Colorado River Colorado Fishing Report Today

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River fishing report for central Colorado.

We’re rolling into a classic early‑summer pattern on the upper Colorado: cool nights, mild afternoons, and clear to partly cloudy skies. Daytime highs are running in the low to mid‑70s, with overnight lows in the 40s. Light winds in the morning, picking up to 10–15 mph by mid‑afternoon, so the best bite is early and late. No tides to worry about on this inland stretch, just river flow: expect moderately high, slightly off‑color water from snowmelt, but dropping and clearing a little more each day.

First light is creeping in just after 5:30 a.m., with sunrise shortly after that and sunset around 8:30 p.m. That gives you a long window, but the prime activity is the first three hours of daylight and the last two before dark. Midday has been slower, especially on bright, cloudless afternoons.

Fish activity has been solid. Anglers from Pump House down through Radium and into the State Bridge reach report good numbers of browns with a mix of rainbows. Recent trips have put a couple dozen fish to the net on float days, with wade anglers seeing 6–12 quality hookups if they stay mobile. Average trout are running 12–16 inches, with enough 18–20 inch browns showing to keep things interesting. A few mountain whitefish are still mixing in on deeper nymph runs.

On the bug front, we’re in the heart of the transition:

- Blue‑winged olives still hanging on during cloudy spells.

- Caddis popping in the evenings.

- Stonefly and PMD nymphs are a big ticket sub‑surface.

Best setups right now:

Lures:

- Small **gold or copper inline spinners** for spinning‑gear folks, especially in the softer seams below riffles.

- **1/8 oz marabou jigs** in olive, black, or brown bounced along the bottom in deeper runs.

- **Small crankbaits** in natural trout or baitfish patterns through deeper slots at dawn and dusk.

Flies and bait:

- Nymph rigs with a **stonefly nymph** (coffee/black) trailed by a **pheasant tail, hare’s ear, or RS2** in smaller sizes.

- Evening **elk hair caddis** or **X‑caddis** in tan/olive skated tight to the banks.

- Where legal and appropriate, **nightcrawlers** drifted under a small float in slower eddies and tailouts are putting kids and beginners onto fish consistently.

Two local hot spots to keep on your radar:

- **Pump House to Radium float**: Classic fast‑to‑moderate water, lots of structure, and steady trout numbers. Focus on inside bends and any softer seam behind boulders; work them thoroughly with nymph rigs or small spinners.

- **State Bridge area**: Mix of pocket water and deep runs that fishes well on foot. Slide in early, hit the shaded banks with caddis dries or small streamers, then switch to nymphs once the sun gets higher.

Water clarity is sitting in that sweet “two to three feet of visibility” zone: enough stain to let you get close, but clear enough for sighty fishing in the shallows. Downsize tippet in the glassy pockets—4X to 5X—especially if the sun is high and the wind lays down.

If you’re planning a trip, think stealth: long casts, light footsteps, and keep your shadow off the water. Work from the bottom of a run up, covering each lane before you move on. The folks who slow down and pick apart good holding water are out‑fishing the bank‑pounders by a wide margin.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River fishing report for the upper Colorado in Colorado, from roughly Glenwood Springs up through Parshall and the Kremmling stretch.

No tides to worry about here in the high country, but flows and weather matter just as much. Upstream release patterns have the river running a little high but clear enough to fish, with visibility in that 2–3 foot range on many sections. Overnight temps slipped into the 40s and we’re headed for a mild, mostly sunny day with light winds and a small chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. Sunrise comes early over the canyon walls and sunset stretches long; the key is that first cool, calm light and the last hour before dark.

Water temps are sliding into the low to mid‑50s on many reaches, and that’s got trout feeding steady. Expect mid‑morning blue‑winged olive and midges, with caddis and yellow sallies building as the day warms. Fish activity has been best from about 8–11 a.m. and again from 6 p.m. to dark. Mid‑day, with bright sun, they’re tucking tight to structure and deeper seams.

Local chatter up and down the river has browns and rainbows in the 12–16 inch class caught consistently, with a few pushing 18–20 inches for the patient folks working the deeper runs. Anglers swinging streamers near soft edges have picked up the heavier browns, while nymph rigs under an indicator are putting decent numbers in the net for float and wade anglers alike.

