Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River report for June 21, 2025, and let me tell you folks—the summer bite is heating up right alongside those Colorado afternoons. We’re in that sweet post-runoff stretch: flows are dropping, clarity’s improving daily, and the fish are shaking off the muddy blues. According to Taylor Creek Fly Shops, flows below Glenwood Springs are running around 4,300 CFS, still a touch brown in spots but with plenty of visibility for nymphs, dries, and streamers. Upstream near Kremmling, the water’s running clear and cool, with a reading around 773 CFS and 53 degrees on the gauge, so you’ll find ideal conditions up there for both floating and wading.

Weather’s just about perfect for a day on the river: highs in the upper 60s to mid-70s and a crisp morning chill that faded fast after sunrise at 5:33 am. Sunset lands late at 8:36 pm—so don’t pack up too early; those golden hour hatches can be magic.

Onto fish activity—it's on the upswing across the board. Vail Valley Anglers reports that Yellow Sallies and PMDs are thick in the air now, with good caddis pushes and Blue Winged Olives showing up whenever clouds roll in. Downstream from Glenwood, it’s mostly healthy browns with rainbows mixed in, especially if you’re drifting nymphs like stonefly, caddis pupa, or those meaty Green Drake imitations. Perfect Fly Store says cream and red midges (size 20/22) are your best bet for numbers—fish them in tandem below a strike indicator. Streamer bite is picking up, too: articulated Dungeons, Sculpzillas, and anything in olive or black should be stripped tight to the banks, especially on overcast afternoons.

For hardware anglers, it’s a great week to work those weed lines and rock-grass gaps. Jigs are still the top pick for bass—crawl them slow to mimic crawdads. Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and even a 3-3/4" wooden Colorado River Cutthroat Trout pattern lure will get you bit by bass, pike, or even a stubborn walleye.

Hotspots to hit today: try the runs just below Pumphouse—those clear, bouldery pocket waters are holding plenty of quality trout right now. Downstream from the confluence with the Roaring Fork near Glenwood Springs is another tried-and-true stretch, especially for floaters and streamer chuckers.

One quick reminder: rainbow trout are starting to spawn, so watch for closed zones and leave those fish to their business. And as always, keep ‘em wet for a safe release.

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