Report for June 20.
Conditions continue to improve across the high country as stream flows drop daily and clarity increases as well. While we area not quite into mid-summer levels just yet, there are now some real options out there for you if don’t want to fight the crowds on the tailwaters. The Colorado, Eagle, Arkansas and Middle Fork of the South Platte are all starting to offer up some freestone options, albeit at robust levels, but clarity is very good and fish are being caught.
On the Colorado, the Salmonfly hatch continues to offer good opportunitites both above and below Kremmling. For the most part, the hatch has wrapped up in the Pumhouse area itself but, just upstream in Gore Canyon there area strong numbers of adult Salmonflies clinging to the willows and flying in the afternoon. For those anglers willing enough to hike into the middle of the canyon, the payoff is worth it. We will continue to post updates for that hatch to our blog, so keep an eye on those.
While water levels may be dropping fast, they are still high and offer some tricky accessibility situations. Be sure to make smart wading decisions when venturing out to the river. If you have a doubt, err on the side of caution. At the rate things are starting to drop, we should see things get more user friendly in the next couple of week.
This time of year is very fluid, with daily changes due to weather and snow melt. Don’t hesitate to call us for current conditions, we’ll do our best to try and interpret changing stream flow readings with you. Or follow us on Twitter @coloradoangler, where we try to post changing conditions as we learn about them.
Detailed reports on the right side of this page will give more specific information on a particular stretch of river. Make sure to check those out for your river of interest, as they will be able to answer questions pertaining to hatches and flies.
Please feel free to call us at The Colorado Angler, at any time to discuss any questions and concerns you may have about the current conditions. There is a lot of information on this page as well as on our main page at TheColoradoAngler.com but, space is limited and we may not have answered all of your questions. We want to make sure you get the information you are looking for. Toll Free 855-CO TROUT (268-7688) or stop by and see us in the Summit Place shopping center in Silverthorne, next to Blue Moon Bakery, Exit 205 on I-70, then south 1 block. Spring Hours: Monday – Saturday 8 am – 6 pm, Sunday 8 am – 5 pm
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Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir
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| Flow: 710 cfs. |
| Conditions: A huge drop in flows over the past week has brought the Blue into great shape. Yes, this is still high if you are used to fishing it in the winter but, at this level there is exponentially more accessibility throughout town. Wading will still be tricky, with little room to venture very far off the bank. The best technique will be to nymph fish with a tandem rig and a lot of weight. Probably 2 to 4 BB or even a couple of AAA size split shot will still be needed to get that set up down to the bottom where most of the fish have been holding when hooked. The larger tippet should also remain practical for the time being, we like 3x as a good start. The quiet water that has been holding most of the fish is starting to expand and this should make for a little longer drift in spots. Continue to bring along your favorite Mysis patterns in larger sizes, 16 and up, along with San Juan Worms and Egg Patterns, it will probably take a spill over the top of the dam to jump start any hatches. It’s also a good time to try dead drifting streamer patterns, sometimes a big meaty meal can be hard to pass up as it drifts on by a trout burning up twice it’s normal calories just to stay put.
Town Flies: Candy Cane, Stalcup’s Mysis, Kingery’s Mysis, BTS Mysis, Flossy Worm, San Juan Worm, San Juan Flash Worm, Otter Soft Milking Egg, Bead Eggs, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Pure Midge Larva, Tube Midge Black or Red, Winter Baetis, Two Bit Hooker, Rainbow Warrior, Wooly Bugger Black or Olive
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Blue River Below Green Mountain
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| Flow: 900 cfs. |
| Conditions: A good drop in water from Green Mtn will open up some access for sure. It will still be a tough wade level but, this will allow for float traffic to drift the river and keep their speed in check enough to get some good drifts. Prior to run-off the action was moderate at best, now that things have run up and back down there may be some hatches about ready to pop in the next couple of weeks. Until then, Heavy nymph rigs and streamers will be the best approach. 2 nymphs, lots of weight for a quick descent in the pools, with 2-3x should do the trick Start with a larger imitation for a Stonefly, big Mayfly or beaded searching pattern followed up with a San Juan Worm or Egg Pattern. And streamer patterns are always in vogue through the canyon. With the flow still on the high side, it may be worth using a sink tip line to help get those down and keep ’em in the strike zone longer. Please be respectful of private property along the way.
