Wyoming

Wyoming stacks up a remarkable range of trout water for one state. Jackson Hole runs on the Snake River and its tributaries for fine-spotted cutthroat; the Green River Basin around Pinedale holds destination freestone water in the Upper Green and New Fork; Star Valley's Greys and Salt are low-pressure native-cutthroat gems; the Wind River drains central Wyoming out of Dubois; the North Platte tailwaters near Casper fish big year-round; the Bighorn Basin's Shoshone opens the Cody side; and Yellowstone National Park adds the thermal-influenced Firehole and its sisters. Each region asks different things — different timing, different flies, different access — and there's enough variety here to plan a week without repeating water.

The Jackson area runs cutthroat-dominated and float-friendly, with consistent flows from Jackson Lake releases through summer. The North Platte's Grey Reef and Miracle Mile sections fish big year-round, with sow bugs and scuds as the staple food and large fish that respond to it. The Firehole is unusual — geothermally heated water keeps it fishable when other Yellowstone rivers are too cold for trout, and the dry-fly fishing during low summer flows is technical and rewarding if you put in the time.