Colorado River
14 Day Forecast: Look for sporadic hatches of midges.
Effective Patterns: #20-22 Jujubaetis, #20 Mercury Midge, #20-22 Top Secret Baetis, #18-20 Mercury Pheasant Tail, #20-22 Chocolate Foam Wing Emerger, #18 Micro San Juan Worm, #16 Hot Tail Flash Egg, #18-20 Buckskin, #20-22 Sparkle Wing RS 2, #24 Parachut Adams, #22 Pat's MIdge, and #20-22 Griffith Gnat.
Measurements
Stream Report, Effective Patterns, & Expert Information for Fly Fishing the Colorado River
The Colorado River begins its journey in Rocky Mountain National Park and heads west offering anglers several opportunities to sample this great stream. Near the small community of Granby is the confluence of the Fraser River. At this point the river is a meandering, meadow stream flowing through lush ranchland and the river remains this way until it hit Byers Canyon. Byers Canyon is only about 3/4 mile long and this section is tough to negotiate, especially during higher flows. Below Byers Canyon the river is “as good as it gets” with many access points including Paul Gilbert, Lone Buck, Kemp-Breeze, Sun Set Ranch, Powers Unit, Reeder Creek and the Pump House to Radium stretch. The Colorado is lined with cottonwood trees and willows and is a dry fly paradise. Anglers can expect to catch a mixed bag of both browns and rainbows. The regulations in this area are flies and lures only and all fish must be returned to the water immediately.
Fishing the Colorado River should be on everyone's bucket list. Whether you're a walk/wade fisherman or prefer float-fishing, this river has something for everyone!
Tips & Other Information:
Outflows below Williams Fork Reservoir are normal for this time of year. Currently, Willliams Fork Reservoir is at 57 percent capacity which is a huge concern going into the winter. The Colorado River is fishing tough right now! I look for Denver Water to back off the outflows soon to 50 cfs. The best advice I can give you is to target the slower runs and deeper pools where the trout are overwintering. The best stretch to fish right now is below tthe confluence of the Willies For down to the bridge. An assortment of midge imitations dropped off an attractor (i.e. egg pattern, leech, etc.) is your best bet right now. Savvy anglers are finding a few “midging fish” in the tailouts of the slower pools. The dry fly fishing can be productive this time of year if you target the right locations. The Parshall Hole always has a few heads this time of year. The best fishing is between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Revised 1/15/26