Rainbow trout holding at Lees Ferry as Colorado River stays cool in June

What's Biting

What's Next

**Flow and temperature window (next 2-3 days)**

The Colorado at Lees Ferry is holding at 10,300 cfs and 59°F as of June 9. Glen Canyon Dam releases tend to be relatively stable barring operational adjustments from the Bureau of Reclamation. Absent a major change, expect flows to hold in the 9,000-11,500 cfs range through the weekend: high enough to keep wading technical and unsafe in most sections, but consistent enough to let drift-boat anglers establish a productive pattern across the reach.

**What should turn on**

At 59°F, rainbow trout are well below their thermal stress threshold. Sustained temperatures above 68°F begin to suppress feeding behavior, so the trout here should be actively hunting through the morning and midday window. Nymphing with mysis shrimp patterns, San Juan Worm variations, and small bead-head nymphs in sizes 18-22 has historically been the most reliable approach at this water stage. Focus on soft seams behind mid-channel boulders and the downstream lip of current breaks, where trout hold without fighting the main flow. As June days deepen, a brief early-morning caddis or small PMD emergence window is possible before canyon temperatures climb toward triple digits.

On the Salt River, post-spawn bass will continue transitioning toward deeper offshore structure over the next several days. Tactical Bassin notes that the wobble head jig and shaky head worm combination is one of the most consistent early-summer patterns for offshore fish, and Salt River's rocky ledges and submerged structure near its impoundments are well-suited to that approach.

**Weekend planning windows**

Lees Ferry drift-boat trips are best launched at first light, before canyon winds build through late morning. For Salt River bass anglers working the Phoenix-area stretches, plan around dawn and the final hour before sunset. Triple-digit midday temperatures make midday sessions difficult for both angler and fish during June. Monitor Arizona forecasts for haboob advisories, as dust storms can develop rapidly in the Phoenix basin during early June and affect road access to river launch sites.

Context

For the Colorado River tailwater at Lees Ferry, June is historically a stable and productive month. Spring snowmelt from the upper basin typically peaks by late May, and releases from Glen Canyon Dam stabilize as summer power demand from the regional grid rises. A water temperature of 59°F in early June is on-schedule for this regulated stretch: Glen Canyon's deep-water releases keep the river cool regardless of ambient canyon air temperatures, which regularly exceed 100°F by mid-June. High water years can push flows above 15,000-20,000 cfs; at 10,300, this reading falls in a moderate, fully fishable range for the season.

Hatch Magazine's recent coverage of drought fishing strategies for Colorado's high-desert trout waters is a useful reminder that regulated tailwaters like Lees Ferry rank among the most drought-resilient fisheries in the West. While freestone streams in the broader region may see critically low flows in dry years, dam-controlled reaches hold consistent temperatures and flows regardless of precipitation upstream. No specific year-over-year comparative data for this corridor appeared in this week's angler feeds, so direct seasonal benchmarking is not possible.

For the Salt River, June historically marks the beginning of the warm-water stress season for any trout present in lower reaches, but the prime early-summer feeding window for warmwater species. Largemouth and smallmouth bass that have finished spawning are typically aggressive feeders as they rebuild condition. Wired 2 Fish's post-spawn smallmouth coverage this week notes that fish in this phase tend to roam structure actively, responding well to reaction baits before settling into deeper summer patterns. Channel catfish activity on the Salt typically increases through June and July as water temperatures climb, with nighttime shoreline fishing near the Phoenix metro corridor producing consistent results into August.