Arkansas River Fishing Report - Early July, 2026

Arkansas River Flows  (7.8.2026) 

Always check flows before heading out to get the most up to date info! These flows could quickly be outdated. Visit dwr.state.co.us for current data. You can also find live water temp data at the same link (Granite and Wellsville gauges).

Empire Gulch near Malta: ~48 cfs

Below Granite: ~145 cfs

Nathrop: ~205 cfs

Wellsville: ~245 cfs

Shop Manager Michael thinks its alllll about the high country this time of year. Small alpine lakes and small Cutthroat Trout keep the spirits high.

Arkansas River Fishing Report:

The Latest: 

Wildfires, smoke, drought, low flows and high water temps have folks asking us a lot of questions... Yes, we are surrounded by wildfires here in BV, the closest of which is about 30 miles to the North close to Turquoise Reservoir. Luckily, it poses little threat to many homes or infrastructure at this time. The smoke we are dealing with here in BV varies by the day. We just came out of a couple of days where the smoke was as thick as I have dealt with. The smoke we are dealing with is coming from the West and Southwest in Utah and other parts of Colorado. Today, as I write this report, the smoke conditions have improved dramatically. It is important to remember that those conditions can and will change by the day.

Flows on the upper Arkansas River are about as low as you will ever see them. But that isn't stopping us from getting out and fishing and floating. Our float trips are all taking place in the Salida and downstream area, where we are still able to navigate and provide a quality float fishing experience. It is not unusual to get temporarily stuck on rocks while floating, but a little shove and shimmy and you are on your way.

Water temperatures are something to keep an eye on! You can see up to date temp data for the Granite gauge and the Wellsville gauge by following this link, dwr.state.co.us and enabling the temp data to show on the graph. Regardless of where you are on the river, the water temps are spiking at 3-5pm daily. If you are upstream of BV, those high temps are usually 65-68 degrees, while down at Wellsville those highs are more in the range of 68-71. The best recommendation we can make is to get our early in the mornings, and make the most of your day before 2pm. In the mid afternoon, taking a water temp, or checking the data will inform you on whether or not you should continue fishing, or if you should find something else to do with your time. We recommend not fishing when the water temps exceed 68 degrees. We also recommend you land fish quickly, use a net, and don't hold fish out of the water. Let's all use our noggins and try to minimize the stress on our trout buddies.

This is a great time of year to turn your attention to the higher elevation streams and alpine lakes.

General Arkansas River Fishing Report and Tactics:

The river is still fishing very well! Getting out early means you will have more time to enjoy your time on the water, and more time to target the trout when the are active and feeding. Our guides are still running hopper-dropper setups and having lots of success. There are also a lot of fish looking up, so a single or double dry setup can be deadly if fished well. Late mornings and early afternoons, fish will be stacked in riffle water and some of the fastest flowing parts of the river. You might be shocked at the speed and depth of water that these browns and rainbows will be holding in. 8'' to 4' of depth, with a good strong current is where lots of fish will be hanging out, feeding actively. I cannot stress enough how you shouldn't overlook the riffle water! Hatches will vary depending on where in the drainage you are, what time of day, and what the weather is like... That being said, you can see midges, PMDs, red quills, golden stoneflies, yellow sallies, green drakes, gray drakes and caddis. If there are no active hatches, just throw a micro chubby and have fun! Throw a little dropper nymph on if you want to bring a few more fish to the net.

Alpine Lakes and Streams:

All the alpine lakes that I know of are open and free of ice. Things happened 6-8 weeks early this year, so many of our cutthroat lakes have already gone through the spawning process. This means more cruising and feeding cutties! Try a small terrestrial dry with a chironomid dropper, or try stripping a black or olive leech pattern back to yourself.

The tributary streams are flowing much lower and more clear than normal for this time of year. Tie on your favorite dry fly, and don't spook these fish, they will rise with reckless abandon.

Spinney Mtn and Antero Reservoir Fishing Report:

Antero is closed for the year due to drought conditions.

Spinney Mountain boat ramp is actually open and operating! Something that I didn't think was going to happen this year. Fishing can be good here, if you are really dialed in and know what you are doing.

Contact Us:

Phone: 719-395-9227

Email: michael@upriverflyfishing.com

Website: www.Upriverflyfishing.com

Socials: @UpriverFlyFishing