Flies: Big bead heads: Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser, Pheasant Tail, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Rubberlegs, Psycho Prince, Mr Peacock Ice, Flossy Worm, Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO, Juju Baetis, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Winter Baetis, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Otter Egg, and Morrish’s iron sally.
Floaters should note: The river volume on this stretch of water can change on an infrequent schedule and often. It is important to know the flow before you launch and make an honest assessment of your ability and watercraft capability. Please respect private property rights along the river.
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Colorado River Above Kremmling (Parshall)
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| Flow: 1751 cfs. @ Parshall |
Conditions: A big drop in flows in just over 2 weeks removed from peak run-off. This is still going to be on the high side but, it is down to a level that will allow for some wade access giving anglers the opportunity to fish the Salmonfly hatch that is coming off in the Hot Sulphur to Parshall area. Good numbers of adults insects are present from the public access at Sunset Ranch up through Beyer’s Canyon. Action has been fair to excellent depending on the day and location, sometimes there can be a huge discrepancy in success from one run to the next. That being said, if you are not finding willing fish in one run work your way up into another. We have been forcing the dry fly issue but, there is still some action to be had on droppers as well. Fish a Stonefly nymph under your foam Salmonfly dry and double your potential. This is still going to be some tough wading conditions but, fishing is improving daily .
Flies: Fuzzy Wuzzy, Chubby Chernobyl: Pteronarcys and Brown, Clark’s Salmonfly, Rogue Foam Stone, Goofball Orange, B-1 Bomber, Big bugs with flash and beads – streamers and nymphs. Pat’s Rubber Legs, Twenty Incher, Tungteaser, Kaufman Stone Nymph, Beaded Rubber Leg Ice Prince, Heavy Metal Worm, Flossy Worm, LE Marabou Streamer, Sculpzilla, Slap and Tickle, Woolhead Sculpin
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Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
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| Flow: 3080 cfs. |
| Conditions: Flows continue to fall to very angler friendly levels with great visibility. Wading may still be a little tough, even overwhelming in spots but, there is a lot of access now available and the river is back within it’s banks in most places, once again revealing all the willows that had been submerged. Both wading and floating are productive options at the moment, although they can be limited in places with the above average flows. The Salmonflies have diminished in overall numbers, but there are still enough around in spots to keep trout interested in both the nymph and adult imitations. Most notably in any of the canyon stretches, that being Yarmony and Little Gore in minor numbers and Gore Canyon in large numbers. The number of adult Salmonflies up in Gore Canyon actually looks as if the hatch is still in full swing and the action has been remarkable. It’s not an easy hike but, the payoff can be huge. Pack a lunch, take extra water and bring a headlamp for the hike back out. From Pumphouse down, nymphing continues to produce more of the action through out the day, with that in mind try a double fly rig under an indicator. Start with a larger beaded searching nymph or Stonefly imitation for the lead fly, then drop a smaller slightly smaller offering for the Caddis or even a mid-sized searching nymph such as a Prince or Hare’s Ear. This remains a substantial amount of water but, by no means is it too much water. You just have to adjust to the conditions and fish some different spots than you would at 1,000 cfs.
