Freestone · Mixed · Colorado

Boulder Creek (Boulder Canyon)

Boulder River venue image
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Boulder Creek up in Boulder Canyon is the quintessential Front Range small-water quick-hit — a tumbling little freestone right beside CO-119 that holds eager browns and rainbows and asks nothing more than a short cast and a willingness to scramble.

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
11°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity5912% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
11.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
20°C
Wind
E 14 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1014 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.2 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.7 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

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

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.

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Colorado licence
  • Wild Trout special-regulation section in Boulder Canyon — verify CPW rules.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

Boulder Creek up in Boulder Canyon is the quintessential Front Range small-water quick-hit — a tumbling little freestone right beside CO-119 that holds eager browns and rainbows and asks nothing more than a short cast and a willingness to scramble. It's small enough to wade in tennis shoes and flashy enough to muddy up after a storm, with a Wild Trout section in the canyon for those who want to keep it honest. Nobody's driving across the state for it, but for an after-work hour out of Boulder it's hard to beat, and the upper canyon thins the crowd nicely.

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