Top 20 Fly Fishing Destinations In USA In 2024

Though you may be having the best skills when it comes to fly fishing, you’ll not have the best experience if you are going to do your fishing in poor fishing grounds.

Since it may be hard to get the best fishing grounds in the US, below are some of the verified fishing grounds that won’t disappoint you when it comes to fly fishing.

Top 20 Fly Fishing Destinations In USA In 2024

1. Michigan

When it comes to picking a random fishing ground, Michigan will definitely take the day. This is one of the states in the USA where you can actually get to take part in any type of fishing.Boasting to have a combination of some of the most stunning and greatest lakes in USA, Michigan ends up overshadowing the other states.

Michigan however does not stand out as the best only because it has the greatest water sources but because of the fact that it is the heart of fly fishing in the US.Being native to Europe, the brown trout which was first introduced in the USA at Michigan in the year 1884 is what most of the fly fishermen go for.

Trout unlimited, an organization that works towards the conservation of salmon and trout was also found in Michigan. This works towards the conservation of trout and salmon.Apart from the brown trout and the salmon, some of the other fish include the bass, pike, largemouth, walleye and the steel head.

Another fact that is worth mentioning about the state is that you’ll never miss a catch for each season. You can go for the steelhead in the frozen winter and the Smallies in the hot summer sun.if you haven’t tried out Michigan, then you really should as you are missing out bigtime.

2. Florida

When it comes to fresh water fly fishing, Michigan stands second to none. On the contrary, if you are looking for the salt water fishing grounds for fly fishing in the USA, be sure to try out Florida.Florida boasts to have a number of swamps, rivers and inland lakes which will offer you the best fly fishing experience.

At the Florida Keys, the best time you’ll probably go here is at late winter or in early spring which is most preferably in February or march.The lizard flats- this is probably the best place you can have a trip with your family.

Boasting to be one of the tourist centers in the USA, it is situated on the St. Petersburg just north of the Gandy Blvd Bridge. The expansive salt waters here host the redfish, the seatrout among other fish.

Being ranked as one of the best saltwater fly fishing grounds, the everglades is home for most of the fishing activities in the USA. One of the biggest catches at these grounds is the trout at the flats but you can also get the bass, tarpon and the redfish among others.

Lake tarpon- as the name implies, this is one of the places that you can catch the Tarpons of different sizes using a fly fishing rod in the shallow waters.

3. Montana

Having an appeal similar to that of Wyoming. Montana, a county that is also known as the Big Sky does have a lot to offer you in terms of sprawling and open expanses. These in turn have got a lot of fishing locales that you can then seek out as an angler.

If you are looking for one of those places where the fishing is incredibly awesome across the board, then Montana is your place. This can only be credited to the rivers, streams, creeks and other tributaries found in Montana.

At the Smith River, you’ll get trout with each mile you cover. One of the peak seasons for fly fishing at the place is the four-day float in June since then the weather is sunny and the high waters have subsided.

The Boulder river. This is your best fishing spot if you want away from the crowded fishing spots in the mid-summer. Being a tributary of the Yellowstone, you’ll get an impressive number of brown and rainbow trout.

The Yellowstone- being one of the longest and prettiest undammed rivers in the USA, this is one of the most productive rivers. Having the fish almost all throughout the season, the peak season is between mid-June and mid-July.One of the major catches here is the big trout.

4. Wyoming

Upon looking up one of the best fishing destinations, Wyoming is definitely bound to pop up. This is quite unexpected owing to the fact that this is one of the least populace states in the US.

At first, you may brush off the idea of going to such a place; giving it some though however, this is one of the best places owing to the fact that the waters will be less crowded.

With over 4200 crystalline lake sin the state, expert anglers and eager beginners can get an equally good time at the expanse waters in the state.One of the most popular fishing spots here is the Yellowstone where the anglers are drawn by the famous trout it harbors. In the Grand Teton National Park, some anglers seek out the cutthroat.

