The Arkansas River from Fisherman Bridge, near Nathrop, on the morning of the 26th. Blue skies, great clarity, and relatively low flows.
Date: 05/26/22 @ 9:00 am
Arkansas River Flows
Leadville: 146 cfs
Browns Canyon/Nathrop: 674 cfs
Wellsville: 796 cfs
Twin Lakes Release: 66 cfs
Fishing Report:
It is another gorgeous morning here in the upper Arkansas Valley! This warmer weather is going to bring back runoff conditions to the river in the next few days. Right now, however, the river has been very stable for 4 days straight. Late May river conditions like this simply don't come around most years, so don't miss the opportunity. Trout are comfortable in their lies, and they have been gorging on recent bwo hatches on those overcast afternoons. Although overcast conditions aren't in the forecast, the fishing on the river is very good right now. Look for the caddis hatch to spark back up on the upper Ark. Visibility is very good on the river, until you get down in the Parkdale/Canon City area. A double nymph rig that includes a small mayfly and/or stonefly imitations should be the ticket. Dry dropper rigs should also bring plenty of fish to the net. You don't want to miss out on these flow conditions that may only last a few days!
When conditions are right, our staff has had good action fishing streamers from a boat, or using a large/attractor style dry-dropper rig. We are seeing some fish come up to the attractor dries, but they aren't exactly devouring those patterns yet. Focus most of your fishing effort close to the banks where water velocity is slower.
A good approach in runoff conditions is to throw larger, flashier patterns such as; Streamers, Golden Stones, Pats, Crane Larva, and any oversized nymph patterns that'll stand out in the off- colored waters. A large attractor dry that can suspend a heavy nymph dropper will likely produce action close to the banks. With higher water like this, fish tend to seek easier lies behind rocks and up shallow on the banks. Streamers are incredibly effective for targeting fish during these transition periods containing constantly changing flows and temps.
In general, the river will fish best on days when the flows have been recently stable. This is also when you will find better water clarity. Trout don't seem to feed as actively immediately following significant changes to flow. If able, try to fish days when the hydrograph has plateaued or stabilized to have better action.
Caddis and Mayflies are very present currently. Although we are in the midst of the hatch, the rise in flows has cooled the water and therefore has reduced the caddis activity. In addition to caddis and mayflies, golden stones have been moving around within the river and are always a great bet for a larger, protein-filled trout snack.
Upstream: Anticipate cooler, lower, and somewhat clearer water. Our staff has experienced quality fishing on the upper Ark lately. When flows are up this high, try working a streamer right against the bank, let it sink, then use quick strips or twitch your rod tip to create action away from the bank. Be ready!
Downstream: Expect high, more off-colored water. Our float trips have had great fishing action from Buena Vista downstream, mainly focusing on streamer fishing or big bugs that will get trout's attention.
South Park:
Dream Stream: Fishing on the dream stream is currently somewhat of a challenge. Plenty of quality, resident fish to be caught, but larger lake fish have mostly returned to the reservoir. Covering water and fishing a combination of larger attractor patterns and small tailwater bugs will be your best bet for finding a trophy fish here as of now. Recent success has been found using med/large streamer patterns, but you’ll have to work to spot larger fish.
Stillwaters:
Antero, Spinney, and Eleven-mile Reservoirs are open and fishing pretty well, depending on the conditions. Fish are keyed into weather patterns, and bite windows seem to be concentrated around the mid-morning, early-afternoon time frame when a light chop starts to pick up. The dreaded "W" has been a nuisance for anglers all over the state for the past month or so... when stillwater fishing, it can be daunting to try and fish through these gusty spring conditions. However, those who stick it out will eventually encounter a bite window and have the chance at crossing paths with fish in the two-foot plus range. Balanced Leeches and Chironomids fished in the chop are a good bet. Fish on drop-offs where there is an obvious color change in the water. If this isn't fruitful, take time to search the banks, fish in all of these reservoirs will cruise shallow looking for easy meals. If indicator fishing isn't productive, try stripping larger streamers, leeches, and crawfish patterns for shallow-munchin' monsters. That being said, as these lakes see continued angling pressure and warmer weather, these fish will start to move towards their summer lies. This includes drop-offs (specifically near structure), as well as shallower flats near weed-beds that are home to all their favorite food sources.
High Alpine:
Some of the lowest elevation lakes in our area are now open! The vast majority of our quality high lakes will not open up for another few weeks. However, it is never too early to swing by the shop and talk high lakin’!