For lures, bring your confidence box:

– Small to medium **streamers** in olive, black, and white, especially slimmer baitfish patterns and sculpin imitations.

– **Spinners** in gold or copper, size 1–3, have been solid in slightly off‑color pockets and tailouts.

– **Jigs** or marabou jigs in brown and olive, bounced through slower buckets, can be deadly.

If you’re fishing bait where it’s legal, think natural and subtle:

– Drifted **nightcrawlers** pinched in half in the deeper holes.

– Small **salmon eggs** or egg imitations on light line.

– For warm side channels and backwaters that hold a few small bass and other rough fish, small **pieces of shrimp or worms** under a float will do the trick.

Couple of hot spots to keep on your radar:

– **Pumphouse to Radium**: Classic float water with plenty of shelves, buckets, and riffle‑run combinations. Focus on inside bends and the softer seams off the main current, especially early and late.

– **Parshall area**: That public water around the bridge and downstream fishes great for waders. Work the deeper slots and structure, and don’t overlook the skinny riffles; there are more fish in that ankle‑to‑knee‑deep stuff than most folks think.

If you’re out in the middle of the day, run a longer leader and smaller flies or downsized hardware. Early and late, you can bump up a size and move fish that are chasing. Keep an eye on afternoon clouds—if a storm pushes in and the light drops, streamer time can get very good, very fast.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Colorado River fishing report for the upper Colorado around Kremmling, Dotsero, and Glenwood Springs.

First off, no tides to worry about here – this is all river flow. Flows on the upper Colorado are running a bit high but very fishable, with decent clarity in the mornings before afternoon runoff colors things up. Expect cooler, clearer water early, then a little stain and rising levels as the day warms and snowmelt kicks in.

Weather-wise, plan on a classic Colorado mix: cool mornings in the 40s to low 50s, climbing into the 70s by afternoon with a chance of wind gusts and a stray storm building over the high country late day. Light cloud cover can push the bite later into the morning; bright sun will tighten fish up to structure and deeper seams.

Sunrise is right around 5:30 a.m., with sunset near 8:30 p.m. That gives a long window, but the **prime bite** has been first light to late morning, then again the last two hours of daylight. Midday is tougher, especially on the clear stretches.

Fish activity has been solid. Recent reports from local guides along the Colorado between Pumphouse and State Bridge mention good numbers of **brown trout** with a mix of healthy **rainbows**, plus the occasional **whitefish**. Down closer to Glenwood Springs, anglers have been picking up browns and rainbows along with some **smallmouth bass** in the slower, rocky edges where the river widens and warms.

Numbers-wise, competent drift-boat crews have been putting a dozen to twenty trout in the net on half-day floats when flows and clarity line up, with a few better fish in the 16–19 inch class. Wading anglers are doing best by cherry-picking prime seams and soft edges rather than trying to cover miles of bank.

As for what’s working:

Best artificial “lures” and flies:

- For trout, think **nymph rigs and streamers** early: small stonefly nymphs, mayfly nymphs in olive and brown, and caddis patterns under an indicator or tight-line rig.

- Streamers in olive, black, or sculpin colors swung through deeper buckets and against cutbanks have moved bigger browns, especially under overcast skies.

- On spin gear, small **Rapalas**, **Panther Martins**, and **Mepps** in gold or copper have been consistent producers in the broken water below riffles.

Best bait where legal:

- **Nightcrawlers** drifted naturally through seams are deadly when the water’s a bit off-color.

- **Salmon eggs** and small **crayfish-imitating soft plastics** can also score, especially around rocky structure and drop-offs.

Always check local regulations before using bait; some stretches are artificial-only or flies-and-lures only.

Two hotspot suggestions:

1. **Pumphouse to Radium stretch**

Classic upper Colorado float water. Look for browns tucked tight to undercut banks and in the soft inside seams below rapids. Hit it early before the sun gets high and the recreational traffic builds. Waders can work the access near Pumphouse and Radium, focusing on the tailouts and the first deep slot below each riffle.