If you want the brown trout, then the fall is your time to sought it out.Even though Wyoming is known as the mecca for trout, its waters teem with more than 22 species of game fish some of which are the sunfish, crappie and the yellow perch.

5. New York

Leaving out New York as one of the best fly fishing sites in the USA definitely won’t be justice.The Delaware river- if you are looking for big water and big fish as well, then this is definitely the place you should pay a visit to.

The river breaks down to two sections- the mainstream and the west branch.For the main stream, the main fishing area is from Hancock all the way down to the callicoon. The stretch is quite wide and with limited access to the shore hence not easy to fish at.

Here, you’ll be able to get quite a number of the rainbow trout.For the west branch, there is the river above the Cannonsville reservoir and the river down below the dam.

Above the dam you can find quite an ample number of brown trout- over 14000.The west branch of the Ausable River is also. Located at the high peak areas of the Adirondacks is near lake placid. This is definitely the right place for you if you are looking for a wilderness-type setting. Here, you’ll be able to get the brown, rainbow and brook trout.

The west Canada creek. This is one of the most renowned trout streams in Central New York. Offering the anglers with awesome fishing for the brown and brook trout throughout its length.

6. Colorado

When it comes to one of the most popular fly fishing grounds, Colorado boasts having the greatest number of fly anglers as compared to any other state.Another thing that is worth mentioning about the state is the wider reaches of trout residing waters.

With rives such as the Animas river and the Colorado river, this has been referred to as the haven for fly fishermen by some of the residents though this is not entirely true.At the Animas river, you are bound to get quite a number of trout.

The number is however plenty more at the city of Durango where the river stretches about 100 feet wide in some sections.In some of the areas over this stretch are large boulders, deep pools and riffles that create habitat for the trout.The gore creek, a peaceful mountain stream will not disappoint you when it comes to offering trout.

Though it is a fairly small creek, the trout here are quite big. The gore creek has got two main fisheries- the upper gore at the creek north of vail. The lower gore is just on the southern side of the Vail.

The frying pan river. Being renowned all over the world for its fly and lure trout fishing, this river offers quite enormous trout some of which weigh up to 10 pounds. It is at the water section between the Ruedi reservoir and the confluence with the roaring fork that you are bound to get the best catch.

7. Alaska

If you want to get off the grid and have an equally good 35time in fly fishing, then this is definitely the best place for you.Alaska is not all about the beautiful landscape that you’ll get to enjoy but we are mainly drawn to it by the fact that it is a great area for fly fishing.

Considering the ample number of fish, you’ll be able to catch ranging from salmon to rainbow trout and pike this is quite an awesome place for you to be at. In addition to this, the wilderness in the area is quite large such that no matter how much you try, you’ll not be able to cover all the water bodies.

With plenty of open fishing lodges, fisheries and natural fishing spots in Alaska, it is worth giving the place a shot, you definitely will not be disappointed.One of the most famous fishing spots in Alaska is the Kenai river.

The Kenai river is best known for the King Salmon (the chinook). The world record of the King was 97 pounds which means that your odds of having a giant catch are quite high.

8. Idaho

One state that is worth mentioning when it comes to fly fishing is Idaho. Being one of the places that defines a good angler from a bad one, most anglers go here for the ultimate challenge.

Some of the challenging fishing grounds in the states are the Silver Creek and the Snake River. Idaho is however all about the challenge as there are some friendly fishing spots as well.The C.J.

Strike Reservoir. It is only a few fishing grounds that can be able to match up Strike’s wide variety of fish. Bass, trout, crappie, crap, sturgeon to name but a few can all be found here and in large numbers as well.

On top of the wide variety of fish, the water level is always constant here.Lake Lowell. Located at the Treasure Valley, this is one of the most convenient and at the same time overlooked fishing spots in the state.

