The Salt River spans 70 miles across the valley of Lincoln County, Wyoming, and is named for several exposed beds of salt springs. The river has its origin just south of Smoot, Wyoming, on Salt River Mountain Range’s western slope. There are several peaks in this range higher than 11,000 feet, making it one of Wyoming’s best hunting areas for deer and elk. Pioneers and Indian tribes visited the Salt River prior to the 1890s for its plentiful game, fish, and salt.

 

Fly fishermen find the Salt River to be an abundant source for a number of species of trout, including Brook, Rainbow, Fine Spotted Cutthroat, and Brown trout. The river’s current is strong and swift, and in many places the riverbanks are filled with Balsamroot flowers and willows, which make it more difficult to fish than it appears. Many of the better hiding areas are tucked in around bends of the river that are not apparent from afar, and using a canoe may make it easier to fish the Salt. The river’s main attraction just might be its serenity and scenery. It is a flat-water river, but it does offer scenic canoe, kayak, rafting and tubing floats.