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The past few days have really seen some big changes around here. First and foremost is THE HATCH. Salmonflies are emerging in force along the Colorado from Gore Canyon down to Radium. (check out that report to the right)
Second, warm temps and high sun have made an impression on upper elevation snow pack. Many of our core rivers are seeing an influence from snow melt and some will be best to avoid on a day to day basis.
The big positive is that due to low reservoir levels this spring, much of what is coming down will be captured in an impoundment as soon as possible. It is our belief that some rivers won’t see their traditional peak levels due to this refilling process. And while we will see some clarity issues as the flow rises, once it levels off this should clear up fairly well and offer some good opportunities.
This week in particular the forecast calls for a cold front to come through mid week. As that happens we may see some short lived clearing on local rivers. Quite possibly the Arkansas in particular. Today’s (Tuesday) high flow over the course of the day was lower than yesterday’s and the daytime high, also being lower could translate to slightly less melt. If this cold front puts the brakes on temporarily, we could see a rebound in clarity for a day or two. Add that to the upper basin of the Colorado, which is already dropping and running at fantastic wade levels and you’ve got yourself some great river destinations during run-off.
Keep in mind that it does still remain volatile at times during this time of year and you want to be flexible, ready to change course if needed.
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 here on this page as well as on our main page at www.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: 55 cfs. |
| Conditions: There are actually two reports for this stretch at the moment. We will give you the disclaimer report first and follow that with the reality based report. Due to a sudden relocation of some mature Rainbows in town(that would be code for retired brood stock from the DOW hatchery) some stretches of town have seen an explosion of less than technical action as well as the complimentary explosion in anglers that often accompanies that sort of thing. If this is something that you may have an interest in, be prepared for HEAVY crowds during peak daytime hours. Action has been pretty crazy and the fish have not been all too picky. The Spaghetti and Meatball rigs (San Juan/Egg Pattern) seem to do the trick. If that isn’t working then switch to the usual Tailwater Midge and Mayfly imitations. Now to the rest of town: Continued low water releases from Dillon are keeping things stable in town. With low, clear flows expect some technical conditions and wary trout. Some of the best results are coming on nymph patterns fished on 6x and 7x tippet and if possible, go with out the indicator. Midge imitations continue to be the bulk of the diet in pupa, larva and emerger phases, fished in sizes #22-#26. Although they are accounting for a small percentage of the hook-ups in town, Mysis Shrimp patterns remain spotty at best due to the low release coming from the dam. The strong dry fly action of the past few weeks has waned slightly and become less consistent, with only day to day occurrences. With the big spike in temperatures the past few days, we have seen the potential for run-off to make it’s way into the river from the interstate down and some days gaining in color as you move downstream. When that does happen, it is generally not too dirty to prevent continued fishing. We are finding San Juan Worm and Egg patterns to be effective in the cloudier water. Crowds have thinned considerably over the past couple of weeks (aside from the stretch where the stocking took place) as there are now plenty of available options with the onset of Spring.
Town Flies: Spaghetti and Meatballs (San Juan Worm Patterns and Eggs) Candy Cane #20, BTS Mysis #16-22, RS-2 #22-24, STD Baetis #20, Black or Chocolate UV Emerger #22-24, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook #20-22, Pure Midge Larva #20-24, Black Beauty #20-24, Tube Midge Black or Red #20-22, Medallion Midge #22-24, Split case BWO #20, Winter Baetis #20-22, Desert Storm #20-24, Rainbow Warrior #20, #22 BWO Adult, Adult Midge Dark, Brook’s Sprout Midge #22-24, Parachute Adams #24-26 .
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Blue River Below Green Mountain
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| Flow: 65 cfs. |
| Conditions: Look for these low flows to continue through the end of June at the earliest as water managers will try and hold off on releasing any water from here until it is absolutely necessary. That is not entirely a bad thing however, as low water means incredible wading access and range in the canyon. While action has not been fast and furious, this might still be a great opportunity to target some of the deepest runs in the river, which often make it tough to cover under higher flows. The majority of current activity will be to Midge and Baetis nymphs, with a good possibility of an emergence coming in the form of a Blue Winged Olive hatch. As always down here, don’t overlook the larger nymphs in the system, as we find fish throughout the year will still capitalize on a hearty offering when presented well. Try running a double nymph rig with a larger bead head for the Green Drakes or Stoneflies that are well established in the Canyon, followed up with either a Baetis or Midge pattern for a more timely offering.
