Duns hit. You may even find some Green Drakes in July. During fall Blue-winged Olives (Baetis) and fall caddis enter the scene.

If you really want to come prepared, we’d recommend augmenting your fly selection with some good terrestrial (ant, beetle, hopper) imitations for the later summer months and a few October Caddis patterns for late fall. The October Caddis is a favorite hatch for many anglers.

In a forum I belong to, one angler, who’s fished the Kelly Creek for several years, reported best success fishing an October caddis pupa. Nymph (pupa), emerger and dry flies are all productive on Kelly Creek. Anglers report success fishing all three.

A good ol’ Elk Hair Caddis—size 10 to 14—is probably one of the all around best fly patterns that continually performs on Kelly and several nearby trout streams during the fall. Bucktail caddis, pheasant tails, RS2, and CDC Baetis emergers are also top producers.

As Kelly Creek is a catch-and-release stream, going barbless is good idea.