Tailwater · Mixed · Wyoming

North Platte River — Miracle Mile

The Miracle Mile is five and a half miles of cold tailwater between Kortes and Pathfinder, dropped down in the middle of Wyoming nowhere about an hour from anywhere, and it grows enormous brown and rainbow trout that run up out of the reservoirs to spawn.

Species

A proper day on the water

Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature8228% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6212% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
24°C
Wind
W 21 km/h
Moderate breeze
Pressure
1011 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Wyoming licence
  • Tailwater open all year; flow tracks the Kortes Dam release with a statutory minimum
  • Check Wyoming Game & Fish.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Miracle Mile is five and a half miles of cold tailwater between Kortes and Pathfinder, dropped down in the middle of Wyoming nowhere about an hour from anywhere, and it grows enormous brown and rainbow trout that run up out of the reservoirs to spawn. A law actually guarantees a minimum flow here to keep the fishery alive — that's where the name comes from. It blows with the wind, it's crowded in the run seasons, and the fish are heavy and strong. Flow comes off Kortes Dam, so you watch the release, not the sky.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December