Upriver guides David E. and Rich R. take a short break at the mouth of Browns Canyon, while a high alpine cutthroat trout displays its wonderful colors and patterning.
Date: 08/24/2024 @ 9:00am
Arkansas River Flows
Leadville (Empire Gulch): 166 cfs
Browns Canyon/Nathrop: 590 cfs
Wellsville: 600 cfs
Twin Lakes Release: 66 cfs
Turquoise Res. Release: 18 cfs
Clear Creek Res. Release: 79 cfs
Arkansas River Fishing Report:
The Latest: We are now past Aug 15th, and that means that the river flows have decreased to "native" levels. Generally, this means that the flows you see on the Arkansas are natural, and they are not being supplemented by releases of extra water from reservoirs upstream. While the Nathrop gauge reads ~600cfs this morning, that is thanks to some recent rain storms in the valley. We expect those flows to continue to decrease a bit in the coming days, likely settling out in the 450cfs range (@ Nathrop). We are thankful for the recent rains and cloudy afternoons, helping the river water temps stay cooler than they otherwise might. Fishing remains very good on the Ark. Dry dropper is still the way to go for the majority of the day. With lower flows and clear water, I tend to catch more fish using smaller tungsten dropper nymphs in the sz. 16-20 range. Double dry setups in the mornings and evenings should still be bringing fish to the surface.
General Fishing Report/Tactics: Fish have started to spread out and occupy many different parts of the river, including shallow riffle water. No longer do you need to focus on fishing just the deep, slow runs of the river. Instead, fish all water types, anywhere you see good structure in the substrate, any seams or changes in flow velocity. Look for fishy holding spots throughout the entire width of the river. You might be surprised by how shallow of a riffle a nice 16'' brown will be holding/feeding in!
Dry-dropper fishing with a foam attractor becomes a very good method now throughout the duration of the summer. As the flows drop and the water becomes very clear later in July-Sept, we will have more success sizing down our tippets to 4x and 5x respectively. Remember, not every nymph eat will result in a "dunk" of your bobber or attractor dry. Sometimes you need to watch for more subtle cues that a fish has eaten your nymph. Watch for your chubby to stop, twitch, or slightly change direction. Setting the hook on these more subtle takes will significantly increase the number of fish you catch.
For fly selection right now, we like a sz. 12-16 chubby or other foam attractor dry, with sz. 16-20 tungsten beaded nymph 2-3' underneath. It is clear that the fish are willing to eat a wide variety of fly patterns right now, the most important factor is fishing the right water type, and making sure those nymphs are getting down the the desired depth.
Suggested patterns: sz. 16-20 spanish bullets, flashy perdigons, CDC pheasant tails, coppertop duracells, soft hackle caddis, pats rubber legs, and so on! Do you have a favorite nymph that has worked for you in the past? Give it a go right now, and those Ark River browns probably won't refuse it.
Lake County: The busiest part of the season on Hayden Meadows has come and gone. Look for perhaps a little more space if you choose to fish the headwaters.
Buena Vista/Browns Canyon: Fishing very well! Perhaps even outstanding.
Salida and Downstream: Fishing very well, when rainstorms haven,t turned the clarity to zero!
Stillwaters:
Antero and Spinney are still challenging the trout angler. Pike fishing is reported to be very good lately. In the next few weeks, we should see those reservoir water temps cool off a little bit, which will lead to more consistent fishing action for those trophy trout. Midge hatches are still going off each morning, leading into callibaetis hatches that can vary in intensity. Those hatch windows usually offer the best fishing.
High Alpine Lakes and Streams:
The alpine lakes remain in FULL SEND mode right now. Even the highest of our alpine lakes are open and fishable now. Cutthroat trout are done with their spawning behavior in most lakes (not true for all lakes), and more fish are cruising looking for food now. Terrestrial foam dries will fool many fish! Add a midge dropper and now you're really talking. We have about 2.5 months to enjoy this incredible alpine resource, so get out there before you miss out!