Upper Basin: Leadville to Buena Vista
April 16, 2025
Flow in Hayden Meadows | ~50 CFS |
|---|---|
Flow at Granite: | 263 CFS |
Water Temp: | 40s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
The river north of BV is currently offering great fishability for spring with warmer weather prompting good midge activity on a consistent basis. We are now beginning to see good hatches of blue wing olive mayflies in the upper basin, typically between 1-4PM. Fish are still in or close to deeper winter water in the mornings but are moving into shallower regions with more focused current to intercept midges and mayflies on the drift and emerging. There have been ample opportunities for sight fishing in the low, clear water and a good amount of technical dry fly chances during these recent hatches.
Work deeper water early in the day slowly and methodically, relying on multi-nymph rigs with a fair amount of weight to ensure your flies achieve the appropriate depth for where fish are holding. Heavy anchor nymphs minimize the need for split shot in sinking your rig, and golden stonefly nymphs are good choices right now as the nymphs are actively molting, making themselves naturally more available to trout. In the afternoon, a shallower dry-dropper rig in a lighter format can be ideal as fish position themselves to intercept food. Midge and caddis larvae are key before lunchtime, with midge pupae and baetis nymphs the primary forage after lunchtime. Blue wing olive nymphs are drift daily in the afternoons and hatch here throughout April, so plan ahead with appropriate emerger and dun imitations for the afternoon. Expect the strongest hatches on cloudy days. 4x and 5x leader and tippet are appropriate choices.
Middle Basin: Buena Vista to Salida
April 16, 2025
Flow at Hecla Junction: | 380 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | High 40s |
Water Clarity: | Slightly stained but several feet of visibility |
Mild weather has made for comfortable and productive fishing this week in the middle basin. Colder weather is in the forecast for this weekend, but with it comes cloud cover and higher humidity along with a chance of some snow. This kind of forecast can prompt some incredible blue wing olive hatches and some great dry fly fishing opportunities in the afternoon. Dress warmly and you can be rewarded with solitude and eager trout.
Flows are holding in the upper 300s in the middle basin, allowing for significantly better spring float fishing conditions while still providing excellent access for wade anglers as well. Begin your mornings in deeper water to find any active fish looking for food. During the warmest hours of the day, expect to see fish moving into much shallower areas to feed. Rig up a series of nymphs to probe the deeper areas of the river, but recent trips are consistently proving the productivity of dry-dropper setups in shallower water after lunchtime. Blue wing olive hatches are likely in the afternoons between 1pm and 4pm, and though they occur the strongest on cloudy days anglers should be prepared for this hatch rain or shine. Blue wing olive nymphs are mature and darken significantly as they get closer to their emergence. Expect duns to be around #18 when they hatch. 9AM to 5PM is your best bet for foraging fish, though we have seen some midge hatches later than that which will still prompt some surface feeding from fish. Streamer fishing is growing more productive proportionate to the increase in water temperatures.
Midge and caddis larvae are key before lunchtime, with midge pupae reliable forage after lunchtime. April still offers molting activity from golden stonefly nymphs, so choosing flies that mimic this behavior can be especially productive at this time of year. Heavy anchor nymphs are a good way to minimize the need for split shot in sinking your rig, and golden stonefly nymphs fulfil this role, as well. 4x and 5x leader and tippet are appropriate choices.
Lower Basin: Salida to Canon City
April 16, 2025
Flow at Wellsville: | 386 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | High 40s-low 50s |
Water Clarity: | Slightly stained but several feet of visibility |
Fishing is excellent in the lower basin and flows are now in a very comfortable range for spring float fishing, hovering just under the 400 CFS mark at the Wellsville gauge. For boaters and float fishermen, this is great news for optimal spring fishing opportunities. Free living caddis are hatching sporadically in the lower and middle basins but we are also beginning to see STRONG hatches of brachycentrus "Mother's Day" caddis hatches down in the Royal Gorge. This hatch will migrate upstream as water temperatures reach 54 degrees and usually arrives in Salida in the first week of May. Weather can impact the timing of the hatch with sunny, warm weather advancing the emergence more rapidly and cool, cloudy weather pumping the brakes. Because of the overlap between baetis and caddis in the coming weeks anglers should be prepared for both in the lower basin through the end of April. Caddis adult and pupae imitation are best stocked fromon the pattern. Baetis nymphs grow darker as they mature and are now drifting consistently each afternoon preceding their hatch. Anglers should carry nymph, emerger, and dun imitations around a size #18. The best opportunities to fish a blue wing olive hatch are typically on cloudy days with high humidity, as it seems more insects hatch and generally rest on the water's surface for a longer duration before being able to take flight. That said, you can still see excellent hatches on sunny days here, too, so be prepared rain or shine.
Fish have definitely migrated away from winter water to transitional areas that are often much shallower on average (~2-3' in depth) to seek food. Afternoons can find fish even shallower, depending on the circumstances and availability of food. Nymphing is still productive, especially in the morning, but we are seeing good results moving to a dry dropper rig mid-day through the afternoon. Midge and caddis larvae/pupae are key before lunchtime but blue wing olive mayflies and adult caddis are the ticket after noon. In addition, continued molting activity from resident golden stonefly nymphs makes them much more vulnerable to predation. #10-14 light colored golden stonefly nymph imitations are perfect for imitating this behavior and since heavy anchor nymphs are a good way to minimize the need for split shot in sinking your rig, golden stonefly nymphs are good choices all spring. 4x and 5x leader and tippet are appropriate choices.