Fishing Season: April through October

Upper Gunnison River - CO

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

34

Willowfly Anglers's Tip of the Week

The Gunnison River is starting to thaw out, and is at 240 CFS at the city of Gunnison. The upper stretch near Almont is open, and accessible to the wading angler. Downstream of the White Water Park put in, is still completely frozen over. With ice off conditions, be extremely cautious of ice shelves, and avoid standing on them. With the temperatures getting into the 40's during the day, the ice becomes very unstable and has a high chance of breaking off. Target deep pools and runs for the best chance of success. Water temperatures are still quite cold, and the trout will be sitting in their winter holding areas. Nymphing is the name of the game; attractor patterns like Blowtorches, Trout Beads, Pat's Rubber Legs, and Squirmy Worms are all great options, along with classic smaller patterns such as Rainbow Warriors, Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ears, and Barr's Emerger's. 4X-5X tippet is recommended, as the water is clear and shallow. Streamer fishing can also be quite productive; Wooly Buggers, Baby Gongas, and Baby Swim Coaches have all found success this last week. As always, have fun, respect and enjoy 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 3/20/25

The Gunnison River is starting to thaw out. Nymph in deep pools for the best chance at success. Downstream of Gunnison, the river is still frozen over.

Techniques & Tips as of 3/20/25

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
Lightning Bug Silver 16-20
Vernille San Juan Worm Red 14
Hot Head Euro Pheasant Tail Natural 12-16
Mercury RS2 Grey 18-22
Pat's Rubberlegs Coffee 10-14
Polish Nymph Rubber Worm Red 14
Tunghead Pheasant Tail Jig 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 Gunnison

Best Access:

Almont Campground