Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Seasons:
Thanks to the stable temperature of the spring water, fly fishing is great throughout the season.
Spring:
Spring is certainly the most popular season to fish the Elk because of its numerous hatches.
Summer:
Summer time can slow down the action unless you fish early and late.
Fall:
Fall season is a great time to catch the large brown trout and is overlooked by many anglers.
Winter:
Trout can be taken on all but the coldest days of winter on imitations of midge larvae, pupae and sometimes, the adults.
Type of Stream
Spring Creek
Species
Brook Trout (native)
Rainbow Trout (wild)
Brown Trout (wild)
Golden Trout (Palomino) in lower
section
Size
Small to medium
Location
Northeastern West Virginia
Nearest Towns
Slatyfork
Webster Springs
Sutton
Season
Year-round
Access:
Good
USGS Stream Flow Data:
Near Webster Springs
Non-Resident License
State of West Virginia
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Elk River Fishing Report -04/21/24
The stream is flowing near a normal level with clear water. There are very good hatches taking place that are listed below. You should be able to catch good numbers of trout.
Stream Conditions: Rate: 332 cfs
Depth: 3.41 ft
Afternoon Water Temperature: 53
Clarity: clear
USGS 5Real-Time Stream Flow Data at Webster Springs WV
7 Day Weather Forecast: (click the box below for more detailed weather information)
SLATY FORK WEATHER
Recommended Trout Flies:
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners
Blue Quills: 18nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners
Little Black Caddis: 18, pupa, adults
Little Brown Stoneflies: 12, nymphs, adults
Hendricksons/Red Quills: 12/14 nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Fly Fishing The Elk River West Virginia: The uppermost part of the Elk River in West Virginia is a limestone spring creek that should be a top fly fishing destination for any serious angler. It has some very large wild rainbow trout and brown trout. Some of the rainbows and browns are in the 20 inch category. It also has a good population of native brook trout. Fly fishing the Elk River is as good as fly fishing for trout gets. The only thing I don’t like about this excellent trout stream is the fact the locals want to imply you have to use their services and that a guide is necessary. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with hiring a guide to fish the Elk River. It is also absolutely not necessary to use a guide. Elk River fishes no different from many other fine limestone spring creeks across the nation. If anything, its faster water sections make it much easier to fish than most smooth flowing limestone spring creeks. The stream has lots of shallow runs and riffles, depending greatly on the water levels, and also some very deep pools. Although it has the appearance of a freestone stream, It is quite different. The Elk River is formed in the Allegheny Mountains by the confluence of Big Spring Fork and the Old Field Fork, small streams located near Slatyfork, West Virginia. The small stream flows above the ground for several miles and then flows underground for over five miles. The old riverbed above the underground water is called the Dries.
Elk River Fly Fishing Guide: Some anglers consider the Elk one of the best trout streams in the Eastern United States. It has native brook trout, and plenty of wild brown trout and wild rainbow trout. In the headwaters of the Elk River, cobble covers the stream bottom making it appear under low water conditions to be a long riffle, but there are pools that run deep as well.Wild rainbow trout spawn in the tiny tributary streams. As soon as you fish the Elk River you will see that it is almost two different streams. The first section, including water for the first 3 1/2 miles downstream of the junction of Old Field and Big Springs Fork, runs through a canyon. There are no streamside roads. An old railroad line parallels the river, providing access. It is a pretty good hike in and out of this part of the river. At the end of what we will call section one, the river sinks into underground caves and returns to the surface about two miles downstream. This is what we will call the second section of the Elk. It’s a two mile long section of the river that falls off the limestone ledge to form Whittaker Falls. A county road parallels this section the entire length. Both sections of the Elk River are managed under artificial-lures-only, catch-and-release regulations. All trout caught must be released. Customers are always asking, where is the best place to fish. That should be an automatic. Naturally, and especially during crowded times of the season, the more difficult access part, or section one should be the preference. That comes at a price. It takes some time to hike in and out but the fish are usually a little more cooperative. The Elk is regarded by some as technical water. By that I mean, it requires matching the hatch during hatches and matching about what is about to hatch at other times. Many anglers don’t think of matching aquatic insects unless they are hatching. That’s a huge mistake. Trout can see the nymphs and larvae under the water many times better than a insect on the surface. That goes for the flies as well.Trout in the Elk River will concentrate on eating whatever the most plentiful and available trout food is at the time. Often, this will dictate where they are within the stream, meaning the shallow riffles, deep runs, pockets, slow water of the pool tailouts, etc. Call it whatever you like, but if you want to increase your odds of success on the Elk River, you should be matching the naturals and using imitations that are as realistic as possible.
Elk River Hatches and Trout Flies: Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Elk River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726 The aquatic insect populations of the Elk River is quite different from most spring creeks. The pH level is perfect but the bottom composition limits the number and types of species. Rather than being sandy like most spring creeks, it is rocky. The most common mayflies are the Blue-winged Olives but they consist mostly of very small sizes of four or five different genera. Many are not the normal Baetis species. Most aquatic insect books would call the Small BWOs and Little BWOs. These hatch from March though May and again from September through November. Some even hatch during the winter months but they are usually sparse. American March Browns hatch in late April and May. You will find them in the fast water sections of the river. This is sparse and sporadic, rarely concentrated but will produce some fish is handled correctly.Eastern Green Drakes hatch in June. They are considered a top hatch by many but quite frankly, we haven’t found that many nymphs. Some sections have plenty but overall it doesn’t compare to places like Penn Creek. This isn’t to say that it is not a good hatch, but I do think it is overrated. The best part of it is the spinner fall and that takes place after the sun sets and into the night. The Sulphurs are the next most plentiful species of mayfly. The can blanket the water and air in the better areas of the stream. You will find them in the moderate flows, not so much the fast water. They hatch in late May and June. The Elk has plenty of Little Winter Stoneflies. These range in hook sizes from an 18 to a 16. Nymph imitations are by far more effective but the adults will fool a few trout on warm nice days. Little Yellow Stoneflies are very plentiful. Many anglers call these Yellow Sallies. They range from a hook size 16 to 18 and hatch in May and June. Little Green Stoneflies are also plentiful. These are a hook size 16 and hatch in June and July. Caddisflies are plentiful all Spring, Summer and Fall. Most of them are net-spinning caddis commonly called Cinnamon Sedges. Various species of these start hatching in April and last through October. That doesn’t mean they are always present. They hatch off and on depending on the 6 to 8 different species. There are plenty of Green Sedges and imitations of the larvae called Rock Worms work well all year long. They hatch in June and early July. You will also find some Great Autumn Brown Sedges. These hatch in October and November.There are plenty of sculpin and some baitfish. Dace minnows are common. Streamers are often the best flies to use, especially during pre and post brown trout spawning times.