Arkansas River - CO

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

ArkAnglers's Tip of the Week

The lower river has cleared significantly since rains earlier in the week and is back on track. It's still a little stained but has several feet of very fishable clarity today. Brachycentrus caddis activity has moved up through Bighorn Sheep Canyon to Salida with primary action now between Stone Bridge and Wellsville. Warming weather heading toward the weekend will likely kickstart the caddis hatch once again, though any cloud cover rolling through will probably produce hatches of blue wing olive mayflies. Because of the overlap between baetis and caddis in the coming weeks anglers should be prepared for both in the lower basin. Caddis adult and pupae imitation are best stocked from 14-18, depending on the pattern. Baetis nymphs grow darker as they mature and are now drifting consistently each afternoon preceding their hatch. Anglers should carry nymph, emerger, and dun imitations around a size #18. The best opportunities to fish a blue wing olive hatch are typically on cloudy days with high humidity, as it seems more insects hatch and generally rest on the water's surface for a longer duration before being able to take flight. That said, you can still see excellent hatches on sunny days here, too, so be prepared rain or shine. A third fly has been making its presence known the week: the cranefly. These large dipterans hover just above the water's surface and can incite savage, splashy strikes from eager trout below, similar to the feeding behavior we see when trout are targeting caddis pupae and adults. PMX in 14-16 can be devastating if skated on the surface amid craneflies, and also offer a buoyant attractor fly to hang a caddis and baetis dropper off the back of. Fishing is excellent in the lower basin and flows remain in a comfortable range for spring float fishing AND wade fishing, hovering around 300 CFS at the Wellsville gauge. For wade and float fishermen alike, this is great news for optimal spring fishing opportunities while remaining at a level that is beneficial for spring rainbow trout spawning, young-of-the-year trout hatching and quality spring insect hatches. Low flows enable fish to prepare for the intense spring runoff that's around the corner by efficiently utilizing both the river habitat and tremendous hatches of spring. Fish are dispersed throughout the river and can efficiently use nearly all of the available habitat at present flows. Nymphing is routinely productive, especially in the morning, but we are seeing good results relying on a dry dropper rig mid-day throughout the day, as much of the prime water for trout activity is less than 4' of depth. Anglers are also reporting good dry and double-dry opportunities during strong hatch periods. 4x and 5x leader and tippet are appropriate choices.

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