Upper Basin: Leadville to Buena Vista
July 15, 2025
Flow in Hayden Meadows | 160 CFS |
|---|---|
Flow at Granite: | 460 CFS |
Water Temp: | 60s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
Fishing has ramped up each day with the gradually receding flows and the dry and dry-dropper fishing has been very effective. Expect trout to vacate faster areas of current and move to velocity shelters along the banks and amid submerged midstream structure. The river north of Buena Vista offers the lowest flows and some of the easier wading, particularly near Leadville. Hayden Meadows is currently seeing strong green drake hatches with nymphs and adults in the 10-12 range on average. Brachycentrus caddis in 14-18 are also plentiful up here. Expect to also see golden stoneflies (10-12), yellow sallies (14-16), pale morning duns (16-18), midges (18-20), and various terrestrials as we move toward August. Streamers can also be good medicine after runoff, taking advantageous of the predation methods of more mature trout. This is especially true during low light hours of th eday or on overcast days. Juvenile trout are vulnerable and the older fish take notice.
Middle Basin: Buena Vista to Salida
July 15, 2025
Flow at Hecla Junction: | 709 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 60s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
Current conditions are prime in the middle basin for both wading and floating following an early peak of runoff, which has opened the door to the summer fishing season ahead of schedule. Dry and dry-dropper fishing is very productive right now, the result of the current flows and early summer hatches. Great edge habitat is open to the fish so expect trout to vacate faster areas of current and move to velocity shelters along the banks and amid submerged midstream structure. Fish that drop into the depths below faster water are hard to reach but the fish along the banks are prime targets for a shallow nymph or dry dropper rig. Expect to see golden stoneflies (10-12), yellow sallies (14-16), caddis (14-18), pale morning duns (16-18), midges (18-20), tricos (22-24) and various terrestrials as we move through July. Streamer fishing is also very productive now, particularly from a boat. Anglers should also consider beefing up on leader material, as the need for stealth is long past and heavier material will come in handy working fish out of summer flows. We advise wade anglers to fish from shore whenever possible and to avoid wading in water where you can't see the river bottom.
Lower Basin: Salida to Canon City
July 15, 2025
Flow at Wellsville: | 700 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 60s |
Water Clarity: | Relatively clear from Salida to Vallie Bridge but dirty in the lower reaches of Bighorn Sheep Canyon. |
The river is clearing below Salida following rains earlier in the week. The river above Vallie Bridge is generally clear with several feet of visibility, but the river downstream from there gets dirtier as you head down. Expect VFMP augmentation to maintain flows at Wellsville close to 700 CFS for the forseeable future. At these levels, both wade and float fishing can be very enjoyable, though we still recommend a very conservative approach while wading. This flow creates lots of usable habitat along the edges for fish to reside in. Expect trout to vacate faster areas of current and move to velocity shelters along the banks and amid submerged midstream structure. These fish are prime targets for a shallow nymph or dry dropper rig. In some areas a single large dry fly is your best option as it is far easier to accurately cast than a multi-fly rig. Expect to see golden stoneflies (10-12), yellow sallies (14-16), caddis (14-18), pale morning duns (16-18), midges (18-20), and various terrestrials in the next two weeks. We’ve even seen some red quill mayflies (~14), which is much earlier than usual. Anglers should also consider beefing up on leader material, as the fish aren’t particularly leader shy and it comes in handing when playing fish in summertime flows.