The Monday headlines that shrieked the demise of much of Colorado’s snowpack actually comes as good news to fishermen who prefer streams – at least for the short haul. One man’s water shortage is another’s rainbow trout on the line.
A particularly dry early spring, coupled with moisture-eating winds, served to shrink snow depths to below normal in every river basin. What seemed a promising runoff across much of the state evaporated almost in a twinkling. As a result, anglers can expect most rivers to be clearing and fishable by mid-June, much sooner in the south and southwest.
Southern Colorado streams such as the Animas, Conejos and Rio Grande could be fishable as soon as 10 days, in good time for the stonefly hatch.
While a diminished runoff means early access to streams, this could come at a price later in the season, when low, warm flows might prove stressful to trout. Dam-controlled rivers will continue a yo-yo pattern throughout the season. Here’s a rundown of some of the major drainages:
ANIMAS: Currently “big and brown” in the words of John Flick of the Duranglers shop in Durango, this and other streams in the region should be clearing by the first week of June, easily 10 days ahead of normal.
ARKANSAS: The rush of runoff grips the river throughout, said Rod Patch of the Arkansas River Fly Shop, measuring 2,300 cubic feet per second Tuesday morning at Wellsville. Anglers still can find trout by bushwhacking to quiet pockets. But look for an early drop in flow. “We’ll be floating in a big way by the middle of June,” Patch declared.
BLUE: At 500 cfs, the flow through Silverthorne generally is clear, but “not easy fishing,” according to Mitch Vogt of the Cutthroat Angler shop. Lots of snow remains in the upper basin. Vogt expects a normal runoff.
COLORADO: The state’s largest river is blown out top to bottom, a condition that’s likely to spoil the stonefly hatch. Even dam-controlled tributaries such as the Williams Fork are extremely difficult at 400 cfs, though clear.
CONEJOS: Runoff already has peaked, said Jon Harp of the Conejos River Fly Shop. Expect stoneflies to be on the move by June 5-8 with “incredible nymphing.” All tributaries will clear early.
EAGLE: A torrent at 3,000 cfs, this river should peak in early June and be fishable around the third week.
FRYINGPAN: Heavy dam releases up to 800 cfs make fishing difficult, but possible.
GUNNISON: Mike Wilson of High Mountain Drifters expects the river to peak sometime this week and to be fishable around June 10. “We’ve lost a lot of snow and I expect the river to clear very fast.” Tributaries such as the Cochetopa and Cebolla will be ready this weekend.
NORTH PLATTE: High and muddy, but bright streamers are effective in North Gate Canyon, where the flow is 1,650 cfs and rising.
POUDRE: “Everything will happen sooner than forecast. I’d say we’ll be fishing on the upper section by mid-June,” said Frank Praznik of St. Peter’s Fly Shop in Fort Collins.
RIO GRANDE: Another early opportunity. “We’ll have good fishing by the middle of June,” said Mike McCormick of Wolf Creek Anglers in South Fork. Feeder streams already have dropped significantly.
ROARING FORK: Truly roaring at 6,000 cfs Tuesday. But Drew Reid of Roaring Fork Anglers in Glenwood Springs predicts a peak later this week, with clearing toward mid-June, earlier than normal.
TAYLOR: High, but clear at 750 cfs below the dam, growing muddy below Spring Creek confluence.
YAMPA: At a peak and running over its banks through Steamboat Springs. Nate Taylor of Straightline fly shop predicts good fishing by mid-June.
