Fishing Season: April through October

Upper Gunnison River - CO

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

40

Willowfly Anglers's Tip of the Week

The Gunnison River is at 787 CFS at the Confluence, 992 CFS in the City of Gunnison, and 1220 CFS at Riverway. With the large spike in flows, the river is off color and kicking up quite a bit of debris. That being said, it is still fishing well, and the entire stretch from Almont to Blue Mesa is floatable. Nymphing and Streamer fishing have been the most productive; with larger patterns showing the most success. Eggs, Stoneflies, Worms, and Caddis are all great options with BWO's and Midges picking up fish when they are being more selective. Flows start to pick up around 4:00 - 6:00 pm and are peaking around 2:00 - 4:00 am. Be diligent checking the flows as you are out later in the day, as they can change rather quickly. With conditions changing rapidly this spring, feel free to call the fly shop at 970-641-1303 for daily reports. As always, have fun, enjoy, and be safe on this amazing fishery!

Directions open in app

Map of Upper Gunnison River

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Willowfly Anglers
RIGS Fly Shop & Guide Service

5-Day Outlook as of 4/15/25

The Gunnison is fishing very well. Nymphing and streamer fishing will produce the best chance of success.

Techniques & Tips as of 4/15/25

Nymphing

Local Species Available April through October

  • Fish Icon

    Trout

Willowfly Anglers's Recommended Fly Patterns

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

Name: Colors: Size(s):
RS2 Grey 18-24
Vernille San Juan Worm Silver 16-20
Lynch's Double Dot Egg Red 14
Hot Head Euro Pheasant Tail Natural 12-16
Mercury RS2 Grey 18-22
Pat's Rubberlegs Coffee 8-12
Polish Nymph Rubber Worm Red 14
Quasimodo Pheasant Tail Natural 16-22
Egan's Frenchie Natural 16-20
Two Bit Hooker Red 16-18

RS2

A must have emerger fly pattern for any trout fisherman.

2.49

Item #067T

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Willowfly Anglers's Recommended Gear

Description: About Upper Gunnison River

The Gunnison River begins at Almont, Colorado, where the Taylor River and East River merge to form its headwaters. The river grows in size as it flows down through the Gunnison Valley and into Blue Mesa Reservoir. This is the first of several dams as the Gunnison continues its flow through the Black Canyon and eventually into the Colorado River. Our section of the Gunnison River, the upper Gunnison, is from the headwaters in Almont to Blue Mesa Reservoir. The East River is a freestone river which drains out of Emerald Lake, which is located at 10,500 feet in the Rockies near Crested Butte. So the upper Gunnison is impacted by both snow-melt and the controlled releases from Taylor Reservoir. The Gunnison is best fished from a boat in the early season during high water. There are also plenty of public access points for wading the river during summer and fall. The Gunnison River contains a very high density of trout, including browns, rainbows, and cutthroat. There are long riffles and runs, and deep pools which hold large trout. There are good hatches of stoneflies, caddis, and mayflies during the season. The peak season is from mid June to late September, and fall fishing can be spectacular on the Gunnison. The fall kokanee salmon run brings hard-fighting kokanee salmon up the Gunnison River from Blue Mesa as they run to the Roaring Judy fish hatchery on the East River. There is a catch-and-release season for kokanee from August 1 to October 31. Big trout will follow the salmon up to feed on their eggs. A 9-foot 5-weight fly rod is a good all purpose choice for the Gunnison River. A 6-weight rod can also be used for heavier nymph rigs and/or for streamers.

Nearest Airport:

Gunnison-Crested Butte Airport

Hatches:

Midges

Best Time to Fish:

11am - 4pm

Best Stretch:

Almont to Shady Island River Park

Best Access:

Curecanti National Recreation Area