Colorado fishing reports
218 reports for Colorado — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Colorado trout waters run hot as fall transition nears
Our regional flow gauge (USGS 09095500) read 70°F and 1,260 cfs Thursday afternoon — warm enough to trigger the voluntary stop-fishing thresholds both Cutthroat Anglers (CO) and Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) have been urging anglers to respect this drought year, with both shops recommending anglers quit once water hits 67-68°F. Where fish are still active, Crystal Fly Shop (CO) reports the Roaring Fork has rebounded with all closures lifted, fish keying on small Rainbow Warriors, Sparklewing RS2s and Flashback PTs, while the Frying Pan is running superb dry-fly water with green drakes, PMDs, BWOs and midges overlapping in picky, technical hatches. Voluntary closures remain in effect on the lower Crystal River and the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and Rifle, where Crystal Fly Shop also notes a decent streamer bite despite lingering monsoon-muddied water. Colorado Trout Hunters flags the Dream Stream's fall brown trout run as the next big seasonal draw to watch for.
Fall Brown Run Builds on the Dream Stream as Drought Keeps Flows Lean
USGS gauge 06701900 is reading a lean 87.5 cfs this morning, and that thin flow lines up with what Colorado's fly-fishing community has been reporting all summer. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing's drought coverage calls 2026 among the worst water years on record and points anglers toward tailwaters as the reliable option, while reminding everyone to quit fishing once water hits 67°F. Cutthroat Anglers echoes the low-water read: fish are grouped up and still eating, but reward anglers willing to hike farther and downsize tippet, with the same 68°F stop-fishing threshold. On the South Platte's Dream Stream, Colorado Trout Hunters notes migratory brown trout are beginning to stage ahead of the fall run. AvidMax's latest tying-Tuesday midge patterns — built for exactly this kind of low, technical tailwater water — are a good sign of what's working right now.
Low, Warm Water Pushes Colorado Trout Bite to Early Mornings
USGS gauge 09095500 logged 66°F this morning with flow running 1,410 cfs — just a couple of degrees under the 67-68°F line several Colorado shops are watching as drought conditions grip the state. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing's Drought Update 2.0 confirms 2026 ranks among the driest years on record, with tailwaters remaining the most reliable bet as freestone flows keep dropping. Cutthroat Anglers echoes the same warning: once water hits 68°F, it's time to put the rod down and protect the fishery. Crystal Fly Shop reports CPW voluntary closures already active on the Roaring Fork, Crystal River, and the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and Rifle, where flow is running roughly 2,000 cfs. Early mornings are producing the best window before afternoon warmth pushes temps toward closure territory. Rainbow and brown trout remain catchable on typical late-summer patterns, but anglers should carry a thermometer and plan trips around the coolest hours of the day.
Drought grips South Platte as fall brown trout run approaches
Colorado's 2026 drought is being called the worst on record, according to Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing, with South Platte and Arkansas tailwater anglers dealing with persistently low, clear flows this summer. Cutthroat Anglers (CO) is urging anglers to carry a stream thermometer and quit fishing once water hits 68°F, a threshold arriving earlier in the day than normal this year. On the South Platte's Dream Stream, Colorado Trout Hunters reports the stretch has historically turned on for migratory brown trout as fall approaches, and that pattern looks to be building again. Flylab (Substack) notes Antero Reservoir, up in the South Platte drainage near South Park, was drained in May to conserve municipal water, leaving that fishery diminished for the season. On the technique side, AvidMax Blog (CO) has been tying small tailwater midge patterns — a Chocolate Foam Back emerger and a Titan Tube Midge — built for exactly this kind of low, clear, technical water.
West Slope Trout Push Deep as Historic Drought Grips Colorado Rivers
Roaring Fork flows have slipped to 113 cfs at Aspen's Jaffe Park and 242 cfs at Basalt, and Crystal Fly Shop reports the river running low, clear, and cool, with most fish pushed off the banks into deeper water as fly sizes come down to match. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a voluntary afternoon closure in effect on the Roaring Fork below Carbondale and a full-day closure on the lower Crystal River, per Crystal Fly Shop, while the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and Rifle sits under a full voluntary closure. Cutthroat Anglers and Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing both describe 2026 as one of the driest years on record for Colorado, with anglers urged to stop fishing once water hits 68°F. Still, Cutthroat Anglers' low-water tips note fish remain active and grouped up for those willing to hike farther and downsize gear. On the Frying Pan, sub-40s tailwater temps keep PMD, BWO, and midge hatches firing in the afternoons.
Low, clear South Platte and Arkansas tailwaters reward small flies
USGS gauge 06701900 is holding at a lean 110 cfs this week, consistent with the drought Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing described in its "Drought Update," which ranks 2026 among Colorado's worst water years on record. Cutthroat Anglers echoes that theme, noting historic-low snowpack has concentrated fish into fewer holding lies — a workable edge for anglers willing to fish carefully around spooky, skinny water. On the South Platte's Dream Stream, Colorado Trout Hunters reports one of the better recent runs of reservoir-origin browns and rainbows, best approached with a stealthy presentation given the reduced flows. AvidMax's Fly Tying Tuesday lineup — the Titan Tube Midge, Jigged CDC PT Tungsten, and Chocolate Foam Back — points toward small, natural profiles as the standard under clear tailwater conditions, with an ABC Leech pattern worth a swing through slower runs. Browns and rainbows remain the primary targets, with whitefish rounding out the catch.
