Freestone · Mixed · Colorado

St. Vrain Creek (Lyons)

St. Vrain Creek (Lyons) terrain map
Terrain map

St.

Species

About as good as it gets

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

90% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Ideal
14°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time8013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6712% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
14.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
25°C
Wind
NE 13 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1016 hPa
Rain · 48h
1.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.5 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 — conditions well-balanced, with water temperature particularly in your favour.
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
  • Verify CPW rules
  • Town/park access at Lyons; USFS access in the upper canyon forks.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

St. Vrain Creek comes down two canyon forks to meet at Lyons, a small Front Range freestone that took the brunt of the 2013 flood and has come back as honest brown-and-rainbow water. The town and park reaches around Lyons are easy and accessible; the North and South St. Vrain canyons above offer more pocket water and fewer people for the price of a little walking. It's classic local quick-hit fishing — not a destination, but a friendly, fishable creek a short hop from Boulder and Longmont, best after the spring runoff settles.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 4