Flies: Big bead heads: Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser, Pheasant Tail, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Rubberlegs, Psycho prince. Smaller Hatches: Juju Baetis (Standard and Purple), Barr’s Emerger BWO, Redemption BWO, Split Case BWO, Tung Psycho May BWO, Baetis Big Bear, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Pure Midge Larva, Jujubee, Biot Midge, UV Emerger, CDC BWO Comparadun, Winger Parachute BWO, Sparkle Baetis
Floaters should note: Floating is done for the season, river levels are much too low. 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: 395 cfs. |
| Conditions: Big drop in flows and a rise in clarity as cooler temps early in the week have slowed the snow melt. Once again a good solid option for wade anglers as recent heavy flows may have given a slight cleanse to rocks that were slick with winter sediment. Insect activity is once again on the rise as water temps have reversed and started to climb again. There may still be some Baetis activity early, with a good chance at Caddis mid-day. We will definitely keep an eye on it here for the potential emergence in the coming week or so of the Salmonfly. Conditions just downstream near Pumphouse are ready to pop and it generally takes a week or so for that to make it’s way up here. With this warming trend, day time temps should push the 70 degree mark and start to bring water temperatures up with them as flows stabilize. Start the early morning off with a mix of searching nymphs and Baetis patterns, moving into riffles later in the morning as the Baetis nymphs start to drift in the current. Then mix in some Caddis nymphs and emergers as mid-day approaches. This might be a good time to try and fish a dry-dropper set up using a Stimulator or larger Caddis adult as your surface fly. There have also been some decent reports of blind nymphing with San Juan Worm patterns mixed in tandem with beaded searching nymphs and various Stonefly patterns. Streamers can also be productive as clarity drops and hungry Browns may take an interest if a larger meal presents itself.
Flies: WD-40, Pure Midge Larva:Red or Pale Olive, Andrew’s 5-0 Midge, Rojo Midge, RS-2, Barr’s Emerger BWO, Gidget Olive, Purple Juju Baetis, Sparkle Wing RS2, Big Bear Baetis, Two Bit Hooker, Biot Midge. Hot Wire Caddis, Barr’s Graphic Caddis, Z Wing Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, Sparkle Dun BWO, Gulpher Special, Para Extended Body BWO, Skittering Zelon Midge, CDC Hanging Midge, Stimulator, Pearl and Elk Caddis, Ginger Variant, Slumpbuster, LE Marabou Streamer.
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Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero
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| Flow: 664 cfs. |
| Conditions: The hatch of all hatches is in full swing. The first big push of Salmonflies made landfall Saturday evening into Sunday morning and action is solid. The bugs at the moment are most well distributed between Gore Canyon and Sheephorn Creek just above Radium. this probably has a lot to do with water temps below the creek being slightly lower as it is straight snow melt. Conditions above Sheephorn, remarkably, get better each day, as all upper basin snow melt is being captured in upstream reservoirs and clarity is now over 2 feet and on the rise. This hatch is short lived and should not be missed. Get out today, do whatever it takes because, it may be over by the end of the week at the earliest and not more than early next week conservatively guessing. The best rig to start any day with is a dry dropper set up, as not all days will produce on big dries. By offering a multi-option rig, you can get a good read on what the fish are keying on and then re-rig accordingly. We are also seeing good hatches of Blue Wing Olives and the Caddis have finally started to emerge. Even though it seems out of the question with such a big food source currently swarming the water in the Salmonflies, some days we still find that a smaller fly can be productive as well. Wading access should again be solid as flows are back under 800 and will benefit from last weeks flush, as that should have scoured away a lot of the sediment which had gathered on the rocks over the winter. As you make your way downstream additional feeder streams are adding run-off and diminishing clarity, such as Sheephorn and Piney Creeks. Pay attention to these and be prepared to move higher upstream if visibility becomes to dirty but, there is plenty of great wade access between State Bridge and Rancho.
Flies: Large stones, Tungteaser, Rubberleg, Sexstones, Salmonfly dries: Designated Hitter, Fuzzy Wuzzy Orange, Half Cocked, B-1 Bomber, Clark’s Stonefly, Beaded Pheasant Tails, Beaded Hares Ears, RS2’s, Split Case BWO, Barr’s Emerger, Juju Baetis, Blue Ribbon Emerger. Gulper Special, BWO Sparkle Wulff, Winger Parachute, CDC Baetis Dun
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Colorado Below Glenwood Springs
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| Flow 7790 cfs. |
| Conditions: Consider this done for the immediate future. Things have gotten to be pretty dirty on the lower river. With a combination of run-off from the lower Eagle and the Roaring Fork from the Crystal River downstream, this may take some time to clear. Not to mention that flows have jumped up considerably and the river will be gaining a certain amount of debris as it scours areas that have been dry. Definitely not a destination at this time. If you are in the neighborhood on your way to fish the Pan or Upper Roaring Fork, then give it a look but, by no means go out of your way for the risk at mostly dirty water. It’s a shame too, as huge Caddis hatches had been pouring off the river and fishing was solid.
