Fly fishing · Colorado
Colorado trout rivers — hatch charts + live conditions
12-month hatch grids, live USGS readings, top-3 fly picks for each river.
· Cheesman Canyon / Dream Stream · Gold Medal
South Platte River
rainbow trout · brown trout
Gold Medal water through Cheesman Canyon and the Dream Stream above Eleven Mile Reservoir. Highly technical midge and PMD fishing. Some of Colorado's largest trout. Year-round fishery.
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· Basalt / Ruedi · Gold Medal Tailwater
Fryingpan River
rainbow trout · brown trout
World-class Gold Medal tailwater below Ruedi Reservoir near Basalt. Massive midge and PMD hatches. Monster rainbows in clear, gin-clear water. One of Colorado's most technical rivers.
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· Salida / Buena Vista · Gold Medal
Arkansas River
rainbow trout · brown trout
Gold Medal freestone river through the Arkansas Valley. Good caddis and PMD hatches. Wade fishing below Salida is accessible. High volume during runoff — best access May through October.
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· Aspen / Glenwood · Gold Medal
Roaring Fork River
rainbow trout · brown trout
Gold Medal freestone and tailwater water through Aspen and down to Glenwood Springs. Strong PMD, caddis, and terrestrial hatches. Good access through Basalt and Carbondale.
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· Silverthorne / Dillon · Gold Medal Tailwater
Blue River
rainbow trout · brown trout
Gold Medal tailwater below Dillon Reservoir in Silverthorne. Heavily fished but holds large fish. Midge and BWO dominant in winter/spring; PMD and caddis in summer. Artificial-only in Gold Medal section.
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· Fort Collins / Poudre Canyon · Wild trout
Cache la Poudre River
brown trout · rainbow trout · brook trout
Colorado's only federally designated Wild and Scenic River. Freestone character through Poudre Canyon. Good caddis and BWO hatches. Wild brook trout in upper canyon.
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About these charts
Each river page shows a 12-row × N-column hatch grid (month × active patterns), live water temp and flow from USGS streamgages, the top 3 fly picks for the current month, and FAQ-style answers to the questions we get asked most.
Hatch timing is hand-curated from regional fly shop calendars and angler logs. Always confirm current regulations with your state authority. If something's off, tell us.