Colorado River  Colorado Daily Fishing Report

Colorado River Fishing Report: Clear Waters, Hatches, and Hotspots for June 20, 2025


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Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River fishing report for June 20, 2025.

We’re catching that classic Colorado transition—runoff is winding down, flows are dropping, and water clarity’s dialing in. Just yesterday, Taylor Creek Fly Shops reported clarity “clear to hazy” below Glenwood Springs with flow holding at 4,300 CFS. The color’s coming back after that muddy push from earlier in the month, and fish are getting active again. While we’re still seeing some brownish tinge, the visibility is plenty workable for both nymphs and streamers.

Weather’s mild and pleasant today, with highs around the upper 60s to mid-70s depending where you’re at on the river. You’ll want a light jacket for those early morning riffs, as sunrise hit at 5:33am and it was a chill one on the water. Sunset tonight is at 8:36pm—long, golden evenings, perfect for that last hatch.

On the bite, hatches have been steady. According to Vail Valley Anglers, Yellow Sallies and PMDs are thick now, and with cloud cover you’ll see some Blue Winged Olives popping as well. As the water warms, caddis are making a strong showing. Drift anglers downstream from Glenwood have been nabbing healthy browns and the occasional rainbow—especially on those big, meaty nymph patterns and caddis pupa rigs. The word from Perfect Fly Store is that midges—cream and red larva and pupa—are still a ticket for numbers, especially sizes 20 and 22.

If you’re stripping, streamers like articulated Dungeons and Sculpzillas are making noise on the edges and in the seams. Fish are holding tight to structure, so work those banks and drop-offs hard. Wading anglers are also doing well with black or olive Matuka-style sculpins.

Bait angling’s best with nightcrawlers or salmon eggs around the deeper bends, but fly folks are still finding the most consistent success. Don’t forget: rainbow trout are in spawn—leave the redds alone and fish the runs and tailouts instead. For the hardware crew, a 3-3/4" wooden Colorado River Cutthroat trout lipless lure has been getting solid reviews from pike, walleye, and bass chasers—especially where warmer sloughs meet the main stem.

Top hotspots right now: try the stretch from Pumphouse down to State Bridge for a shot at bigger browns, or work the bends and riffles just below Glenwood Springs for numbers and some chunky rainbows. The side channels near Dotsero are also fishing well, particularly for those who like a little solitude and wild scenery with their trout.

That’s our report for today. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss tomorrow’s update and the latest on hatches, flows, and hot spots. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
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Colorado River  Colorado Daily Fishing ReportBy Quiet. Please