Flies: B-1 bomber, Chubby Chernobyls in Pteronarcys, Brown or Orange, Goofball, Fuzzy Wuzzy, Tungteaser, Rubberlegs, Beaded Pheasant Tails, Beaded Hares Ears, Tungsten Prince, Rubber Leg Mr Peacock, Miscellaneous Streamers: Sculpzilla, Silver Bullet, Space Invader, Beldar, Bead Head Buggers in Black or White
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Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
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| Flow 11,100 cfs. |
Conditions: Big and dirty. Run-off is in full effect on lower part of the river. With as many smaller drainages that drain into this river, clarity at this time of year is problematic. Generally speaking a good rule of thumb is: green is good brown is down. Even if it is only a foot or so of visibility, if there is an overall greenish hue to the river it should be good to go. But, when that color shifts to brown it tends to turn off. With the heat of Spring settling in, Brown is now the color du jour. It could be some time before we see good fishing conditions on the lower river.
Flies: Mr Peacock Ice, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Bead Prince, Bead Hares Ear, Tungstone, Barr’s Emerger, Zebra Midge, Juju Baetis, Poison Tung, Winter Baetis, brightly colored San Juan worm, Sculpzilla, Space Invader, Silver Bullet
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Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
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| Flow: 1370 cfs. @ Granite 660 @ Hayden |
Conditions: Water levels are starting to drop to a point where fishing has once again become an option, albeit a relatively high water option but, an option none the less. Clarity is good with over 2 to 3 feet in most places. At these levels wading will still be tough and you will want to use caution, watch for drops and swift currents. Big dry dropper rigs are a good way to cover water at the moment using a larger foam dry that will hold up at least one, or preferably two nymphs. In spots there may be some Baetis or Caddis around as well. In the higher part of the valley such as Hayden Meadows focus on any break of the current you can find. The soft water inside of bends in the river as well as below islands can produce some good results. There is still a good amount of water right now and you may have to cover some ground to find those quiet spots. Streamers can be a good way to do that and have been productive the past few days now as the flow has come down.
Flies: Chubby Chernobyls, Foamulator, Beaded Hares Ear, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Copper John, Hot Wire Caddis, Tung Z Wing Caddis, Tungteaser, CDC Hares Ear, Twenty Incher, Mr Peacock, RS-2, Zebra Midge, White Streamers
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Arkansas River Salida Area
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| Flow: 1860 cfs. @ Salida |
Conditions: Big but clear. Things are just getting into the range we like to see. This river, like many around, fishes great on the drop. As high spring flows start to recede and clear all of the fish are jammed on the banks and looking to refuel after weeks of limited forage and expending energy. This is one if the best times to fish it. Hit the banks with Stimmies and foam attractor dries dropping your beaded searching nymph of choice. Wading will be a little less comfortable than ideal for a while yet but, find the quiet water along the banks and you will find the fish. You don’t have to wade very much at all, keep it tight to the bank and watch your footing. Floating will definitely be the best approach right now and action will be very good on all three styles: Dries, Nymphs and Streamers. It’s all about the banks right now. Summer hatches of Yellow Sallies and PMDs won’t be far behind.
Worth Noting: This is now the third year of a program to re-establish Pteronarcys Californica to the Arkansas. Over the past 3 years CPW has transplanted about 90 thousand Salmonfly nymphs from the Colorado River to the Arkansas and distributed them just above and below Salida. We are keeping an optimistic eye on the river here to see if this insect will take hold and produce a revived population.
Flies: Chubby Chernobyl, Madam X, Foamulator, Stimulator, Bead Head Pheasant Tail # 14-16, Tungstone Golden #12-16, Tungsten Yellow Sally, Iron Sally, Chartreuse Copper John #12-16, Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis, Hot Wire Prince, Pat’s Rubber Legs #8, Slumpbuster, Silver Bullet, Autumn Splendor, Sparkle Minnow.
