Upper Basin: Leadville to Buena Vista
April 1, 2026
Flow in Hayden Meadows | 65 CFS |
|---|---|
Flow at Granite: | 132 CFS |
Water Temp: | 40s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
The upper basin is really beginning to produce, with a widening window of opportunity for quality fishing and both midge and blue wing olive hatches underway prompting aggressive feeding from resident trout. Warmer weather is predicted in the valley for the foreseeable future which should encourage good activity from resident fish in prime areas around and north of BV. Expect fish to be in slower, deeper water in the mornings where they can hold without expending much energy, moving into shallower and sometimes faster feeding zones during the warmest hours of the day. With lower, clear flows you can expect fish to be more discerning so pay attention to available forage so you can closely match the natural insects with your imitations. Attractor patterns can still produce but you may find that realistic patterns are more productive as fish key in on specific food. Midges (#18-22) are your primary forage but molting golden stonefly nymph (8-14) offer opportunities to fish much larger flies to match the naturals. Baetis nymphs (#18-20) are drifting daily in the afternoon and with recent cloud cover have begun to hatch north of BV.
Middle Basin: Buena Vista to Salida
April 1, 2026
Flow at Hecla Junction: | 258 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 40s - low 50s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
Great fishing opportunities can be found in the middle basin as we move into April, with more mild weather in the foreseeable future. Fishing is at its best from 10AM to 5PM. We are seeing more and more venture out into shallower and faster zones to feed, matching their activity to the increase in water temperature. Baetis nymphs are on the move in the afternoons and cloudy weather has begun to prompt very strong hatches of these mayflies after lunchtime. From here on out, prepare for hatches most days with the most prolific hatches on cloudy, humid afternoons. These can be some of the greatest dry fly days of the year over the next 3-4 weeks, so plan accordingly! Stock up on nymph, emerger, and dun imitations in #18-20. Midges (#18-22) are still important forage but molting golden stonefly nymphs (8-14) offer a much larger meal opportunity and are a welcome sight for resident fish. Midge hatches are occurring daily and have also produced some great, technical dry fly fishing opportunities. 5x tippet is appropriate.
Lower Basin: Salida to Canon City
April 1, 2026
Flow at Wellsville: | 286 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 45-55 degrees |
Water Clarity: | Clear, but expect some discoloration following today's rain |
April Fool's Day has brought some incredible blue wing olive weather to the valley, and that's no joke. Temperatures have dropped and are much cooler this week, offering some much needed precipitation, humidity, and cloud cover. That recipe is ideal for baetis hatches, which have been bringing fish into shallow lies to intercept emerging nymphs on the drift and vulnerable duns as they perch on the water's surface. The dry fly opportunities have been excellent this week. If you like sight fishing to rising trout, this hatch will scratch that itch. Though the strongest hatches usually occur on cloudy afternoons, even bluebird days have produced some strong, localized mayfly hatches and trout are definitely taking notice. Water temperatures are remarkably warm, with daytime highs measuring 50 degrees below Salida in the late afternoon. The fish are responding accordingly, moving into much shallower water to feed, dispersing into riffled areas and pocket water to intercept food. Feeding behavior is more aggressive, too, with fish moving quite a bit further to intercept a drifting morsel. Regardless of weather, expect baetis nymphs to engage in behavioral drift each afternoon as they distribute through the river. These insects are best imitated by offerings in #18-20, depending on the pattern. 5x tippet is appropriate, and fluorocarbon is recommended to all subsurface offerings due to the low, clear water. Midges (#18-22) are still a priority menu item, with sporadic hatches prompting focused surface feeding from trout. We're also seeing fish feed opportunistically on golden stonefly nymphs following their their seasonal molt underwater. These can be imitated by nymphs in the #10-12 range. Both free living and cased caddis larvae are increasingly active, particularly in the morning. These average a #14-18.