Logan River Utah Hatch Chart

Northern Utah, flowing west through Logan Canyon in the Bear River Range before entering Cache Valley and Logan. The Logan River is Utah's most complete freestone trout stream - a classic canyon river with wild brown and rainbow trout, an excellent salmonfly hatch, outstanding summer hopper fishing, and strong fall BWO hatches in a dramatic limestone canyon setting just 30 minutes from Logan and easily accessible from Salt Lake City via US-89. The Logan Canyon corridor offers some of the finest and most accessible wild trout fishing in the state.

Check current Utah Division of Wildlife Resources regulations before you go. The Logan River has special regulations on certain sections including artificial flies and lures only and catch-and-release requirements. Regulations vary by section - verify current rules for your target stretch before fishing. US-89 runs the length of the canyon providing good roadside access to most of the public water.

Shop by type: dry flies, nymphs, Euro nymphs, hoppers and terrestrials, streamers.

The river

The Logan River flows approximately 40 miles through Logan Canyon from its headwaters near Bear Lake to the valley floor. The canyon sections along US-89 are the primary fly fishing destination - a classic freestone river with pocket water, riffles, and pools carved through limestone canyon walls with abundant public access from the road corridor. The upper canyon above Tony Grove Road holds the highest concentrations of wild trout with the least pressure. The lower canyon sections below Ricks Spring are more accessible and receive heavier use but remain productive throughout the season.

Brown trout are the dominant species throughout the river with rainbow trout present in the upper canyon and tributary sections. The Logan is known for producing large wild browns - the limestone geology influences water chemistry in ways that support exceptional insect life and fish growth. The canyon receives consistent pressure from Cache Valley anglers and Utah State University students in Logan, but the river is productive enough to absorb the use and still deliver quality fishing for the prepared angler willing to walk away from the road pullouts.

The Logan's salmonfly hatch is one of the finest in Utah - genuinely underappreciated compared to the famous Wyoming and Montana hatches, but producing excellent dry-fly fishing in a beautiful canyon setting. The combination of salmonfly in late May and June, summer hopper fishing, and fall BWO hatches makes the Logan a true three-season destination that rewards anglers who fish it across multiple visits through the year.

Year at a glance

Month Primary hatches Also carry Typical sizes
Jan Midges, BWO Small nymphs, streamers Midge 20-26, BWO 18-22
Feb Midges, BWO Small nymphs, streamers Midge 20-26, BWO 18-22
Mar BWO, midges Early stonefly nymphs BWO 16-20, midge 20-24
Apr BWO, caddis, midges Stonefly nymphs, March Brown BWO 16-20, caddis 14-16
May Salmonfly, caddis, BWO Golden stone, PMD start Salmonfly 2-6, caddis 14-16
Jun Salmonfly, golden stone, PMD Caddis, yellow sally Salmonfly 2-6, PMD 16-18
Jul PMD, hoppers, caddis Yellow sally, ants, golden stone PMD 16-18, hopper 8-12
Aug Hoppers, PMD, caddis Ants, beetles, trico Hopper 8-12, PMD 16-18
Sep BWO, hoppers, caddis Mahogany dun, streamers BWO 16-20, hopper 8-12
Oct BWO, midges Streamers, mahogany dun BWO 16-20, midge 20-24
Nov Midges, BWO Streamers, small nymphs 20-24
Dec Midges Small nymphs, streamers 20-26

January - February

The Logan Canyon road stays open year-round and the river is fishable through winter. January and February are midge and nymph months - fish hold in the deeper pools and slower runs along the canyon floor. BWO begin on overcast afternoons in February, often producing surprising dry-fly activity in the sheltered limestone canyon. Streamers for large browns in the deeper canyon pools. The Logan in winter is cold and beautiful with almost no other anglers - the limestone canyon walls hold heat and the canyon often fishes warmer than the air temperature suggests.

