Fishing Conditions, River Flows, and Weather
Spring has arrived but we’ll have winter conditions in the Colorado Rockies for a while longer, with plenty of snow in the mountains. Lower elevation rivers in the valley and tailwaters are fishing well, especially on the warmer days when the bugs get moving. I would expect good early season fishing from now until runoff kicks in.
If you’re out there fishing, please take good care of the trout by handling them as little as possible and always with wet hands. Please help protect this valuable resource and do your part on the river, especially during the rainbow trout spawn in the spring and the brown trout spawn in the fall.
For a general overview of insect activity throughout the season, see the Hatches page. It also includes general timing of the hatches and some recommended fly patterns to use. As I get out to fish, I will post updates and info on the blog during the season.
Visit the links below to check river flows and weather before planning a trip to the area:
- USGS real-time river flow info – Gunnison River at the East Portal
- USGS real-time river flow info – Gunnison River at Delta
- USGS real-time river flow info – North Fork Gunnison River near Somerset
- USGS real-time river flow info – Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir (Paco)
- NOAA local weather forecast for Montrose