The lake does harbor quite a large number of fish such as perch, bluegill, crappie and the catfish. Largemouth and the small mouth bass are however the larges attraction of the place. The good thing about the lake is that you can be able to have full access to it on small boats and overcrowding won’t be a problem at all.

9. Louisiana

When it comes to salt water fly fishing, then Louisiana is one of the places that you ought to try out. The fishing waters are enormous here and in addition to this, so are the fish you are bound to get.

Getting an adventure of your lifetime in the state will definitely be memorable and for a head start, do try out the Biloxi Marcsh and other rich fishing areas. The dominant species of fish that you’ll get here include the black drum, Sheepshead and the jack crevalle.One feature that tends to favor you as an angler are the clear, shallow waters.

With the clear waters, you’ll be able to skim over the shallow waters in search for these stealthy giants. Sight fishing is also favored by this and you’ll definitely be able to enjoy the thrill of fishing.

When it comes to the fall and the winter months, sight casting of the huge Bull Reds is quite rewarding since they tend to float in the shallow waters.

Fly fishing here can land you on as big as 40 pounds of the bull reds.If you are looking for the trophy redfish, then the Louisiana marshlands are the places for you to go at.

10. Washington

When it comes to having the best trout, then this is the place for you to be at. Washington, which is otherwise referred to others as two states in one has got the western and the eastern half.On the western half of the state are visions of rainforests. Here, it is obvious that you’ll find raging rivers.

These in turn can harbor quite a number of large fish for fly fishing such as the wild steel head and the spawning salmon.Upon crossing the crest of the rugged Cascade Mountains, there is a high contrast of the green forests on the western side.

On this side of Washington, you are bound to find quit a number of alpine streams in the Colombian basin that drain into the Pacific Ocean. These in turn leave you open to trout fishing and while others are drawn to the salmon and the steel heads, you are bound to get a number of trout of different sizes.

Along the Yakima river, the Rainbow trout dominates the waters but the population of cutthroats is noticeable as well. The average fish size is close to 14 inches in length but you can eb lucky enough to get as large as 20 inches of the bruisers.For the best catch and a little crowd to worry about, it is best that you visit the river in Autumn.

11. Maine

Upon looking up a good fishing ground for fly fishing, Maine definitely has to pop up in your search. If you are looking for the nation’s largest host for the native and wild salmon fish, then you definitely belong here.

Away from the genetically altered fish and away from the reservoirs, resorting to a natural setting is an opportunity that shouldn’t go wasted. With about 6500 lakes and ponds in the state, 1200 of these are Trout fisheries as stated by the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

This in turn doubles your odds of getting the best trout in these waters.The great ponds act of Maine leaves greater than 10 acres open to the public for the sole purpose of fishing and Fowling.

Most of the brook trout ponds in Maine are however on private land managed for logging. This leaves a considerable amount of land to the public, individuals and conservation groups.

A great number of the Maine wild brook lakes and ponds are situated in the western, central and the northern parts of the state. Be sure to visit either of these areas and it will definitely be worth your while.

12. Bahamas

Leaving out the Bahamas would be somehow unfair. The Bahamas is not all about beauty and luxury, away from all these, you can have quite an awesome time fishing under the warm sun in the clear waters.

Andros Island is the biggest and ironically the least developed of all the islands in the Bahamas. Owing to the fact that it is made up three different land masses, the Andros have got quite a number of creeks and bights splintering the area which makes it a perfect bonefish habitat.

Andros bosts to be one of the world’s best bone-fish and the best saltwater fly fish you can imagine.Bimini- When it comes to reigning as the best when it comes to Bluewater action, the Bahamas definitely take the day.

Being one of the closest islands in the Bahamas closest to the USA mainland, this is the most popular fishing grounds.Considering that there are quite a number of bonefish guides for salt water fly fishermen, you should definitely try out the Island.

13. Utah

This is one of the states in the USA where fly fishing will not come as a disappointment. boasting a number of fishing grounds, it is worth mentioning that the most common catch you’ll have is the trout.The East Fork Sevier River.

