Freestone · Mixed · Colorado

Arkansas River — Upper (Granite to Buena Vista)

Arkansas River — Bighorn Sheep & Royal Gorge (Cotopaxi to Parkdale) terrain map
Terrain map

Up here above Buena Vista the Arkansas is a high, cold, tumbling freestone, and it fishes like one — pocket water and pucker-brush banks, browns mostly, with rainbows mixed in.

Species

About as good as it gets

Low and clear — careful approach country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Ideal
10.3°Cideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity5412% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
10.3°C
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
17°C
Wind
NW 11 km/h
Light breeze
Pressure
1016 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.5 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.2 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

How to fish it · for brown 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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June 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
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2

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

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Colorado licence
  • Gold Medal reach (Lake Fork to Parkdale)
  • Verify CPW reach rules and watch for low-flow/temperature advisories.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

Up here above Buena Vista the Arkansas is a high, cold, tumbling freestone, and it fishes like one — pocket water and pucker-brush banks, browns mostly, with rainbows mixed in. The pre-runoff window in early spring can be the best secret in the state, right up until the snowmelt comes down out of the Sawatch and turns the whole thing to cold café-au-lait through May and June. Wait it out. When it drops and clears in July the dry-dropper fishing is honest and uncrowded, which up here counts for a lot.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 3