2. **Glenwood Springs area**

Where the Colorado meets the Roaring Fork, you get a nice mix of food and temperatures. Fish the confluence seams, eddies below the bridge pilings, and any shaded banks in the evening. Here you can find trout and some bonus smallmouth; try a small swimbait or tube jig along the rocks for the bass and nymphs or small spinners for the trout.

Overall, think early and late, fish the soft water next to the heavy stuff, and adjust from nymphs to streamers as the light and clarity change. Keep an eye on rising afternoon flows and any fast-building weather rolling off the peaks.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River report for western Colorado.

We’re under a cool, clear early‑summer pattern this morning. Up around the Glenwood Springs stretch you’re looking at dawn temps in the low 50s, climbing into the upper 70s to low 80s this afternoon with mostly sunny skies and light winds. A weak front brushed by yesterday, so flows are on the drop and clarity is improving—still a touch of stain from snowmelt, but very fishable. Sunrise hit a little after 5:30 a.m. and you’ll lose the light a bit after 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got long low‑light windows to work.

No tides to worry about on this inland river, but flows are the name of the game. On the Colorado around Kremmling down through Glenwood, recent gauge readings from state water data show moderate but receding runoff—banks still full, mid‑river fast, with softer inside seams and flooded edges that are holding fish.

Trout activity has been strong at first light and again in the last two hours of the day. Midday slows under the bright sun, but that stained water is keeping fish a little braver than they’d be in true gin‑clear conditions. Reports from local fly shops along the I‑70 corridor mention solid numbers of browns with a mix of rainbows, most fish running 12–16 inches, with the occasional 18‑ to 20‑inch brown coming out of the deeper runs and canyon slots.

Best producers right now:

- For gear anglers, small **gold or copper spoons**, 1/8‑ to 1/4‑ounce, and **brown or rainbow‑patterned jerkbaits** run along the seams.

- Soft plastics like 3‑inch **natural tube jigs** or **olive paddle tails** on 1/8‑ounce heads bounced close to the bottom in softer lanes.

- For bait, **nightcrawlers** drifted with just enough weight to tick bottom are still money, and **salmon eggs** or **single‑egg imitations** do well where allowed by regs.

Fly guys are doing well on **stonefly nymphs**, larger **pheasant tails**, and **worms** under an indicator in the morning, then switching to **caddis** and **mayfly emergers** as things warm. With the lingering color in the water, a bit of flash or a hot spot on the fly is helping.

A few smallmouth bass have been reported in the lower, warmer stretches closer to the Utah line. Think slower pockets, back eddies, and rock gardens. For those bronzebacks, throw **green pumpkin tubes**, **craw‑style plastics**, or a small **chartreuse spinnerbait** when the sun’s high.

Couple of hot spots to circle today:

- **Glenwood Canyon**: Focus on the pull‑outs and trail access areas where you can reach those deep canyon runs and inside bends. The mix of depth and broken current is holding better‑than‑average browns.

- **New Castle to Silt**: Slightly warmer, a bit more stain, and great structure—cutbanks, islands, and side channels. Good numbers of cookie‑cutter browns with a chance at a nicer fish swinging hardware at dusk.

Work early and late, keep an eye on changing flows, and don’t be afraid to upsize your offerings a bit in that off‑color water.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River fishing report for the upper river around Colorado.

First thing, no tides to worry about here – this stretch of the Colorado is all freshwater and flow‑driven, not tidal. What matters is river level and clarity. With snowmelt tapering but still feeding the system, expect a moderately high, slightly off‑color river, with better clarity in side channels and slower inside bends. Releases from upstream reservoirs can bump flows midday, so keep an eye on gauges and watch for rising water along the banks.

Weather today shapes up mild and dry for most of the upper river corridor. Mornings are cool in the low 40s to low 50s, climbing into the 70s by afternoon with light winds and only a slight chance of an isolated shower or gusty breeze as the day warms. Skies will swing between partly cloudy and mostly sunny. Sunrise is right around 5:40 a.m., sunset near 8:30 p.m., giving a long, generous window for those low‑light bites.

Fish activity is classic early‑summer pattern. The coldest part of the morning starts a bit sluggish, but from about an hour after sunrise through late morning the bite picks up nicely. Midday slows in the bright sun and clear shallows, then things fire back up for the evening window, especially the last 90 minutes of light.

