Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River fishing report for Tuesday, November 25, 2025. As we settle into late November, the Colorado River’s character has shifted firmly to winter mode. While tides aren’t a factor on this stretch, flows remain steady and clear—ideal for technical fishing with the recent flow holding around 120 to 130 cubic feet per second, according to the Dream Stream update. Water temps hover in the low to mid 40s during the midday window, with sunrise at 6:55 a.m. and sunset around 4:38 p.m. Expect chilly mornings in the low 20s, bumping into the 40s by mid-afternoon—dress for comfort and watch out for those classic quick wind shifts.

Fish activity ramps up from late morning through mid-afternoon, especially once the river warms up a bit. The bite’s been solid for resident rainbow and brown trout; the big lake-run browns have mostly slid downstream post-spawn, but pods of rainbows and a few kokanee are holding in deeper buckets and soft winter water. Recent catches have mostly been quality trout in the 14"–20" range, with reports of a few trophy browns hanging tight at drop-offs and wintering tailouts. Over the last week, anglers have seen steady action, particularly in the buckets and seams near the quiet bends and riffles.

If you’re fishing with lures or flies today, keep it subtle and compact. The top producers for trout are small mercury midges, top secret midges, zebra midges (sizes 20–24), RS2s, tiny baetis (JuJu Baetis, CDC BWOs in sizes 18–20), and egg patterns or San Juan worms (sizes 14–16). For streamers, opt for small leech imitations—work them slow and low in the deeper bends. Good angles and stealth are crucial, as clear water and defined seams give fish more time to inspect your presentation. For bait anglers (where legal), trout are chasing salmon eggs, mealworms, and occasionally small pieces of nightcrawler in slower pools.

Bass and catfish aren’t abundant on the upper Colorado in Colorado proper, but downriver toward Lake Mead and into warmer sections near Las Vegas, reports from Spreaker’s fishing update say largemouth, stripers, and channel cats are active—with mornings and late afternoons offering the best bite. Stripers hit swimbaits and deep-diving crankbaits, while catfish are after cut bait or chicken liver. If you venture further for multispecies action, panfish are tight to the reeds and biting on small jigs and live worms.

Let’s talk hot spots:
- Spinney Access Bend: defined seams and riffle-to-run structure—walk past the crowds for fresh buckets and fewer footprints.
- Big Meadow Bends: subtle undercuts and soft transitions make sight fishing stellar, especially on the quieter, windless midday windows.
- Elevenmile Side: consistent depth, deep wintering water, and lighter crowds—ideal for pro rigs and chasing those cold-stunned trout.

Remember, it’s artificial flies and lures only in most stretches, and protecting active redds is essential. Keep handling gentle and stay within posted access corridors. If the bite is tough—think deep, slow, and small. Downsizing tippet to 6x for midges, running short nymph rigs, or a stealthy dry fly approach along slow slicks will get it done.

After wrapping up your river session, swing by the Highline Cafe and Saloon in Hartsel for a hot meal and a visit with locals—buffalo burgers and green chile highly recommended.

That wraps up your Colorado River report for today. Thanks so much for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fix of angling intel. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI