The Miracle Mile, the famed stretch of the North Platte River, is an extremely fertile tailwater located at the foot of the Seminoe Mountains 40 miles north of I-80 at Sinclair Wyoming. Its name, however, is a bit misleading. The Miracle Mile actually varies from 5.5 miles to 15 miles depending on the water levels in Pathfinder Reservoir. It is the largest continuous section of public water on the North Platte other than the section through the Medicine Bow National Forest. That in itself makes it a destination worth visiting, not to mention the chance of catching a 10+ pound fish. The mile has the special distinction of being sandwiched between to very large reservoirs that are very close together, which gives it a great advantage over most other tailwaters. Seminoe Reservoir, up river from the Mile, acts as a giant settling pond, controlling water temps, silt, and fluctuating water levels. The down river reservoir, Pathfinder, is utilized as a giant trout hatchery. It contains large numbers of both browns and rainbows that make their annual runs up the river for the spawn. Early spring through Mothers Day is best for rainbows and October to the end of December the best time for browns on the Miracle Mile. The resident fish average 12 – 20 inches but during the spawn much larger fish, 24 to 30 inches, are available.
The Mile gets blanket hatches of caddis, baetis, and midges but the trout don’t readily come to the surface to feed. There is so much food in the water itself that the fish don’t have to expose themselves on the surface to feed; nymph rigs and streamers are the most productive methods of fishing the Mile. Midges, San Juan worms, small pheasant tails, Orange Blossom Specials, Platte River Spiders, and Platte River Specials is about all you will need for flies.The Miracle Mile begins below Kortes dam in a steep narrow canyon but quickly flows into a sagebrush flat with only a couple of Cottonwoods for cover. This part of Wyoming is known for it’s high winds and low temperatures, especially in the spring and fall, so bring your 7-weight rod and a windproof jacket if you fish up here. The possibility of catching a fish of a lifetime is worth toughing out any weather conditions.