Trout are still the headliners on this stretch. Anglers have been putting good numbers of browns in the net, with plenty of 12–16 inch fish and a few bruisers pushing 20 inches. Rainbows are mixed in, often a little smaller on average but very aggressive in the riffles and runs. In the deeper holes and slower eddies, smallmouth bass are waking up too, with fish in the 10–15 inch range fairly common when you work structure patiently.

For trout, nymphing is still doing most of the damage. Think small mayfly and midge imitations under an indicator, with a bit of weight to get down. A size 18–20 pheasant tail or baetis nymph, paired with a tiny midge or slender attractor, is hard to beat. As the day warms, you can start looking for rising fish in softer seams; small parachute mayflies and caddis dries will take fish when you see noses poking up. A dry‑dropper along grassy banks and undercuts is a great way to cover water and pick off opportunistic browns.

Spin anglers are doing well with smaller hard baits and in‑line spinners. Gold or copper blades, 1/8 ounce or so, swung through riffle tails and along current breaks, are putting up steady numbers. Little minnow‑style crankbaits in natural trout patterns are a solid choice in the deeper runs. If you’re after smallmouth, downsized soft‑plastic craws or tube jigs in green pumpkin, worked slowly around rock piles, ledges, and submerged wood, will draw strikes.

Best lures and baits right now:

- For trout on fly: small pheasant tails, hare’s ears, baetis nymphs, midge patterns, elk hair caddis, and parachute mayflies.

- For trout on spin: gold or silver Panther‑Martin or Mepps‑style spinners, 2–3 inch minnow plugs in brown trout or rainbow patterns.

- For bass: 3‑inch tube jigs, Ned‑style soft plastics, and small crankbaits bumped along rocky structure.

- For bait anglers where it’s allowed: nightcrawlers drifted naturally, or salmon eggs in softer seams and eddies.

Couple of local hot spots to put on your list:

- The runs and riffles just downstream of Glenwood Springs, where cooler tributary water mixes in and creates great current seams and holding water for both browns and bows.

- The bends and deeper slots near New Castle, where mid‑river boulders and broken current give you that ideal combo of depth, structure, and softer edges that hold trout and the occasional decent smallmouth.

Focus on that early and late light, adjust your depth as flows change, and don’t be afraid to move until you find active fish.

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Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River, Colorado fishing report.

We’re in classic early‑June pattern now: cool nights, warm afternoons, and the river running high and a bit off‑color from snowmelt. Up around Glenwood Springs through Dotsero, flows are pushy, so pick your wades carefully and work the soft edges and inside seams. No tides to worry about up here in the Rockies—just rising and falling release and runoff flows, so keep an eye on the gauges before you go.

Weather today feels made for a long drift: chilly first thing, light wind, then climbing into the 70s by afternoon with a mix of sun and a few building clouds. That cloud cover should help the mid‑day bite. Sunrise is right around 5:35 a.m., with sunset close to 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a big window, but the best action is stacking up early and late.

Bug activity has really picked up. We’re seeing solid blue‑winged olive and caddis life in the mornings, with PMDs and random stoneflies kicking around once the sun gets higher. Evenings bring a nice caddis pop and the first whispers of summer mayflies. Trout have slid in tighter to the banks, tucking behind rocks, along foam lines, and in softer tailouts where they don’t have to fight the heavy current.

Recent catches reported along the Glenwood to New Castle stretch include good numbers of healthy browns in the 12–16 inch class, with a few 18–20 inch fish for folks who stick with it. Rainbows are still around but a bit more selective, picking off smaller bugs in the softer seams. Down closer to Rifle, anglers are also moving the occasional smallmouth and some chunky whitefish on deeper nymph rigs and small streamers.

Best producers right now have been nymphs and smaller streamers. Think size 16–20 BWO and PMD nymphs, tan or olive caddis pupae, and stonefly patterns dropped off a bit of weight. A two‑fly rig under an indicator, worked tight to the bank, is hard to beat. For the gear folks, small suspending jerkbaits in natural trout patterns, 1/8‑ounce marabou or tube jigs in brown, olive, or white, and in‑line spinners in gold or copper are all taking fish when swung across softer lines or stripped slowly along current breaks.

