# Green river float below Fontenelle Reservoir????



## hunting777

Has anyone ever floated the Green River below Fontenelle Reservoir? I am looking for any info. My son and his high adventure church group is thinking about floating it and we have a few questions.


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## PBH

Lot's of people have.

The section directly below Fontanelle down to the Farson cutoff bridge / Slate Creek campground is a popular, although short (4.6 miles), float. There is good camping there. Just watch out for the horned owls -- they'll keep you up all night.

Here, these will help:

River Miles: https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Rivermiles.pdf#c
River Maps: https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/River mile maps.pdf#d
Seedskadee: https://www.fws.gov/uploadedfiles/SeedskadeeGBmaps.pdf


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## Al Hansen

Floated below the dam to Little hole about 10 times a year for the past 5-6 years. You may want to say what time of the year you want to go and what method to go down the river .

Edited: Sorry about this post . I misread the original. See more below.


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## PBH

hunting777 said:


> Has anyone ever floated the Green River below Fontenelle Reservoir?





Al Hansen said:


> Floated below the dam to Little hole about 10 times a year for the past 5-6 years.


:shock:
That's one hell of a float. And you're doing it 10x per year for the last 5-6 years? Dang. I'm jealous.

hunting777 -- Al's trip sounds like a disaster waiting to happen for a scout troop. I'd stick with something closer to 6-7 miles.


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## Vanilla

It can be great fishing. Not exactly “high adventure” as a float goes.


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## Al Hansen

Lol. You got me. I misread the original. Sorry bout that. The Dam at the Gorge to Little Hole is what I float. I have been to the Fontanel and talked to the drift boaters and my understanding is it is a very easy float. There is suppose to be great fishing but not much to look at. A couple of take outs just a few miles from the put in. :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:


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## hunting777

So they troop is looking at going down the first of June. They are wanting to be down there for 3 - 4 days. They are planning on taking Kayaks, Canoes, and a large raft for all their supplies. PBH that is some great info. Thank you for that! So we have never really floated rivers before. I hear that part is pretty calm like you mentioned Al. How many miles do you guys recommend floating in a day?


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## PBH

Vanilla said:


> It can be great fishing. Not exactly "high adventure" as a float goes.





Al Hansen said:


> I have been to the Fontanel and talked to the drift boaters and my understanding is it is a very easy float.


That all depends on time of year. Remember, this is SW Wyoming, where there isn't much to stop the wind. So, "high adventure" becomes reality and "easy float" becomes a nightmare. I recall one float up there where we had a really nice run through a pool. We kept catching fish -- it was a great run. We kept allowing the wind to blow us back up stream so we could troll through that run! The biggest problem was that the wind was blowing so hard, we couldn't "float" downstream. Hell, we couldn't row downstream either! We had to drag the boat by hand through numerous stretches where the wind simply would not allow us to go the direction we needed to go. High adventure for sure!



Al Hansen said:


> There is suppose to be great fishing but not much to look at. :


I disagree 100%.

Again, this is SW Wyoming -- so your comment is well taken. However, when on that river it is like being somewhere in Africa. The cottonwood trees and other riparian vegetation turn that sagebrush desert into a lush paradise. Depending on time of year, the colors of that vegetation can be spectacular! And, depending on the time of year, you may even have spectacularly colored kokanee salmon spawning on the riffles! Wildlife congregate all along the river corridor. You have legitimate chances to view antelope, mule deer, elk, moose, raccoons, swans, geese, pelicans, owls, eagles, osprey.....the list goes on, and on. While you may not be in a picturesque canyon like that found below Flaming Gorge or Glen Canyon, there certainly is a special beauty about Seedskadee.

Ironically -- I'm staring at a painting hanging on my office wall that is a scene from the river through Seedskadee. It is truly beautiful!


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## PBH

hunting777 said:


> So they troop is looking at going down the first of June. They are wanting to be down there for 3 - 4 days.


First thing: check water flows. June will be the highest discharge rate for the year -- ~4000 - 10,000 CFS. May or July might be better.

Monthly averages



hunting777 said:


> They are planning on taking Kayaks, Canoes, and a large raft for all their supplies. So we have never really floated rivers before. I hear that part is pretty calm like you mentioned Al. How many miles do you guys recommend floating in a day?


The one link I gave you (River Miles pdf) gives you a good estimate of travel times for rafts and kayaks / canoes. You should plan on ~1.5 - 2 miles per hour. A 6 mile stretch should take about 3 hours -- but that is only if you don't ever stop and float straight through. If this is your plan, you should increase the distance (ie: Dam --> Dodge Bottoms = 10 miles = ~5 hour float).

If the boys have never floated, I would highly recommend only doing the Dam to Slate Creek campground first. Make sure that you don't drown any of them on that short float before you attempt a longer float.

Again, watch the flows. The river is not a "technical" float -- but 5000 CFS isn't exactly a "lazy river".


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## gdog

Make sure to get you get inspected/stickers (AIS decal) for any inflatables over 10ft and all your kayaks/canoes before hitting the river.


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## one4fishing

Following this thread. My son and I camped below the dam last September for a doe antelope hunt. He wants to go again but with a canoe or kayak. 
If I can draw a tag again I'd like to go a week later to coincide with the goose opener. Also the sage grouse hunt. 
Fishing was fun for my 8 year old from the bank. I feel like he caught the bug on that trip. He was catching some healthy rainbows just dragging a big night crawler through the current, also irritating some of the serious fly fishermen. 
How would the float be all the way into Seeskadee?


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## hunting777

This is a great thread! thank you all for the info. It really helps. It looks like a beautiful place. The extend of my river viewing is the Malad and Bear River. Which have their own good qualities. But it will be nice to fish for trout and see some different country. I will probably be asking some more questions. Thanks again!


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## gdog

Just remember that from the CCC bridge near the dam and down through the Seedskadee refuge, to the confluence with the Big Sandy river is artificial flies/lures only.

The float is easy, but as PBH already stated water levels and wind can make things a little more difficult. I'd rather float it in a raft than a canoe if taking kids for a long(er) float, if you can get your hands on one.


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