Flies: Mr Peacock Ice, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Twenty Incher, Hunchback Green Drake nymph, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Bead Prince, Bead Hares Ear, Zebra Midge, Rojo Midge, Poison Tung, Juju Baetis, STD Baetis, Tungsten Split Case BWO, Para Ext. Body BWO, Parachute March Brown, Gulpher Special, Various Egg imitations.
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Arkansas River Above Buena Vista
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| Flow: 672 ^cfs. @ Granite |
| Conditions: Starting to see some volume again in the river channel. Improving daily as the spring weather warms things up, particularly below Granite and closer to Buena Vista. Once again worth putting into your rotation of destinations. We are seeing fish caught in the upper access points, such as Kobe/Hayden Meadows, it is just not as consistent as the water down valley slightly. The other big positive for the time being here has been the clarity. While you may see some mild coloration from recent rains as well as new snow melt, for the most part the upper Ark remains pretty clear. In the most upper parts of the drainage, look for fish to be holding in the tail-outs of pools and runs, moving up towards the head as things warm mid afternoon. As you move down below Granite we are seeing better distribution of fish throughout the river. Tandem nymph rigs utilizing a Beaded searching pattern such as a Pheasant Tail or Hot Wire Prince, followed up with either a Baetis or Midge trailer will be your best producers. With the modestly warmer temperatures this week the Blue Wings should be moving up above BV in no time and it won’t be long before those Caddis hatches from downriver shoot upstream as well.
Flies: Beaded Hares Ear, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Copper John, RS-2, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Jujubee, Juju Baetis, Barr’s BWO Emerger, Winter Baetis, Rojo Midge,WD40, Para Extended Body BWO, CDC Baetis Dun, Winger Parachute
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Arkansas River Salida Area
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| Flow: 1270 ^ cfs. @ Wellsville |
| Conditions: Flows are starting to jump up to late spring levels as runoff is adding volume to the river. However, these are still decent levels for wade and float fishing, the real problem is going to be clarity. Visibility is fairly stained at the moment and will have the greatest influence on fishing at this flow. Day to day there may be some windows of clearing and if you can get something north of 18 inches of vision, you can find some fish. Nymph rigs will be your best bet along with a well placed streamer tight to the bank in a break from the current. Large sized bead head searching patterns and stones should do the trick. Just something that looks like a good meal, presented to the fish where he shelters can be very productive. Be flexible and not afraid to move through some water in order to find good holding areas where the trout may be congregating. This is now the second year of a two year program to re-establish Pteronarcys Californica to the Arkansas. Over the past 2 years CPW has transplanted about 80 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. The next couple of weeks will be telling.
Flies: 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, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Juju Baetis, Split Case BWO, Zebra Midge, Garcia’s Rojo Midge, RS-2 and Poison Tung, Parachute Extended Body BWO, Winger Parachute, Sparkle Baetis, CDC Para Dun, High Vis Para Baetis, Elk Hair Caddis Olive, Tan or Brown, Stimulator, Hippie Stomper.
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Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs
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| Flow: 1620 cfs. |
| Conditions: Location is the key at the moment. The Crystal River has been dumping a ton of color and volume into the river at Carbondale. Flows have jumped substantially and are now scouring debris from the until recently dry shoreline. From there down has mostly been lost for the past several days. Above there still offers some decent prospects for anglers. Look for some Caddis, Blue Winged Olives and possibly Midges depending on how far up you go. Action has been most consistent on nymph rigs pairing a combination of Baetis with either Stonefly or Searching patterns. Flows remain low enough to allow for easy wading. With the reduction in good water, you may encounter above average foot traffic at some of the more popular spots but, there are still plenty of points to get in the river, not only near Basalt but, up towards Aspen as well.
