Freestone · Mixed · Colorado

Gunnison River — Upper (Almont to Blue Mesa)

Gunnison River — Black Canyon & Gunnison Gorge terrain map
Terrain map

Above Blue Mesa the Gunnison is a broad, friendly snowmelt freestone, gathering the Taylor and the East at Almont and rolling down through town as honest brown-and-rainbow water.

Species

About as good as it gets

River steady at a fishable height. About as fair as it ever gets — go properly.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Ideal
10.1°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 activity5712% weight
Conditions
Level
0.50 m
Water temp
10.1°C
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
25°C
Wind
NW 18 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1010 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No 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 (Twin Bridges to Almont) — verify CPW rules
  • Handle headwater cutthroat gently.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

Above Blue Mesa the Gunnison is a broad, friendly snowmelt freestone, gathering the Taylor and the East at Almont and rolling down through town as honest brown-and-rainbow water. CPW made the Twin Bridges-to-Almont stretch Gold Medal in 2023, which surprised nobody who'd fished it. It's a big-water summer river — salmonflies and stoneflies, then caddis and hoppers once the runoff clears — with the easy float-and-wade character the canyon water downstream most definitely lacks. The high tributaries hold native cutthroat; treat those headwaters gently.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
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