Along the stretch of the east fork river, there are three fishing spots, the Kingston Canyon, the Black Canyon and the upper side of the river. Kingston Canyon is rather difficult to fish at owing to the fact that there is irrigation taking place here.

Back Canyon is fair but on the Upper side you’ll get quite an ample population of brown, rainbow and brook trout.Another outstanding fly fishing ground in Utah Is at the Fish Lake. Just as the name suggests, this place will definitely not disappoint you. Here you can get about 10-12 inches of Rainbow trout.

However, like most of the streams situated in Utah, brown trout seems to be the dominant species.Corn creek also boasts to be one of the best grounds for fly fishing in Utah. The Brown trout in Corn is a prominent species.

You may however be lucky to find the Tiger trout in Chalk and Oak. In corn, the brown trout live in the wild and the same also goes for the rainbow trout in Chalk. You may also get the Bonneville cutthroat trout in Oak alongside the tiger Trout.

14. Oregon

In Oregon, you have the guarantee of getting quite a number of wealthy fishing streams. The good thing about the state is not that there are a number of streams but the fact tha they are equally distributed. Each area of the state will not miss a state that you can definitely enjoy fly fishing at.

Cental Oregon

The best place for fly fishing here is at the Deschutes River. Being a fresh water river, you’ll definitely expect to get an ample amount of fish here. The north-central part of Oregon boasts to have about 100 miles of the river and this portion is quite incredible for angling.

Here, you can get native redside rainbow trout.Whereas the redsides are located at the tributaries of the river, the best spots for the trout is upstream from the Milky White river to the Pelton.

Western Oregon

To the best of the Cascade Range, there is no better place for fly fishing trout than this river. At the lowest section of the river, from Hendricks bridge to the confluence with the Willamette river, fly fishing is at its peak.

All year around, you have the guarantee of getting the native rainbow and the cutthroat trout

South East Oregon

Though most of the rivers in the east of Oregon suffer from high temperatures, it is not the case with the Owyhee River. The water temperature here is moderated which makes it low enough for the fish to reside.

The canyon section below the dam (Owyhee Reservoir) has the water flowing at a low pace that makes it ideal for insects. Owing to this fact, brown trout here are quite large (20-24) inches. Just as much as they are large in size, so do they exist in large numbers.

15. Arizona

There are quite a number of places that you can fly fish in this state. However, you only focus on the best. Below are some of the sections that will definitely not disappoint you.The black river.

This is one of the rivers that has got the most popular an most productive waters in the state on both the east and the west forks of the river. Going to the east fork in spring and fall will definitely save you from the crowds.

In the parts of the stream above the mountains, you’ll find good brown trout fishing (the west and east forks will give you bot the brown and the rainbow trout.Silver creek.

If you are looking for a public fly fishing spot that will definitely not disappoint you, then try out the silver creek. Boasting to be stocked almost all year around with catchable rainbow and apache trout, the silver creek is known to have fish as big as 25 inches in length.

16. New Mexico

Being suitable for all-year round fishing, new Mexico’s rivers and streams will give you plenty of water types to fish at.

The Rio Chama. Being probably one of the underutilized rivers in the west for trout fishing, you should try it out if you want away from the crowds. Just below the El Vado dam, you’ll find brown trout in both large numbers and sizes.

All along the river however, the distribution of brown and rainbow trout is fair.Rio Vallecitos. Being in the northwest of the Santa Fe, this small stream has got very little fly fishing pressure.

The lower canyon of the stream has got a good population of the wild brown trout and a fair distribution of rainbow trout.Brazos River. Though it leaves about only 4 to 5 miles to public fishing, you’ll have a good fishing for the wild browns and the stocked rainbows.

17. Alabama

Although fly fishing is greatly associated with the trout alone, this is not similar to the residents of Alabama.The largemouth bass and its subspecies provide the fishermen with fly fishing opportunities.

