Silver Creek hatch chart for all major fly hatches occurring on Silver Creek in central Idaho. Emergence dates may vary from year to year due to annual changes in flows and temperatures.
Hatch chart with species details, sizes and emergence dates for mayfly, caddis and stonefly hatches on Silver Creek. Flies pass through three life stages: Nymph (Larvae), Pupae/Emergence, and Adult. The nymph stages comes before the hatch date and provides a good opportunity to target trout nymphing.
| Fly Hatch | Size | Date | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midge | 18–22 | Feb – May; Sep – Dec | Feb – Apr; Sep – Nov |
| Blue Winged Olive - BWO (Baetis) | 16–22 | May 1 – June 15; Sep 1 – Oct 31 | May – June 15 |
| Brown Drake | 8–12 | May 20 – June | June 1 – June 15 |
| Microcaddis | 18–22 | June 1 – July 15 | June 15 – July 10 |
| Prairie Caddis | 14–16 | June 1 – July 15 | June 15 – July 5 |
| Green Drake | 8–12 | June 1 – July 30 | June 15 – July 15 |
| Pale Morning Dun (PMD) | 14–18 | June 1 – Aug 15 | June 15 – July 31 |
| Spotted Caddis | 10–14 | June 1 – Aug 31 | – |
| Callibaetis | 12–18 | June 1 – Oct 31 | June 15 – Aug 15 |
| Beetle | 10–16 | June 1 – Oct 31 | July – Sep |
| Ant | 10–16 | June 1 – Oct 31 | July – Sep |
| Yellow Sally | 10–16 | July 1 – Aug 31 | – |
| Trico | 18–24 | July 1 – Sep 15 | Aug – Sep 15 |
| Green Caddis | 8–14 | July 1 – Sep 30 | – |
| Hopper | 4–10 | July 1 – Oct 15 | July 15 – Sep 30 |
| Mahogany Dun | 12–16 | Aug 15 – Oct 15 | Sep 1 - Sep 30 |
| Terrestrials (various) | 6–8 | July 1 – Oct 31 | July – Sep |
| Baitfish | 2–8 | year round | – |
Most Important Fly Hatches on Silver Creek
Anglers have the opportunity to catch some large trout on Silver creek—but it ain’t easy. The trout on Silver Creek are accustomed to seeing a large selection of artificial flies and they spook easy at the slightest indication of anything out of the ordinary. Matching the hatch, and creating a good presentation, is critical if you don’t want to walk away with an empty net. Having said that, Silver Creek is a favorite fly fishing destinations for many seasoned anglers.
Silver Creek has prolific fly hatches. In fact, you’ll find hatches occurring consistently throughout the entire summer and well into the cooler fall months. Aquatic insects and terrestrials are plentiful and that’s why the trout here get so large. Of all the hatches the largest, and one to pay most attention to, is the Blue-winged Olive.
Blue-winged Olive (BWO) hatches occur twice each season, first in May extending through June, and then again in September extending through October (sometimes into December). There are several subspecies of BWO and each is a different size. Size matters. Pay attention the size of hatching insects when matching the hatch. The range of recommended fly sizes for Blue-winged Olives is 16 to 22.
Toward the tailend of May beginning of June, Green Drake and Brown Drake hatches take center stage. Drake species hatch at different times, so pay attention to make sure you’re matching whats on the water. June also ushers in prolific hatches of Pale Morning Dun (PMD) mayflies. PMDs can start hatching as early as May but peak hatch time is typically June.
Without doubt the largest mayfly hatch on Silver Creek occurs each June with the Speckled Wing Quill (aka Callibeatis) hatch. This hatch gets underway in June, peaks in July, and can last into late September and even early October some years. The Callibeatis hatch is so important because it’s really the only major summer hatch of Silver Creek.
Moving into fall anglers should be aware of the Mahogany Dun hatches that start popping up during September. Mahogany Duns aren’t as prolific as other hatches but matching this hatch during September will increase your likelihood of a hook up. Having a few Mahogany Dun patterns in your arsenal of flies is always a good idea.
During September caddisfly hatches become more consistent and abundant. Various caddis hatches begin early June and continue through fall, but fall hatches tend to be more prolific on Silver Creek. Spotted Sedges (aka “Spotted Caddis”) enter the scene in June and continue into August. Green Sedge (aka “Green Caddis”) hatches really take off in July and don’t cool down until end of September. Having a good selection of size 10 through 20 caddis patterns is a must.
The only stonefly hatch of any significance on Silver Creek is the Yellow Sally (aka “Little Yellow Sally”). There are spotty hatches of Yellow Sallies during June and July. Some years sally hatches will show up off and on well into October.
Midge hatches are sort of the mainstay of a trouts diet on Silver Creek. Next to caddisflies midges make up a majority of trouts’ diet. When mayfly and caddis hatches aren’t abundant trout rely on midge nymphs and flies for sustenance. Midges hatch throughout the year and are the only thing trout may be eating at times. We recommend having several nymph/pupae and adult midge fly patterns.
During July, August, and September, terrestrials are abundant and become an important element of the fly fishing scene on Silver Creek. Grasshoppers, beetles, and ants are the most common insects on the river and any angler who wants to catch a lunker during late summer or early fall should have a decent selection of terrestrial imitations.
Scuds, craneflies, damselflies, and dragonflies are other fly imitations that will get you bites. Trout will readily take dragonfly nymph imitations throughout the season. Scuds are abundant on Silver Creek and scud imitations will pull trout out of the water year round.