Live bait is more about where you are and local regs, but where it’s legal, small nightcrawlers drifted just off the bottom, or salmon eggs in the deeper slots, are still putting trout in the net. Keep it subtle—lighter fluorocarbon leaders and just enough split shot to tap bottom now and then.

A couple of local hot spots to put on the list:

- The **Glenwood Springs confluence area**, where the Roaring Fork dumps into the Colorado. That color change and extra flow stack fish in the soft edges and eddies. Work both sides if you can, and don’t ignore the short, choppy pockets tight to shore.

- The **New Castle access and downstream bends**. Those long, sweeping runs with broken rock hold browns all day. Hit the inside corners early with nymphs, then come back in the evening and swing caddis soft hackles or strip small streamers as the light drops.

If flows dip or clear even a bit over the next day or two, expect the bite to pop—especially the afternoon dry‑dropper game along shady banks and under overhanging willows.

That’s the word from the Colorado today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River fishing report from right here in western Colorado.

First thing, conditions. The Colorado River’s running a little high and off‑color with continued snowmelt, but visibility’s good enough to fish, especially from mid‑morning on as the water warms. Air temps are cool at first light, climbing into the 70s this afternoon with light winds and only a small chance of a quick shower. Sunrise came early over the mesas and sunset will land in the late evening, leaving you a long window of fishable light.

No tides to worry about on this stretch of river—we’re all freshwater and dam‑controlled here—so focus on flows and water temps instead. With these spring levels, fish are sliding out of the heavy current and stacking on inside bends, soft seams, and along flooded willows and grass edges.

Trout activity has been solid. Browns and rainbows in the 12–18 inch range have been coming to hand pretty steadily, with a few bigger browns for folks putting in the time. Recent catches reported by local shops up and down the valley include double‑digit days for competent anglers fishing from rafts and drift boats, and slightly slower but steady action for bank anglers who are willing to move.

Bug-wise, we’re in that mixed-hatch mode. Blue‑winged olives are still popping on cloudy stretches, and there are midges early and late, plus a growing presence of caddis. During bright sun, nymphing is still king. Run a tandem rig: a small baetis or pheasant tail style nymph, size 16–18, paired with a slightly heavier attractor like a tungsten jig, hare’s ear, or stonefly pattern. Add enough weight to tick bottom in the softer seams. When the light drops or clouds roll in and you see noses, it’s worth switching to BWO or small caddis dries in the 16–18 range with a light tippet.

For spin anglers, the trout bite has been hot on small to medium‑sized spoons in gold or copper, inline spinners in brown, black, or olive with a bit of flash, and 2–3 inch soft‑plastics on light jig heads in natural baitfish colors. Work those along current breaks and dropoffs, letting them swing and flutter rather than just burning them straight in.

Don’t forget the warmwater side. In slower backwaters and eddies off the main flow, smallmouth bass are starting to wake up. Recent reports have a handful of bronzebacks being caught on 3–4 inch paddle‑tail swimbaits, tube jigs, and craw‑imitating soft plastics bounced around rock piles and wood. If you’re after numbers of “anything that bites,” worms and nightcrawlers drifted under a float along softer banks are producing whitefish, smaller trout, and the odd sucker.

For bait, where legal, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs have been the most consistent producers below riffles and at the heads of pools. Check local regulations carefully—some stretches are artificial‑only or have bait restrictions, especially nearer popular trout water.

A couple of hot spots to keep on your radar:

First, the stretch around Glenwood Springs, where the confluence with the Roaring Fork keeps things rich and fishy. Work the softer water just downstream of the big bends and around any visible shelf drops.

Second, the run between Silt and Rifle, where the river meanders more and forms long, gentle riffles feeding into deeper runs—ideal for drifting nymphs or swinging hardware along the seams from a boat or the bank where access allows.

As always out here, wade carefully—flows are pushy—and give other anglers and boaters some space. If the water’s off‑color, go a bit bigger and flashier with your flies and lures and push in tight to the banks; if it clears, downsize and lengthen your leader.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River fishing report out of Colorado.

We’re sliding into early-summer patterns now. Up here it’s a true **freestone river**, so no tides to worry about—just snowmelt flows and afternoon bumps as upstream water releases make their way down. Expect the river to be **running high, cold, and a bit off‑color**, especially mid‑day. Mornings are your best bet for wade safety and clearer water.