Colorado River Anglers Face Voluntary Closures as Heat Persists
USGS gauge 09095500 put the Colorado River at 70°F with flow near 1,570 cfs in its latest read, a mark that crosses the line Cutthroat Anglers has been warning about all summer: stop fishing once water hits 68°F. Crystal Fly Shop's current report confirms it — CPW has a voluntary full-day closure in place on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs, alongside afternoon and full-day closures now running on the Roaring Fork and Crystal River. Pat Dorsey's drought update calls 2026 possibly the worst water year on record for the state, and Cutthroat Anglers' low-water coverage says the same: flows are historically thin and fish have pulled into scattered cool-water refuges. None of that means the season is dead — Cutthroat Anglers notes fish that remain are grouped up and still willing to eat for anglers who hike a little farther or fish a little lighter, but the mainstem here needs a rest until temperatures ease.
CO tailwaters slow as record drought grips South Platte, Arkansas
Colorado's South Platte and Arkansas tailwaters are grinding through what Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing calls one of the worst droughts on record heading into late August. Cutthroat Anglers is flagging a record-low water year with rivers running low, clear, and warming fast, and their standing advice is to carry a thermometer and stop fishing once water hits 68°F or higher — a real risk on tailwater flats during a stretch like this. Anglers Covey, working out of the Arkansas River drainage in Colorado Springs, describes the classic dog-days slowdown: rivers running slower and fish getting noticeably lazier through the midday hours. Via Cutthroat Anglers, guide Matt Campanella's low-water tips note that despite the tough conditions, trout that remain are grouped up and still catchable for anglers willing to hike farther and downsize tippet. Best bet right now is early mornings and evenings, with careful handling on stressed, warm water.
Historic Drought Squeezes Colorado Rivers, Frying Pan Holds Steady
Colorado's rivers are running low and clear through one of the driest years on record, and Crystal Fly Shop's real-time reports show it plainly: the Roaring Fork sits at 113 cfs near Aspen, the Crystal River at 107 cfs near Redstone, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife has posted voluntary fishing closures — a daily noon-to-midnight closure on the Roaring Fork below Carbondale, a full-day closure on the lower Crystal, and an indefinite full-day closure on the Colorado River through Glenwood Springs and Rifle — as low water pushes afternoon temperatures higher. Cutthroat Anglers is urging anglers to carry a thermometer and quit once water hits 68°F. The bright spot is the Frying Pan, running a steady 145 cfs below Ruedi Reservoir and holding in the 40s year-round, where afternoon PMD, BWO, and Green Drake hatches are still bringing rainbows up. Per Anglers Covey, the August heat has rivers moving at a slower pace with fish favoring low-light windows.
South Platte's Dream Stream braces for the fall brown trout push
Guides on the South Platte's Dream Stream stretch are already looking toward the fall migratory run — Colorado Trout Hunters points back to one of the best stretches of lake-run browns and rainbows they've seen in recent seasons on that water, with fish typically pushing up from the reservoir as nights cool. Statewide, 2026 has been a rough water year: Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing calls it possibly the worst drought on record for Colorado, and Cutthroat Anglers is telling anglers on low, warm rivers to carry a thermometer and stop fishing once water hits 68°F. On South Platte and Arkansas tailwaters that means mornings are the play right now, with small midge patterns like AvidMax's Chocolate Foam Back and Titan Tube Midge, plus tungsten jig nymphs for faster runs, doing the work in low, clear conditions. Expect pressure to stay lighter than normal until temperatures ease and the fall run builds.
Low, Clear Western Slope Rivers Push Trout Anglers to Fish Early
Colorado's Western Slope rivers are running historically thin this week, with the Roaring Fork sitting at 113 cfs near Aspen and just 410 cfs by Glenwood Springs, per Crystal Fly Shop's latest report — flows low enough that Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a voluntary afternoon closure in effect on the Roaring Fork from the Highway 133 bridge in Carbondale down to the Colorado River confluence, plus a full-day closure on a stretch of the Crystal River and on the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and Rifle. Cutthroat Anglers is telling clients to carry a thermometer and stop fishing once water hits 68°F, calling 2026 a record-low water year, a read Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing echoes in ranking this drought among the worst on record for the state. The upside: fish that remain are grouped up and still eating, with Crystal Fly Shop reporting some of the season's best fishing on the cooler stretches above Carbondale. The Frying Pan below Ruedi Reservoir stays in the 40s and remains a dependable fallback.
Drought-thinned CO tailwaters reward small flies and early starts
Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing calls 2026 the worst Colorado drought on record, worse than the notable low-water years of 1975-78, 2002, 2012, 2018 and 2020 — and that scarcity is shaping how South Platte and Arkansas tailwater trout are behaving right now. Cutthroat Anglers reports fish pushed into deeper, cooler holding water as flows thin, and specifically advises anglers to stop fishing once water hits 68°F to protect stressed trout; the same shop notes fish that remain are grouped up and still willing to eat for anglers ready to hike a little farther. On the tying bench, AvidMax's midge emergers (Chocolate Foam Back, Titan Tube Midge) and jigged tungsten nymphs reflect what's working in low, clear water, while leech imitations like AvidMax's ABC Leech and the worm patterns highlighted by Gink and Gasoline give browns something substantial in deeper runs. Cutthroat anglers should look to high-country options tracked by Trout Unlimited's Colorado HALO Project.