Freestone · Mixed · Colorado, US

Colorado River — Middle (State Bridge to Dotsero / Glenwood)

The Colorado River flowing through a red-rock canyon between Burns and Dotsero, Colorado, with a rail line following the bank.

From State Bridge down past Dotsero toward Glenwood the Colorado is bigger, lower and warmer, a float angler's freestone with good browns and rainbows and a whitefish in every third drift.

Tomorrow · A proper day on the water
Orange Stimulator
Forecast · Tomorrow
A proper day on the water
A proper day for it. Work the seams with an upstream nymph, switch to the dry when they show.
75% projected
Today's fly
Orange Stimulator
Orange Stimulator
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.64 m
Water temp13.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather18°C
WindN 8 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent1.5 mm
Rain · ahead0.1 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Ideal
13°C est.ideal 1018°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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 6pm

12pm(now) Reed Smut

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 69%
Also:Mahogany Dun64%Flying Ants33%
Peak emergence window7 food groups active

Peak activity at 6pm — October Caddis (October Caddis, 6 food groups active)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September 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
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
SD
Sex Dungeon
2-6 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Colorado licence
  • CPW Quality Water; verify reach rules and watch for voluntary low-flow/temperature closures.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 4
Gallery · 2
  1. The Colorado River flowing through a red-rock canyon between Burns and Dotsero, Colorado, with a rail line following the bank.
    Colorado River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

From State Bridge down past Dotsero toward Glenwood the Colorado is bigger, lower and warmer, a float angler's freestone with good browns and rainbows and a whitefish in every third drift. It fishes beautifully in the cool windows — post-runoff summer mornings, and especially the autumn when the BWOs come and the browns get aggressive. But this is the reach where temperature is the headline risk: it draws down and warms through July and August to the point where the right call is often no trout fishing at all. In late summer, the honest advice is simple: go early, head up the Eagle or the Fryingpan instead, or leave the trout alone.

  • Mixed
Conservation note

Mountain whitefish present. Lower, warmer mainstem — thermal stress is a primary summer concern.

Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic lifeSupporting
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Colorado River, all tributaries' (COUCUC07a_D), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · COUCUC07a_D

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 90%
How the 81 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity60 × 12%7.2
Conditions total= 81
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January31 December
Related guides
Booking & contacts