Weather along the central and upper Colorado today is classic shoulder‑season: cool at first light, warming quickly with plenty of sun and a light breeze by afternoon. Dress in layers; you’ll start the morning in a jacket and end it in a sun hoodie. Sunrise is right around the early five‑o’clock hour, with sunset in the low eight‑o’clock range, giving you a long daylight window but the **prime bite** has been early and late.

Fish activity has picked up nicely. Cold flows keep trout hugging the softer seams, but they’re feeding. Mornings have seen a **solid subsurface bite**: think mayfly nymphs, caddis larvae, and smaller stoneflies rolled tight to the bottom. As the sun climbs, boat anglers are doing better than bank anglers simply because they can work those mid‑river soft lanes and inside bends.

Recent catches have been a good mix of **browns in the 12–18 inch class** with the occasional bigger fish pushing 20, plus **rainbows** still scrappy from the tail end of spawn season. Here and there folks are finding a **few whitefish** in the deeper buckets, and on the slower lower stretches you may bump into **smallmouth bass** nosing back toward the banks as temps rise.

Best producers right now:

- **Lures:** Smaller **olive or black marabou jigs**, 1/8 to 1/4 oz, swung through soft edges; **gold or copper inline spinners**; and **small crankbaits** in natural trout patterns worked along current breaks. On the lower, warmer stretches, a **green pumpkin or brown soft‑plastic craw** on a light jighead is putting smallies in the net.

- **Bait:** Where it’s legal and ethical to use it, **nightcrawlers** drifted on just enough weight to tick bottom have been money in the deeper runs. Salmon eggs and small pieces of shrimp are taking a few bonus fish in slower pockets. Keep your leaders light and your presentations natural; the water may be high, but these trout still see pressure.

Fly folks are doing well with a **double nymph rig**: a stonefly or worm pattern up top and a smaller mayfly or midge dropper. When the afternoon warms and the wind puts a chop on the surface, look for **caddis** skittering and be ready with a dry‑dropper.

Couple of local hot spots to circle:

- **Pumphouse to Radium:** Classic Colorado float water. Work the inside bends, foam lines, and any softer edges behind big rocks. High flows make this stretch pushy, so mind your safety, but the browns here have been thick.

- **State Bridge to Rancho Del Rio:** A bit warmer and more spread out, great for mixing trout and the occasional smallmouth. Focus on deeper shelves and shaded banks; this is a smart play for late‑afternoon and evening when boat traffic dies down.

If you’re wading, hunt out **side channels, back eddies, and flooded grassy margins**. High water pushes fish tight to those spots, and most folks walk right past them.

That’s the latest from the Colorado River here in Colorado. I’m Artificial Lure—thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Colorado River, Colorado fishing report.

We’re in classic late‑spring conditions on the upper Colorado: cool nights, mild days, and rising flows from snowmelt. No tides to worry about up here, just river levels and clarity. Expect cool, clear to lightly stained water in the headwaters around Granby and Hot Sulphur Springs, with more color as you drop toward Kremmling.

Weather today: crisp start in the high 30s to low 40s, warming into the 60s and low 70s with light winds in the morning and a bit more breeze mid‑afternoon. Skies running partly cloudy; watch for a few building clouds after lunch and the usual chance of a quick mountain shower. Sunrise around 5:35 a.m., sunset close to 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a long, fishable window.

Fish activity has been best at first light and again the last two hours of the day. Midday is slower unless you’re nymphing deep seams. Browns and rainbows are the main players, with a few cutbows and the odd whitefish mixed in. Local chatter from the fly shops in Granby and Kremmling has anglers reporting decent half‑day totals: 10–20 trout per rod for those who work the soft edges and keep changing patterns when the bite cools off.

For fly anglers, subsurface is still king. Think **stonefly nymphs**, **hares ear**, **pheasant tails**, and **Prince nymphs** in sizes 12–18 under an indicator or tight‑line rig. Add weight—those fish are hugging the bottom in the heavier runs. When the sun is off the water, small **caddis emergers** and **RS2s** have been quietly filling nets.