March - April

BWO hatches strengthen through March and April - the limestone canyon produces strong early spring olive hatches that draw good fish to the surface on overcast afternoons. Caddis begin building in April and overlap with the continuing BWO activity. March Brown appears on the broader lower canyon sections. Stonefly nymphs building subsurface toward the May hatch. Snowmelt from the Bear River Range begins pushing flows up by late April - fish the pre-runoff window aggressively for some of the best uncrowded dry-fly fishing of the year.

May - June: salmonfly season

The salmonfly hatch is the defining event of the Logan River calendar and one of the finest in Utah. The hatch moves up the canyon from the lower sections near Logan through the upper canyon over a 2-3 week window in late May and June - timing varies with snowpack and temperatures. Giant stonefly adults on the limestone canyon water bring the largest brown trout to the surface. Golden stones overlap with the salmonfly. PMDs begin on the flatter canyon sections by late May and build through June. The combination of salmonfly and PMD makes May and June the peak months on the Logan.

  • Salmonfly - 2-6. Utah's finest salmonfly hatch. Large adult stonefly dries when the hatch is active - see dry flies. Stonefly nymphs below the hatch front.
  • Golden stone - 6-10 in the faster riffles and pocket water throughout June.
  • Caddis - 14-16 evenings. Elk hair caddis.
  • Yellow sally - 14-16 in the riffles on warm afternoons.
  • Late May - June: PMD - Pale Morning Dun on the flatter canyon sections.

July - August: hopper season

Summer on the Logan is hopper season. The canyon walls and roadside margins concentrate grasshoppers and the wild browns respond aggressively - hopper fishing along the limestone canyon walls from July through August is the Logan at its most enjoyable and accessible. PMDs continue through July mornings. Caddis evenings throughout. Yellow sallies in the riffles. Ants and beetles midday. The upper canyon sections above Tony Grove Road fish best in July and August - more wild fish, less pressure, and the canyon at its most spectacular.

  • Hoppers - 8-12. Hoppers and terrestrials along the limestone canyon walls and roadside margins. Hopper-dropper with a nymph dropper for doubling up.
  • PMD - 16-18 mornings through July. Pale Morning Dun.
  • Caddis - 14-16 evenings. Elk hair.
  • Yellow sally - 14-16 in the riffles.
  • Ants and beetles midday. Hoppers and terrestrials.

September - October

Fall is the finest season on the Logan. Labor Day marks the transition - summer crowds disappear, BWO return strongly with the cooling temperatures, and the limestone canyon is spectacular in fall color with the maples and aspens turning on the canyon walls. Hoppers continue through mid-September. Mahogany duns on overcast days. Streamers for pre-spawn browns building through October - the Logan's large wild browns become aggressive in fall and the deeper canyon pools hold the best fish of the year. October streamer and BWO fishing with the canyon in fall color and minimal pressure is the Logan at its finest.

  • Hoppers through mid-September. Hoppers and terrestrials.
  • BWO - 16-20. Parachute BWO and CDC Baetis emerger on overcast afternoons. The dominant fall hatch.
  • Mahogany dun - 14-16 on overcast afternoons in September and October.
  • Caddis evenings through September. Elk hair.
  • Streamers for pre-spawn browns October - streamers in the deeper canyon pools.

November - December

BWO and midges as the season closes. The canyon road stays open and the Logan fishes into late November with good BWO hatches and virtually no pressure. Streamers for post-spawn browns through the month. December is midge and nymph fishing in the deeper winter pools - cold but accessible and genuinely productive for the Cache Valley angler willing to fish on a winter weekday.

  • BWO - 16-20 on overcast afternoons through November. Parachute BWO.
  • Midges - 20-26 throughout. Red zebra midge subsurface.
  • Streamers for large browns - streamers in the canyon pools.
  • Small nymphs subsurface. Nymphs.

A western dry and nymph assortment covers the core season. Add a salmonfly pattern for May and June and a hopper box for July through September. The Logan River is Utah's finest freestone canyon trout stream - year-round fishing, an excellent salmonfly hatch, outstanding hopper season, and large wild browns in a dramatic limestone canyon 30 minutes from Logan. One of the most complete and underappreciated trout rivers in the Rocky Mountain West.