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Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
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| Flow: 3,500+/- cfs. |
Conditions: Very close to going off. Yes, there have been some days with enough clarity, combined with enough of a drop in flows to have some good action. Just when it looks like it’s going to fall into the groove, another heat wave moves in and flows climb back up to 4,000+. However, the consistency is just about to hit. We really like the river to fall to 3,000 at Glenwood to start to become manageable. That will still be on the high side but, there is enough break in the current for anglers to find some very willing fish. Water temps are hitting 54, which is starting the early summer Caddis hatch and it won’t be long before the rest of the hatches fall into places. Drakes, PMDs Sallies, oh my. If you find a day when things are off color or spiking from heat, take the turn up the Frying Pan and fish some clean water. Just be prepared for the crowds, as this is about the only game in town with regards to moving water clear enough to fish in the Glenwood to Aspen area. There has been some decent action to Blue Winged Olive adults at times, as well as Caddis.
Flies: Twenty Incher, Tungteaser, Stubby stones, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Standard Pheasant Tail, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungstone, Copper Johns, Hares Ear, Mr. Peacock, CDC Prince, Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO Emerger, RS 2, Tungsten Psycho May, Hot Wire Prince, Two Bit Hooker, STD Baetis and a variety of Eggs.
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South Platte River, Middle Fork
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| Flow: 220 +/- cfs. |
Conditions: Starting to get to a manageable level for wade access. For the most part the river is back within it’s banks and there is enough quiet water to find some good trout lies. Just about any technique can do the trick right now. There is still enough water that full on nymph rigs will be the way to fish the deeper bends and pools but, for those of you that would rather not look at an indicator, there should be enough cut banks and inside corners to fish a dry dropper set up. And streamers are always a good option with the brown trout population on the Platte. We are still looking for it to get just under the 200 cfs level for it to really take off but, there is definitely enough approachable water to make it worth the trip. For the nymphs try a larger beaded searching pattern or Stonefly imitation followed up with a variety of other staples for this fertile river. Caddis, Baetis, Green Drake and San Juan Worm patterns can all work well throughout the year. Our approach would be to fish our way upstream with that 2 fly nymph set-up and then switch over to streamers for the walk back down and cover some of the same water again. It shouldn’t be long before things fall into place on this great fishery.
Flies: Chartreuse Copper John, Rainbow Warrior, Egg Patterns, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Flash Prince, Tungteaser, Tung Psycho May, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Autumn Splendor, Slumpbuster, Sparkle Bugger
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South Platte, Dream Stream
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| Flow 308 cfs. |
Conditions: Flows have leveled off and are holding steady. The river may be a little higher than many are familiar with, but fishing can still be very good at this level and will have a tendency to clear out some of the traffic. 5x tippet may still be necessary in the upper reaches but, as you move down 4x should do the trick. The good news is that the river at these levels not only carry a little more food from the dam, there is also a little more cover to the angler, so less spooky fish. Tandem nymph rigs will still be the best method for the time being but, once the lake fills and starts to spill over we expect the Caddis to start to hatch. A mix of Caddis larva, Baetis and PMD nymphs as well as some well drifted San Juan Worms, Leeches and Scud patterns with the higher flows will be a good start. Traffic has been very stout with the high water the past couple of weeks. That should start to drop off here in the next week or two as more fishing options come on line with run-off abating. Another option in the area is to head further downstream below 11 Mile Reservoir into 11 Mile Canyon. Again this is a tailwater and will be busy during run-off but, there are not as many guide services permitted to fish that stretch and traffic may be slightly more manageable.
Flies: Black Copper John #22, Juju Baetis, Buckskin, Desert Storm Chartreuse, Tube Midge, Midge Biot, UV Emerger, Poison Tung, Zebra Midge Black/Silver, Barr’s Emerger BWO, RS2, Poxybiot Nymph, Egg Patterns, Pure Midge Larva, Cap’n Hook
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Williams Fork River Below Dam
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| Flow 716 cfs. |
Conditions: A noticeable drop in flows from the dam but still pretty high for the size of this river. This will pretty much shut the river down to all but the hardiest of waders and most advanced anglers. Even those skills will leave you out matched. There may be a spot or two that you can pull a fish from but, it will be limited. Your best bet may be to give it a rest for this tailwater for the time being. Just above and below the confluence with the Colorado River will find the Salmonflies in full effect. That may be where the action is best. Or take a break from the trout and head up to the reservoir and try your hand at some Pike fishing, which is starting to ramp up and can offer a fun distraction through run-off.