On the hardware side, spin anglers are doing well with **1/8 oz marabou jigs** in olive or black, and small **spinners** in gold or copper. Tiny **crankbaits** in brown trout or rainbow patterns worked across current seams have produced some thicker browns in the low‑light windows. If you’re bait fishing where it’s legal, drift **nightcrawlers** or **salmon eggs** just off the bottom with enough split shot to tick, not drag.

A couple of current hot spots:

• **Pumphouse to Radium:** Classic Colorado Canyon water. Work the inside bends, soft pockets behind boulders, and the slower tailouts. Great stretch for both wade and float anglers. Focus on nymph rigs in the deeper slots and switch to small spinners when the light drops.

• **Below Byers Canyon toward Hot Sulphur Springs:** When flows are reasonable, this section offers good holding water with less pressure. Hit the shaded banks early, then move to riffle‑run combos mid‑morning. Euro nymphers have been picking off nicer fish in the choppy knee‑to‑thigh‑deep water.

Best windows: dawn until about 10 a.m., then again from 6 p.m. to dark. Midday, slow down your presentation and go smaller and more natural on both flies and hardware. With runoff still in play, don’t ignore the soft edges—some of the better fish are packed tight to the bank out of the main push.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Colorado River fishing report, coming to you like a buddy at the boat ramp.

We’re looking at cool, clear late‑spring conditions along the upper Colorado in Colorado. No tides here, just river flow, and the Bureau of Reclamation and USGS gauges have the river running a little high and slightly stained from snowmelt, but very fishable. Overnight temps slid into the low 40s, daytime highs are climbing into the upper 60s to low 70s with light winds under 10 mph. Skies are mostly clear, with a quick bump of clouds in the afternoon.

Sunrise is right around 5:45 a.m. and sunset about 8:20 p.m. The bite has been best first light to about 10 a.m., then again from 6 p.m. to dark, when the wind lays and the bugs really get going.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife creel checks and local shop chatter out of Glenwood Springs and Dotsero report good mixed‑bag action: browns in the 12–18 inch range, plenty of 10–14 inch rainbows, and a few bigger holdovers in the 18–20 inch class. Some sections near Rifle and below are giving up smallmouth bass in the 10–15 inch range as the water warms and clears.

Fish activity has been classic run‑off pattern. Trout are tucking behind structure and into softer edges, avoiding the heavy main current. When the sun is high, they’re sliding deeper and tighter to the bottom; low light has them pushing up into riffles and along inside seams. Smallmouth are sliding out of deeper wintering holes and starting to nose around rocky banks and eddies.

For fly anglers, local guides are leaning hard on nymph rigs. Think stonefly nymphs in black or brown, size 6–10, trailed by a beaded pheasant tail, hare’s ear, or caddis pupa in 14–18. A bit of weight and an indicator set deep have been key. Midday, a smaller mayfly nymph or midge dropper has been money. In the late evening, you can get some surface eats on elk‑hair caddis or small parachute Adams when the river calms down.

Spin anglers are doing well with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce inline spinners in gold or copper, small silver‑blue spoons, and minnow‑style crankbaits in natural browns and olive backs. For smallmouth, tube jigs in green pumpkin, curly‑tail grubs, and small swimbaits slow‑rolled along rocky ledges have been productive. If you’re bait fishing where it’s legal, nightcrawlers drifted just off the bottom and salmon eggs in the softer seams are putting trout in the net.

A couple of hot spots to keep on your list:

First, the stretch between Pumphouse and Radium. It’s seeing decent traffic, but the side channels and softer inside bends are loaded with browns right now. Work the heads and tails of islands and any woody structure you can find—keep your drifts short and controlled.

Second, the Glenwood Springs area down toward New Castle. Slightly warmer water and a mix of browns, rainbows, and some smallmouth starting to wake up. Focus on the slower banks, back eddies, and the bottoms of riffles where the current eases up. The evening caddis game here can be lights‑out when the weather settles.

Overall, conditions are improving day by day as run‑off stabilizes. Waders should be cautious with the higher flows, and boaters should keep an eye on shifting gravel bars and floating debris. But if you hit those prime windows at dawn and dusk, match the local bugs, and stay tight to structure, you’re in for a solid day on the Colorado.

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