Tailwater · Mixed · Colorado

Dolores River (below McPhee)

The Dolores below McPhee is the tailwater that should be one of the Southwest's best and too often isn't, because in dry years the reservoir keeps the water and the river below runs thin.

Species

A proper day on the water

Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature8228% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6212% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
23°C
Wind
W 15 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1011 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.1 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
Good — water clarity 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
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Colorado licence
  • Quality water with special-regulation sections — verify CPW rules and current McPhee release.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Dolores below McPhee is the tailwater that should be one of the Southwest's best and too often isn't, because in dry years the reservoir keeps the water and the river below runs thin. When the release is good it's a fine cold-water brown-and-rainbow fishery in red-rock canyon country; when it's bad it's a cautionary tale about how a tailwater lives or dies by what the dam lets through. This is a river where the release figure isn't background detail — it's the whole forecast. Check the flow before you make the long drive, and respect a stressed low-water year.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 1