Fryingpan River Report June 2, 2025
UPPER FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 8 upstream to Ruedi Reservoir)
FLOW: 117 CFS
WATER CLARITY: Clear
OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10 (9 out of 10 on a rainy/snowy/cloudy day)
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Blue Winged Olive nymphs/emergers/adults, Midges, Mysis Shrimp, Sculpins
THE LOW-DOWN: Angler traffic is on the uptick, but that hasn't slowed the hatches or fishing down. Last week's random BWO or two has officially switched to seeing real hatches of these tiny mayflies.
Snowy and windy days have yielded the best hatches over the last few weeks, versus the bright and calm days. The larger midges (sz 18) are starting to wane, and smaller midges (22-26) are becoming more prolific.
Warming trends are headed our way, so we'll probably see some color in the river here and there from the smaller feeder creeks. When that's the case, it's San Juan Worm time!
Streamer fishing can be productive early or late in the day, or any time the sky is clouded up or the wind is blowing.
Mysis shrimp are a year-round food factor.
HATCHES: Blue winged olives 20-24, Midges 18-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: Mike Lawson's No Hackle BWO 20-22, Quasi-No Hackle BWO 20-22, Parachute and Traditional Adams 20-26, HOH Hanging Midge Grey/Black 20-22, Mole Midge 20-22, Roy Palm's Special Frying Pan Emerger 20-22, Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Befus' Para Emerger BWO 20-22
NYMPHS: Barr's Emerger and Barr's Black Back Emerger 20-22, Stott's Good Carl 20, Stott's Juggernaut 20, Dorsey's Mercury RS2 Gray 20-22, Skinny-tied Pheasant Tail 20-24, Killer Mayfly Olive/Brown 22, Jigged JJ Nymph BWO 18-20, TC Candy Cane Midge 18-22, Tim's Mysis 16-18, Will's Epoxy Mysis 18-20, Craven's Mysis 16-18
STREAMERS: Barr's Slumpbuster, Borski's Bonefish Slider, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor, Tungsten Thin Mint, Craven's Swim Coach
HINTS: Be stealthy and present your offering with minimal line on the water whether dry fly or nymph fishing. Fryingpan fish will not tolerate hero casting or laying line and indicators over them; they'll shut down and stop feeding.
MIDDLE FRYINGPAN (Mile Marker 4 upstream to Mile Marker 8)
WATER CONDITIONS: Improved with the warm-ups
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Blue Winged Olives, Midges, Sculpins
OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10
THE LOW DOWN: The middle section has remained relatively clear, but like the upper river report states, we're warming up and will inevitably see some off-color water here and there. BWOs are apparent on this stretch with some caddis on the way.
You can ditch all the tiny fly rigs in the middle and lower river, and consider adding in some caddis larvae, stonefly nymphs, and even small green drake nymphs in size 16 or so. As mentioned above, worms will be very productive as the river gets off-color here and there.
HATCHES: Blue winged olives 20-22, Midges 20-26, a few oddball caddis
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: CDC Biot BWO 20-22, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, Harrop's CDC Thorax BWO 20-22, Missing Link Caddis 14-18, Lawson's EZ Caddis 16-18, Elk Hair Caddis 14-18, HOH Hanging Midge 20-22, Roy's Special Fryingpan Emerger 20-22, Massacre Midge 20-22
NYMPHS: Murder, She Wrote 20-22, Mercury Pheasant Tail 16-20, Tim Heng's BLM 16-18, Flashwing Black (or Gray) RS2 20-22, Zebra Midge Red 18-20, Tungsten Frenchie 16, Egg 16-18
STREAMERS: Tungsten Double Thin Mint, Dali-Lama, Skully Bugger, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor
HINTS: Keep moving if you're mid-river, there's going to be quiet zones and others with more activity the more you explore. The middle river can hold more fish than you'd think!
LOWER FRYINGPAN (Basalt upstream to Mile Marker 4)
WATER CONDITIONS: Much improved with the recent warm-ups.
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis larvae/pupa/adults, Blue Winged Olive nymphs/emergers/adults, Golden Stonefly nymphs, Midges, Sculpins
OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10
THE LOWDOWN: We say it all the time -- hatches start earlier in the season at the lower elevations near town. We've got caddis crawling around the back porch here at the shop, but it will be weeks before we see them up near the dam.
The fish down lower see significantly less pressure and tend to be easier to fool. Another week or two and you can even consider small hopper-dropper rigs and Euro setups.
HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, Blue Winged Olives 18-20, Midges 20-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: Elk Hair Caddis 14-18, Missing Link Caddis 16-18, TC Custom Collette's BWO Adult 18-20, Parachute Purple Haze Adams 16-20, Traditional Adams 16-22, Morgans Midge 18-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, Sprout Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, CDC Comparadun BWO 20-22
NYMPHS: Prince Nymph 16-18, Twenty Incher Nymph 16, Bucksin Caddis 16-18, Cat Poop Stonefly 6-10, Jerome Baetis 20-22, Ultra Bling RS2 Gray 18-20, Stott's Good Carl 20, Murder She Wrote Rust 20-22, Bling Midge 20-24
STREAMERS: Home Invader, Carlton Banks, Skully Bugger, Dali-Lama
HINTS: Fish in the lower river tend to ramble and migrate around, so keep searching if you're not feeling the love.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/uv/?site_no=09080400
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