Flies: Caddis Larva, Buckskin, Heavy Metal Worm, Flossy Worm, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Little Brown Bug, Two Bit Hooker, Flash Back Pheasant Tail, Split Case BWO, Tungsten Psycho May BWO, Pure Midge Larva, Rainbow Warrior, Rojo Midge, Biot mayfly Emerger, #20-22 Green Copper John, Zebra Midge, RS2’s, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger
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Antero Reservoir
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Conditions: Starting to see some good signs of Spring on the lake. The Chironomid hatch has begun, look for them to emerge later in the morning. Action has been moderate for this popular still water destination, with a variety of nymphs and streamer patterns working throughout the day. Fishing may be slow to start some days so you may want to stick around to at least early afternoon, as it seem like some days it takes that long to get going. For nymph rigs, use a mix of Chironomid, Calibaetis and smaller Midge nymph imitations in a static indicator rig. Vary your depth initially with a two fly rig to see if there is any particular level where trout are feeding. Also worth trying would be slow retrieving streamers that imitate Damsels, Leeches or Crayfish. If the wind picks up later in the day, try suspending any of those streamers under an indicator and let the waves jig them up and down. That is unless the wind really kicks up, then get off the lake and fish another day. Daily access is at the South Ramp, with the North ramp only being open Friday – Sunday.
Flies: Yankee Buzzer, Jumbo Juju, Tak’s Chironomid, Garcia’s Rojo Grande Midge, Rapunzel Damsel, Gaviglio’s Calibaetis Nymph, Poxyback Calibaetis Nymph, Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Diamond Lake Special, Wooly Bugger – Black, Olive or Brown, Hale Bopp Leech
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir
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| Conditions: Hearing slightly more consistent reports from here than up the road at Antero. The Chironomid hatch has started and is producing some steady results using subsurface imitations as part of a multi-fly nymph rig. There may be the occasion for some dry fly activity for adult Chironomid patterns as well, it’s just that the wind has been so consistently present that there have not been enough days when it’s not blowing the adults off the water. At this time of year we recommend a mix of Chironomid, Calibaetis and small Midge nymph imitations fished under an indicator as a static nymph rig. Mix up the depth at various points with your flies in order to pin point any particular level the trout may favor for feeding. For those of you that can’t focus that long on an indicator, try a slow retrieve with streamer patterns that imitate Leeches, Damsel Fly nymphs or Crayfish. And this time of year always offers the chance at cruisers along the dam picking up Egg patterns.
Flies: Yankee Buzzer, Jumbo Juju, Tak’s Chironomid, Garcia’s Rojo Grande Midge, Rapunzel Damsel, Gaviglio’s Calibaetis Nymph, Poxyback Calibaetis Nymph, Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Diamond Lake Special, Wooly Bugger – Black, Olive or Brown, Hale Bopp Leech
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Delaney Buttes Lakes
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Conditions: All three lakes are open, with mixed results. None of them are on fire but, action has been good enough to warrant a return trip or two for Nick “The Kid”. The North lake has produced some of the nicer fish, particularly if you are not averse to fishing at night. With shore anglers doing as well, if not better than boaters. East and South have been producing slightly more action, with a smaller size on average. Streamers have been as productive as anything but, we always like to give it a try with our favorite lake nymphs under an indicator, as well. While you are up that way, don’t overlook the large impoundment just to the east, Lake John. Action over there has been slightly more consistent, with average fish running 18-20 inches.
Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Hares Ear, Zebra Midge, Tak’s Chironomid, Hale Bopp Leech, LE Leech, Wooly Bugger in Black, Olive or Brown, Sculpzilla
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