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Colorado River Fishing Report: Spring Flows, Hatches, and Hot Spots
Howdy there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday morning fishing report for May 21, 2025.
The Colorado River is definitely in full spring mode now, folks. We've been seeing flows continue to climb over the past few days, now running around 3200 CFS below Glenwood Springs. That's up from about 3000 CFS we recorded last Sunday. This warming trend we're experiencing has the snowmelt really kicking in, turning the water that classic spring brown color, especially in the afternoons.
The fishing remains pretty decent despite the conditions - I'd still give it a solid 6 out of 10. Early mornings are your best bet before that daily melt really gets going. The water clarity is typically best at first light, so get out there early if you can.
Those caddis hatches are still going strong, and the blue winged olives continue to make appearances, particularly on cloudy days. We're also starting to see more PMD and green drake activity right on schedule for late May.
For you fly folks, I'm still having the most luck with those Pats Rubber Legs, weighted worms, and caddis pupa patterns when nymphing. Don't be afraid to add some weight to get down in that faster water. If you're throwing streamers, work those banks hard with articulated Dundgeons or Sculpzillas. I've had some nice hits on olive and black patterns this week.
Remember those rainbow spawning areas remain off-limits until June 1st, so please respect those no-fish zones at Grizzly, Canyon, Castle, and Elk Creeks. There's plenty of water to fish elsewhere.
For hot spots, I've been having particularly good luck below the Shoshone Power Plant. That stretch has been producing some nice rainbows and browns in the 14-18 inch range. The stretch near Dotsero has also been fishing well early in the day before the clarity drops.
Sunrise is around 5:40 AM and sunset near 8:15 PM, giving us plenty of fishing time. Just remember that afternoon thunderstorms have been rolling through almost daily, so keep an eye on the sky and have a backup plan.
For bait anglers, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs have been producing, especially for those targeting the deeper holes.
That's all I've got for today, folks. Get out there and wet a line if you can, but be safe with these rising flows. This is Artificial Lure signing off until next time. Tight lines, y'all!
The Colorado River is definitely in full spring mode now, folks. We've been seeing flows continue to climb over the past few days, now running around 3200 CFS below Glenwood Springs. That's up from about 3000 CFS we recorded last Sunday. This warming trend we're experiencing has the snowmelt really kicking in, turning the water that classic spring brown color, especially in the afternoons.
The fishing remains pretty decent despite the conditions - I'd still give it a solid 6 out of 10. Early mornings are your best bet before that daily melt really gets going. The water clarity is typically best at first light, so get out there early if you can.
Those caddis hatches are still going strong, and the blue winged olives continue to make appearances, particularly on cloudy days. We're also starting to see more PMD and green drake activity right on schedule for late May.
For you fly folks, I'm still having the most luck with those Pats Rubber Legs, weighted worms, and caddis pupa patterns when nymphing. Don't be afraid to add some weight to get down in that faster water. If you're throwing streamers, work those banks hard with articulated Dundgeons or Sculpzillas. I've had some nice hits on olive and black patterns this week.
Remember those rainbow spawning areas remain off-limits until June 1st, so please respect those no-fish zones at Grizzly, Canyon, Castle, and Elk Creeks. There's plenty of water to fish elsewhere.
For hot spots, I've been having particularly good luck below the Shoshone Power Plant. That stretch has been producing some nice rainbows and browns in the 14-18 inch range. The stretch near Dotsero has also been fishing well early in the day before the clarity drops.
Sunrise is around 5:40 AM and sunset near 8:15 PM, giving us plenty of fishing time. Just remember that afternoon thunderstorms have been rolling through almost daily, so keep an eye on the sky and have a backup plan.
For bait anglers, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs have been producing, especially for those targeting the deeper holes.
That's all I've got for today, folks. Get out there and wet a line if you can, but be safe with these rising flows. This is Artificial Lure signing off until next time. Tight lines, y'all!
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By Quiet. PleaseHowdy there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday morning fishing report for May 21, 2025.
The Colorado River is definitely in full spring mode now, folks. We've been seeing flows continue to climb over the past few days, now running around 3200 CFS below Glenwood Springs. That's up from about 3000 CFS we recorded last Sunday. This warming trend we're experiencing has the snowmelt really kicking in, turning the water that classic spring brown color, especially in the afternoons.
The fishing remains pretty decent despite the conditions - I'd still give it a solid 6 out of 10. Early mornings are your best bet before that daily melt really gets going. The water clarity is typically best at first light, so get out there early if you can.
Those caddis hatches are still going strong, and the blue winged olives continue to make appearances, particularly on cloudy days. We're also starting to see more PMD and green drake activity right on schedule for late May.
For you fly folks, I'm still having the most luck with those Pats Rubber Legs, weighted worms, and caddis pupa patterns when nymphing. Don't be afraid to add some weight to get down in that faster water. If you're throwing streamers, work those banks hard with articulated Dundgeons or Sculpzillas. I've had some nice hits on olive and black patterns this week.
Remember those rainbow spawning areas remain off-limits until June 1st, so please respect those no-fish zones at Grizzly, Canyon, Castle, and Elk Creeks. There's plenty of water to fish elsewhere.
For hot spots, I've been having particularly good luck below the Shoshone Power Plant. That stretch has been producing some nice rainbows and browns in the 14-18 inch range. The stretch near Dotsero has also been fishing well early in the day before the clarity drops.
Sunrise is around 5:40 AM and sunset near 8:15 PM, giving us plenty of fishing time. Just remember that afternoon thunderstorms have been rolling through almost daily, so keep an eye on the sky and have a backup plan.
For bait anglers, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs have been producing, especially for those targeting the deeper holes.
That's all I've got for today, folks. Get out there and wet a line if you can, but be safe with these rising flows. This is Artificial Lure signing off until next time. Tight lines, y'all!
The Colorado River is definitely in full spring mode now, folks. We've been seeing flows continue to climb over the past few days, now running around 3200 CFS below Glenwood Springs. That's up from about 3000 CFS we recorded last Sunday. This warming trend we're experiencing has the snowmelt really kicking in, turning the water that classic spring brown color, especially in the afternoons.
The fishing remains pretty decent despite the conditions - I'd still give it a solid 6 out of 10. Early mornings are your best bet before that daily melt really gets going. The water clarity is typically best at first light, so get out there early if you can.
Those caddis hatches are still going strong, and the blue winged olives continue to make appearances, particularly on cloudy days. We're also starting to see more PMD and green drake activity right on schedule for late May.
For you fly folks, I'm still having the most luck with those Pats Rubber Legs, weighted worms, and caddis pupa patterns when nymphing. Don't be afraid to add some weight to get down in that faster water. If you're throwing streamers, work those banks hard with articulated Dundgeons or Sculpzillas. I've had some nice hits on olive and black patterns this week.
Remember those rainbow spawning areas remain off-limits until June 1st, so please respect those no-fish zones at Grizzly, Canyon, Castle, and Elk Creeks. There's plenty of water to fish elsewhere.
For hot spots, I've been having particularly good luck below the Shoshone Power Plant. That stretch has been producing some nice rainbows and browns in the 14-18 inch range. The stretch near Dotsero has also been fishing well early in the day before the clarity drops.
Sunrise is around 5:40 AM and sunset near 8:15 PM, giving us plenty of fishing time. Just remember that afternoon thunderstorms have been rolling through almost daily, so keep an eye on the sky and have a backup plan.
For bait anglers, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs have been producing, especially for those targeting the deeper holes.
That's all I've got for today, folks. Get out there and wet a line if you can, but be safe with these rising flows. This is Artificial Lure signing off until next time. Tight lines, y'all!