The spotted bass, one subspecies of the largemouth bass can be found in the upper mobile basin. The other northern subspecies inhabits the rest of the state of Alabama.The spotted bass can be found in the large streams, reservoirs or rivers in the area.

This is a hard fighting game fish as compared to the smallmouth bass which is native to the streams in Tennessee River basin in northern Alabama.Below the Wheeler Dam in the Luderdale county, you’ll find plenty of smallmouth bass.

Trout fishing is limited in Alabama only in some areas such as near the Appalachian Mountain. In winter, trout are stocked at the Madison County State Public Fishing Lake. The Little River does produce trout occasionally courtesy of stockings in the neighboring state, Georgia.

18. Connecticut

Boasting to have as much as 180 lakes, the state of Connecticut is one of the most popular states for Trout fishing.Normally, the opening day for trout fishing is in the late April.

The state demands that you only fish in the area if you have a fishing license issued from the state and this applies to anglers that are above 16 years of age. The licenses are issued for the calendar year hence it’s up to you to utilize them to the maximum.

In all the water bodies within the state, you’ll not only get trout but you’ll also have the bass, large walleye, pike or the bluegills.

Do try out the Farmington and the Housatonic rivers.Another thing that is worth mentioning is that there are trout parks (11 water bodies) that are stocked weekly with trout from the fishing hatcheries. The parks are easily accessible hence you’ll be able to enjoy fly fishing to the maximum.

19. Virginia

Ever wondered of how to cast a fly or catch a trophy trout? Well, then if you haven’t tried out Virginia, you are definitely missing out.To some anglers, this is the home for fly fishing since you’ll be able to find quite a number of fly fishing resorts.

These are not only equally distributed at the fishing spots at the state, but you’ll also have guides along with you. If you therefore do want to try out fly fishing, then this is the place for you.Away from the fishing resorts, it is also worth mentioning that there are quite a number of streams.

The Jackson river is one of the popular fly fishing streams. the temperature of the waters here is about 58 degrees all year around hence ideal for trout. Fishing just below the dam is possible if you have a written permit from the Army Corps of Engineers’ Gathright Dam office.The Mossy Creek is another stream.

Though there is no room to make mistakes here, patience and the little or expert experience you have should be adhered to. Being a fly fishing only stream, you can get trout as large as 18 inches long.The Rapidan. This is well known for its ample trout.

The covers in the River are quite tight hence it is always recommended that you use shorter rods that are definitely stronger.The above three are just but a taste of the best. The streams in Virginia are many such that you’ll be spoilt of choice on what to settle for.

20. New Jersey

According to the new jersey department for fishing and wildlife, we have 175 streams in the states that allow for the production of wild trout. They are referred to as the trout productions streams and out of all these, 36 are exclusively Wild Trout Streams.

The best fishing spot for many in the state is at the Ken Lockwood Gorge which is designated as a trout conservation area by the state.The gorge take sup about two and a half miles of the Raritan River’s south branch and passes through Califon and High Bridge towns.

The best thing about settling for this gorge as a fishing spot is that it is well accessible and still offers the feeling of solitude as it resides within the mountains. This in turn makes it one of the best place you can do fishing with your family.The Musconetcong river is another fly fishing zone for trout.

With clear water conditions and having 20 inches of visibility, you can be able to indulge in fishing all year round. This makes the River an ideal fly fishing point in the state of new Jersey.

Final Verdict

Having some knowledge in fly fishing, it can now be easier for you to better your skills. All the fishing grounds mentioned above in the different states will definitely not disappoint you.

Getting the right set of fishing equipment, you now do know where you can get the bass or the trout among other large fish species and at what time.

Having this in mind, it can be agreed upon that your fly fishing experience will give you quite a thrill.If you want the silent and secluded fishing grounds away from the grounds and at the same time have a good catch, do look them up above.