Freestone · Mixed · Colorado

Clear Creek (Golden)

Clear Creek flowing over a small rapid lined with boulders in Golden, Colorado, foothills visible in the background.
Marginal · Rainbow Trout
Chubby Chernobyl · 6-10
Marginallive now
Slow going — pick your moments
River lifting fast on the rain. Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.25 mLifting fast
  • Water temp18.6°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
Chubby Chernobyl
Chubby Chernobyl6-10
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Rising
1.25 m
Lifting fast
Water temp18.6°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather20°C
WindNW 12 km/h
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.4 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Warm — slow
19°C est.ideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 18.6°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2
American March BrownHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Colorado licence
  • Verify CPW rules
  • Heavy tubing in Golden through summer.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 19°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Clear Creek flowing over a small rapid lined with boulders in Golden, Colorado, foothills visible in the background.
    Clear Creek
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 80%
How the 36 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature81 × 28%22.7
Flow55 × 22%12.1
Clarity45 × 18%8.1
Feeding Time75 × 13%9.8
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity46 × 12%5.5
Conditions total= 64
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts