Colorado fishing reports
147 reports for Colorado — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
South Platte tailwaters key on tricos as drought conditions linger
Anglers working the South Platte's tailwater stretches are finding trout keyed on dense trico spinner falls this time of year, the kind of surface-film blizzard Gink and Gasoline has described on this same river, where scooping a hand across the water turns up dozens of spent spinners. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing flags 2026 as one of the more severe drought years on record for Colorado, echoing lean-water stretches from 2002, 2012, 2018, and 2020, so expect thin, clear flows that make fish spookier and more selective than average. AvidMax's tailwater-tied patterns, from sparse midge emergers to jigged tungsten pheasant tails for Euro-nymphing, reflect the technical, small-fly game these conditions demand. Colorado Trout Hunters' spring Dream Stream report described an unusually strong run of lake-run fish earlier this year, a reminder the South Platte's tailwater fishery remains in good health even under drought stress. With a full moon overhead, plan around early and late light.
Western Slope freestones drop low and clear as CPW closures kick in
Colorado's western-slope rivers are running thin and warm this week. Crystal Fly Shop (CO) reports the Roaring Fork at just 113 cfs at Aspen's Jaffe Park (242 cfs at Basalt, 410 cfs at Glenwood Springs), the Crystal River at 107 cfs near Redstone, and the Colorado River holding near 2,000 cfs at Glenwood Springs. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has responded with voluntary closures on multiple stretches per those same shop reports: a daily noon-to-midnight closure on the Roaring Fork below Carbondale, a full-day closure on the lower Crystal River, and a full-day closure on the Colorado River through Rifle. The one bright spot is the Frying Pan below Ruedi Reservoir, where dam-release water stays in the 40s year-round and afternoon PMD, BWO, and Green Drake hatches keep fish looking up, per Crystal Fly Shop. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) frames the bigger picture: 2026 is shaping up as one of the driest years on record statewide.
Colorado trout push to tailwater refuges as heat and drought bite
USGS gauge 09095500 logged 79°F water and 1,690 cfs late Saturday, a reading squarely in the range that's triggering CPW voluntary closures across Colorado's trout water. Crystal Fly Shop reports a full-day closure already in effect on the lower Crystal River and an afternoon closure on the Roaring Fork above Carbondale, with water running low, clear, and warm nearly everywhere except spring-fed refuges. The Frying Pan River is the standout exception: dam-release flows out of Ruedi Reservoir keep water in the 40s year-round, and Crystal Fly Shop notes steady PMD, BWO, and Green Drake hatches through the afternoon. Anglers on The Fly Fishing Forum describe most Colorado streams as done for the summer, a mood Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing echoes, calling 2026 among the driest years on record. Fish small, fish early, and lean on tailwaters for now.
South Platte and Arkansas trout dial in on midges as drought bites
Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing's latest Drought Update calls 2026 one of the worst water years on record in Colorado, putting it alongside the lean stretches of 1975-78, 2002, 2012, 2018 and 2020 that longtime Front Range anglers remember. For South Platte and Arkansas tailwater regulars, that points to low, clear flows and increasingly selective trout rather than a blown-out or off-color river. No fresh buoy or gauge reading came through today, so we're leaning on technique intel: AvidMax Blog's Fly Tying Tuesday features midge emergers like the Chocolate Foam Back and Titan Tube Midge as go-to patterns for tailwaters and stillwaters right now, riding just under the film to match hatching pupae. Gink and Gasoline's classic South Platte trico writeup is a good reminder that trico spinner falls are a signature feature of this stretch each summer, worth building a morning around even outside of direct current-week reporting.
Colorado trout go technical as drought squeezes summer flows
Roaring Fork River is running low and clear at 113 cfs near Aspen (242 cfs at Basalt, 410 cfs at Glenwood Springs), with Crystal Fly Shop reporting flies sizing down as the river keeps dropping and a CPW voluntary afternoon closure in effect from noon to midnight between the Highway 133 bridge in Carbondale and the Colorado River confluence. The nearby Crystal River sits at just 107 cfs at Redstone under a full-day voluntary closure on its lower stretch, though the shop calls the remaining 30-plus miles some of the best fishing of the summer. The Frying Pan holds steady at 145 cfs below Ruedi Reservoir, where dam-controlled water stays in the 40s year-round and afternoon PMD, BWO, and Green Drake hatches keep trout looking up, per Crystal Fly Shop. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing has flagged 2026 as possibly the worst drought on record for the state, and it shows in these skinny, technical flows. Trout are still eating, but low, clear water demands downsized flies, longer leaders, and an early start.
South Platte tailwaters settle into summer trico rhythm
USGS gauge 06701900 read a steady 197 cfs early this morning, a typical low-water summer base flow for South Platte and Arkansas tailwater fisheries. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) is calling 2026 among the worst droughts on record for the state, citing the lowest recorded snowpack in recent memory, so expect thinner, clearer water and fish concentrated in deeper runs and pockets. Classic summer tailwater patterns should carry the day: trico spinner falls have long been a South Platte staple worth timing for mid-morning, a pattern Gink and Gasoline has documented on this river, while midge emergers and pupae stay productive on tailwaters year-round per AvidMax Blog (CO)'s recent tying features. With low, clear flows, expect selective, technical fish that reward fine tippets and precise drifts over searching patterns. Similar drought-driven voluntary afternoon closures have already gone into effect on Western Slope rivers, per Crystal Fly Shop, a reminder to fish early and check current regulations before heading out.