Flies: Twenty Incher, Tungteaser, Stubby stones, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Standard Pheasant Tail, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungsten Juju Baetis, Psycho Mayfly, STD’s, Barr’s Emerger, BWO dries, Para Extended Bosy BWO, Zebra Midge, UV Emerger, Rainbow Warrior
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South Platte River, Middle Fork
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| Flow: 240+/- cfs. |
| Conditions: Well action has really picked up here in the Tomahawk area and providing some very good fishing. However, a good majority of the catch are very juvenile fish, as in 6″ fish. With that in mind, this is a great spot to go with a beginner looking for plenty of action to hone their skills or take a kid or even spend a day with an experienced angler looking for some beautiful water and time outside. As is often the case here, a simple dry dropper set up should get you to most of the spots on the river and offer a mix of nymph and dry fly eats. We recommend fishing your way upstream with that type of rig using either a good sized attractor or small hopper on top and following it up with a beaded searching nymph. Then on your way back to the parking area, work the same water over with a streamer up against cut banks and across ledges.
Flies: Chartreuse Copper John, Rainbow Warrior, Egg Patterns, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Flash Prince, Tungteaser, Autumn Splendor, Slumpbuster, Sparkle Bugger
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South Platte, Dream Stream
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| Flow 142 cfs. |
| Conditions: Flows are on the rise, we have seen a nice step up in flows over the past few days. This should be a big help to anglers and comfort the fish in the holding water. At the moment sight fishing is producing some modest results and we recommend going without an indicator if possible. Just one less thing to make the trout nervous. A deliberate, stealthy approach is going to be your best bet here. Be patient with your movements and try to spot a fish to target versus blind casting. The one positive to all of this is that it’s not blown out as some of our freestones now are. We’ll do our best to keep an eye on things here and post when the numbers and size of fish start to fill in.
Flies: Black RS-2, Barr’s Drowned Trico, Black Copper John #22, Juju Baetis, Zebra Midge Black/Silver, Buckskin Caddis, Mercer’s Poxyback PMD, Poxybiot Nymph, Egg Patterns, Pure Midge Larva, Cap’n Hook
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Williams Fork River Below Dam
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| Flow 17 cfs. |
Conditions: Flow is down to minimal levels as we start to move into Spring and water allocations from the reservoir are depleted. Sufficient holding water will be reduced in many stretches and anglers intent on fishing this tailwater should really look to another fishery. At this flow stress levels in fish will be high enough. Any excessive pressure on them may be detrimental to the overall health of the river. Try to wait until we see a rebound in water in the river.Flies: Pure Midge Larva, Rainbow Warrior, Rojo Midge, Biot mayfly Emerger, #20-22 Green Copper John, Zebra Midge, RS2’s, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger, BWO dries.
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Antero Reservoir
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| Conditions: Ice is gone and the boat ramps just opened. With all the fantastic spring moisture over the last month or so, Denver Water has changed the plan for this popular impoundment and will NOT be draining it as was originally scheduled. It will not be totally full, similar to last year but, this is great news for all of you still water junkies out there. Good reports coming back from tubers and boaters alike. Chironomid patterns fished in and adjacent to weed beds either as a static rig under an indicator or with a slow had retrieve. We recommend a two fly rig either way in order to cover multiple colors, sizes or pattern. Do expect a fair bit of traffic over the weekends, but week days have been rather thin when it comes to crowds.
Flies: Yankee Buzzer, Jumbo Juju, Tak’s Chironomid, Garcia’s Rojo Grande Midge, Rapunzel Damsel, Poxyback Calibaetis Nymph, Hare’s Ear, Copper John
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir
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| Conditions: Open to hand launch water craft only at this time and that may not change for the entire season. Denver water is still waiting to see how much moisture is in the snow pack above the valley. Reports from the opener a couple of weeks back were rather dismal, but it seems as if the Chironomid action is starting to pick up. We hope this was just an aberration and not a sign of things to come. We should get more feedback over the next couple of days and we’ll let you know as we do.
Flies: Jumbo Juju, Hale Bopp Leeches, Yankee Buzzer, Egg Patterns
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Delaney Buttes Lakes
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| Conditions: Starting to become a good option with many rivers getting higher and off color. Early season means fish tight-in, cruising the banks and a lot of the traffic has been from shore. Sight fishing can be productive when that is the case. Fish a couple of nymphs suspended under and indicator or slow crawl a smaller leech pattern to start.
Flies: Egg Patterns, Bead Pheasant Tail, Bead Hare’s Ear, Copper John, Jumbo Juju, Zebra Midge, Tak’s Chironomid, Hale Bopp Leech
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