Dave Webb
April, 2025
People often ask me how to fish Sixth Water Creek, which has become a decent fly fishing stream in recent years. I'm happy to share what I know. It's a fun stream. Right now, I'm sure there is still snow in the higher reaches, so access is limited. The stream flows through a deep, rugged canyon and is overgrown with brush so it is difficult to fish in many areas. In some spots there is no trail access and so you have to bushwack. That is good and bad because it reduces fishing pressure and helps the fish population.
There are basically three approaches to fish the stream.
1) Start in Diamond Fork Canyon, at the Three Forks Trailhead, and hike or fish your way upstream. That trailhead is where Sixth Water joins Diamond Fork River. It is the trailhead for the very popular hike to the hot springs up Fifth Water, and so that trailhead parking is usually full. I do not think the road to that trailhead has opened for the season, but it should open soon. You might have to park down the canyon and hike up.
2) Start at the bridge where Rays Valley Road crosses Sixed Water and fish up or down the stream. This is the easiest access, but the Rays Valley Road is not yet open to the bridge. It should be soon.
3) Just west of that bridge, a rough dirt road follows the ridge above Sixth Water as it climbs the mountain toward Strawberry Reservoir. There are a few spots where the road comes close to the stream and provides access to higher sections that get less pressure. You do need a 4x4 to drive that road. It will be a few weeks before it is snow-free and open.
Dry flies and nymphs usually work well on the stream and it gets all of the normal hatches. I'm not the one to recommend flies. In general, patterns that work on the Middle Provo whould work on the lower section of Sixth Water, above Three Forks. The hatches may start a little later as you move to higher elevations. Talk to the guys in the fly shops to get recommendations as the season progresses.
The stream is difficult to fish during runoff. Most of the flow comes out of Strawberry and so they can control it to keep the stream as fishable as possible, but side canyons bring in muddy water.
It is difficult to predict when it will be fishable in spring. Perhaps by mid-May this year.
If any of you get up there, I'd love to hear how you do.