Colorado trout anglers dodge afternoon heat as flows keep dropping
Water is low and clear across Colorado's tailwaters and freestone rivers this week, with Crystal Fly Shop (CO) reporting flies downsizing as flows drop on the Roaring Fork, Crystal, and Frying Pan, and most fish pushing off the banks into deeper runs. Voluntary afternoon and full-day closures are in effect on portions of the Crystal and Colorado Rivers per CPW guidance relayed by Crystal Fly Shop (CO), a conservation response tied to a drought that Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) calls the worst on record in six decades of Colorado water years. Cutthroat Anglers (CO) is urging anglers to carry a thermometer and quit once water hits 68°F, a real risk as low flows warm faster and earlier in the day. On the South Platte's Dream Stream, Colorado Trout Hunters notes migratory fish still moving through for mobile, walk-in anglers. Early mornings and high-elevation, spring-fed stretches remain the most reliable bite right now.
Drought pushes South Platte, Arkansas anglers to dawn windows
Cutthroat Anglers (CO) is telling South Platte and Arkansas anglers plainly: once water hits 68 degrees, it's time to stop and let the fish rest, since this drought year has pushed river temperatures up earlier than usual. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) ranks 2026 among the driest years on record for the state, with snowpack and flows running historically low. That is pushing the bite toward the margins of the day: early mornings still bring trico spinner falls, a South Platte classic noted by Gink and Gasoline, along with midge activity worth matching with slim emerger patterns like AvidMax's Chocolate Foam Back or Titan Tube Midge. Cutthroat Anglers' low-water playbook, credited to guide Matt Campanella, says do not panic: fish are grouped up and still feeding, they just require a longer hike to reach deeper, cooler holding water and a lighter, more patient presentation. Trout stay active but concentrated, and afternoons are the time to rest the water rather than fish it.
Low Flows Push Colorado Trout Bite to Dawn and Dusk
Colorado's mountain rivers are running historically low this week, with Crystal Fly Shop clocking the Crystal River at just 107 cfs at Redstone and the Roaring Fork down to 113 cfs at Aspen's Jaffe Park — thin enough that voluntary closures are now in effect on stretches of both rivers plus a full-day closure on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs. Cutthroat Anglers is urging anglers to pull lines once water hits 68°F or higher to protect stressed trout. Despite the numbers, fishing remains solid where water stays cold: Crystal Fly Shop reports the upper Crystal River, above the closure, is "fishing great," and the Frying Pan below Ruedi Reservoir holds steady 40-degree water with reliable afternoon PMD, BWO, and Green Drake activity. Matt Campanella at Cutthroat Anglers notes low water hasn't scattered fish, it's concentrated them, rewarding anglers willing to hike farther and downsize tippet.
Drought-thin tailwaters put South Platte trout on a tight window
Colorado's 2026 drought is now the reference point anglers are working around on the South Platte and Arkansas tailwaters. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing calls the current low-water year the worst on record, edging out prior lean stretches from 1975-78 and 2002, 2012, 2018 and 2020. Cutthroat Anglers (CO) is telling clients the fish are still active and grouped up, but the margin for error is smaller: with over 60% of the Lower 48 in some level of drought and Western snowpack at historic lows, guide Matt Campanella's advice is to hike farther and downsize tippet rather than expect the usual runs to produce on schedule. The shop's broader stance is blunt: once water hits 68°F, stop fishing and let fish rest, a threshold worth checking before a midday session. Rainbow and brown trout remain catchable on small midge patterns as flows thin and clear.
Record drought pushes CO trout into cool tailwater refuges
Water temps below Ruedi Reservoir on the Frying Pan are holding in the 40s even in mid-July, per Crystal Fly Shop, making it one of the few reliable cool-water refuges as Colorado's rivers run historically low. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing is calling 2026 the worst drought on record in the state, and Cutthroat Anglers is urging anglers to carry a thermometer and stop fishing once water hits 68°F to protect stressed trout. CPW has responded with voluntary closures: an afternoon shutdown on the Roaring Fork above Carbondale, a full-day closure on the lower Crystal River, and a full-day closure on the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and Rifle. Crystal Fly Shop reports the upper Crystal River, still open, is fishing "some of the best of the summer," with low, clear, cold water pushing fish off exposed banks. Flies are downsizing across the valley as flows keep dropping and fish group up in the remaining cold-water pockets.
Trico hatches carry South Platte trout through a historic drought
Morning trico spinner falls are keeping South Platte tailwater trout dialed in even as Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) calls 2026 one of Colorado's worst recorded droughts, with snowpack among the lowest on record statewide. Gink and Gasoline's account of the South Platte trico hatch still applies this time of year — thick mats of tiny mayfly spinners collect in the surface film during the morning window, giving technical anglers a reliable bite before the heat builds. Cutthroat Anglers (CO) reports Colorado's rivers are running historically low and warm, and recommends anglers stop fishing once water hits 68°F to protect stressed trout, a real risk on Front Range tailwaters right now. The shop's low-water pro tips note fish remain active and grouped up for anglers willing to hike farther or downsize tippet. On the South Platte's Dream Stream reach, Colorado Trout Hunters continues building a reputation for migratory lake-run browns, though that run is more a spring/fall story than a midsummer one.