Fishing Season: Year-round

Lower Gunnison River - CO

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

47

RIGS Fly Shops & Guide Service's Tip of the Week

Recent weather has been outstanding, and conditions are beginning to hint at the early stages of spring. That said, winter isn’t fully behind us yet, so anglers should continue to monitor incoming weather systems when planning trips. Fishing has been very productive, with trout feeding consistently throughout the day. Midge activity has been the primary driver during the morning hours. Fish have been feeding both on the surface and subsurface, making small midge dries, emergers, and larval patterns effective. For those fishing below the surface, a nymph rig with small midge larvae or emergers fished in slower seams and tailouts has been producing steady results. By late morning into early afternoon, Blue-Winged Olive (BWO) activity has been picking up. While the hatch has not been overly dense, it has been consistent enough to bring a number of fish to the surface. As this hatch begins, transitioning your nymph rig toward mayfly-focused patterns—particularly BWO nymphs and emergers—has been the most effective approach. Covering water methodically and adjusting depth as needed will help stay in the feeding zone as fish shift their attention from midges to mayflies through the middle of the day.

Directions open in app

Map of Lower Gunnison River

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

RIGS Fly Shop & Guide Service

5-Day Outlook as of 3/12/26

The weather this weekend is looking colder and wet. But it looks like it warms up after that.

Techniques & Tips as of 3/12/26

Nymphing the deeper, slow pools. Use split shot to ensure your flies are getting down to the fish, as they are sitting on the riverbed this time of year.

Local Species Available Year-round

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    Rainbow Trout

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    Brown Trout

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    Roundtail Chub

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    and Flannelmouth Sucker

RIGS Fly Shops & Guide Service's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Birchell's Hatching Midge N/A
I Can See It Midge Fly N/A
Tunghead Pheasant Tail N/A
Hot Head Euro Pheasant Tail N/A
RS2 N/A
Cripple Dun BWO N/A

Birchell's Hatching Midge

This midge fly pattern can be used as a dry fly or emerger.

2.49

Item #12A1

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RIGS Fly Shops & Guide Service's Recommended Gear

Description: About Lower Gunnison River

Pleasure Park: This stretch of the Gunnison starts at the confluence of the Smith Fork, four miles above Pleasure Park, and ends at the Highway 65 bridge about 12 miles below Pleasure Park. Not as dramatic as the East Portal or Gunnison Gorge, this section of the river twists its way through sandstone cliffs and a beautiful desert landscape.

Nearest Airport:

Montrose and Grand Junction

Best Time to Fish:

Late morning to mid afternoon ( Warmest part of the day)

Best Stretch:

Both up and Down stream of pleasure park fish very well but in the spring or after a big storm the North Fork of the Gunnison causes the down stream section to blow out.

Best Access:

Pleasure park or South River Road