After mastering the fly fishing basics, do you know where to fly fish? Our guides will help you start exploring, and researching the best fly fishing destinations.

Where to Fly Fish?

You can go down to the river behind the country store. There is a nice rainbow trout downstream of the bridge!

OK, I’m kidding. Kind of, you might want to keep your gear in your gear in case you come across a stream.

So how are you going to find out where to go fly fishing?

There are many trout rivers and lakes with great access and discovering these new spots can be half the fun.

So don’t be afraid to take a hike. Be sure you have researched your destination and have read our guides to essential supplies.

Fly Fishing Supply Guide

Local Help

There are a lot of people who can help you with this.

• Fly fishing shops. Yes, they will help you. They have an interest in helping you develop your new hobby. Some will even have streamside classes where you will learn to read the water.

• Fly fishing clubs have monthly meetings and trips to different rivers and lakes in your area. This is a great resource. It is a great place to find out where to fish. You may also find a fishing buddy if you need or want one.

• Fly fishing guides will, for a (sometimes not so small) fee, take you out to float a river. These trips can actually be well worth the money. They can help with information about flies to use and river access. The key here is to let them know upfront that you are more interested in the education than catching a lot of fish. It may remove the stress they sometimes feel to “produce fish” for their clients.

• Fellow fly fishers on the banks of the river. I have found them to be very friendly, especially if you are following good fly fishing etiquette.

Click here to learn more about streamside etiquette.

Fly Fishing Maps

GPS maps available from TroutStreamGPS can really help you pinpoint waters to fly fish.

National Geographic Maps are also very helpful, to help plan trips, hikes and identify waters that may be good fly fishing! Plus they will indicate important boundaries such as National Forest, and Wilderness Area.

Local fishing shops often feature detailed fishing maps created by knowledgable local fishers that can greatly benefit your journey, and help support local businesses.

Popular Fly Fishing Destinations

Check out our detailed guides on some of the most popular fly fishing destinations by state and river. Learn about access points, regulations, seasonal fly selection, and techniques to use.

Fly Fishing Oregon

Oregon has an incredible variety of fly fishing destinations to suit your type of fishing. Large steelhead rivers for your switch or Spey rig, to small mountain streams and lakes for your 3-weight setup. Popular rivers covered in our guides include the Owyhee, Upper Rogue, Crooked Rivers and more.

Learn about Fly Fishing Oregon

Fly Fishing Wyoming

Wyoming is home to some of the most popular, blue-ribbon trout waters in the world. Combined with incredible natural scenery, and a great diversity of outdoor adventures, a fly fishing trip to Wyoming is a bucket-list must. Popular Wyoming fly fishing rivers covered in our guides include the Big Laramie and Snake Rivers.

Learn about Fly Fishing Wyoming

Fly Fishing Montana

Big sky country could also be known as big fish country. Offering a great selection of rivers and streams along with access to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Montana is a must-fish. Popular Montana fly fishing rivers include the Bighorn and Gallatin Rivers.

Learn about Fly Fishing Montana

Government Agencies

“We are from the government and we are here to help.” It is true that they also want to encourage your newfound hobby. Getting away from the TV and enjoying the outdoors is good for us all.

If you do a search for “(your state) Department of Fish and Game” you may find where to fly fish. They will help you find everything from fishing and boating access to the stocking schedules of the rivers and lakes nearby.

The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service have maps available of public lands.

More Thoughts on Where to Fly Fish

If you have a nice lake nearby, lake trout fly fishing can be fun if you have a good fly fishing boat.

More information on Fly Fishing Boats.

Finally, one of the best places to start fly fishing is on small streams. Once you learn to read the water, and the importance of stalking the fish, you can move those skills to a larger stream.

Catching a trout in a stream you can almost jump over is just plain fun. There are more than a few times I almost made it.

Just study the fly fishing basics and get out there and give it a try!

Build Your Fly Collection Here

Every state and river has diversity of flies that work best for a given situation. Our river specific guides give you an idea of what hatches to expect. To start, you will need imitations of Caddisflies, Mayflies, and Stoneflies. Our Essential Fly Boxes lay the foundation for developing an organized and effective system. Check out our shop below.