Salmon Flies are still bumbling around on the creek! Rock Creek is settling into awesome post-spring pre-summer flows, the water temperature is making the fish happy and the bugs come off, and anglers are reporting great catches! 

Rock Creek is starting to look a lot better as flows continue to drop and the creek settles into a more fishable early-summer window. There is still plenty of water moving, and wading should still be done carefully, but the trend is definitely positive. The creek has come down a long way from the bigger runoff push, and with water temperatures around the low 50s, fishing should keep improving as clarity and stability continue to build.

The best fishing right now is still going to be in the softer water. Focus on inside bends, bank cushions, soft seams, pocket water, eddies, slower buckets, and the edges below heavier riffles. With flows still elevated, fish do not need to be far from the bank. Work the close water carefully before stepping in, because plenty of trout will be holding tight to the edges and in softer pockets.

Nymphing remains the most consistent way to find fish, especially when the sun is bright or the creek has a little extra color. Stonefly nymphs, rubber-leg patterns, worms, jig-style attractors, caddis pupa, PMD nymphs, Green Drake nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, and Perdigons are all good choices right now. Use enough weight to get down, but keep your drifts in slower lanes where fish can actually move to eat.

Dry-dropper fishing is becoming a much better option as Rock Creek continues to drop. A larger foam stonefly, Chubby, Water Walker, Salmonfly dry, or Golden Stone dry with a nymph underneath is a good way to cover banks, pockets, and soft seams. Full dry-fly fishing is still going to depend on the section, clarity, and cloud cover, but the window is opening. If you find calm edge water, soft riffles, or fish looking up, take your time and make a clean first cast.

Bug activity is picking up with the improved conditions. Salmonflies are still in the mix, with the better activity shifting higher on the creek, and Golden Stones should continue to become more important as the water drops. Yellow Sallies, Green Drakes, PMDs, and caddis are also becoming part of the daily menu. Caddis activity should be best toward evening, while PMDs and Drakes can be more noticeable during cloudy or softer-light periods. Bright sun can slow the surface bite during the middle of the day, but clouds or light showers could help bring fish into the softer seams to feed.

Streamers are also worth keeping in the rotation, especially early, late, or anywhere the water still has a little color. Olive, black, brown, white, and lightly flashy patterns can all move fish through buckets, undercut banks, wood, and soft edges. Rock Creek has plenty of good ambush water right now, so focus on places where trout can sit out of the main current and eat without working too hard.

The next few days look encouraging overall. Cooler, showery weather today should give way to a better Thursday and Friday with warmer temperatures and more sunshine, followed by a few shower chances over the weekend. If flows continue to drop and the creek keeps clearing, Rock Creek should continue to fish better. Stay careful while wading, keep an eye on the gauge, and focus on soft water, banks, pockets, and active bug windows as the creek settles.

Top Patterns:

Pat’s Rubber Legs (#6-8)
TJ Hooker Stone (#6-8)
Zirdles (#6-10)
San Juan Worms (#10-12)
Wire Worms
Prince Nymphs (#12-16)
Pheasant Tails (#12-16)
Frenchies (#14-16)
Perdigons (#14-18)
Caddis Pupa (#12-16)
Green Drake Nymphs (#10-12)
PMD Nymphs (#14-18)

Dry Flies:

Chubbies — yellow, purple, royal, black, and tan (#6-14)
Water Walkers (#6-10)
Golden Stone dries (#6-10)
Salmonfly dries (#4-8)
PMDs (#12-16)
Green Drakes (#10-12)
Purple Haze (#12-16)
Parachute Adams (#12-16)
Corn Fed Caddis (#12)
Elk Hair Caddis (#12-16)
X-Caddis (#12-16)
Yellow Sallies (#12-16)
Stimulators (#8-14)

Streamers:

Mini Dungeon
Sparkle Minnow
Peanut Envy
Thin Mint
Sculpzilla
Woolly Bugger
Kreelex
Barely Legal
Double Gonga
JJ Special
Small Sculpin Patterns

Obstructions are as follows:

Lower Fire Ring - Elkhorn: Woody and Jammy! Be careful in that stretch! The corner is blocked by a fresh log!

Everything ellse has cleared up in this last push! As of 6/3/26 from Rock Creek Mercantile