Fishing Report

UPDATED: 1/30/2023

 Flow: 100 CFS below Twin lakes River Graph

The Headwaters of the Arkansas start near Climax Mine along Fremont Pass (Highway 91 South), and then flow along Highway south of Leadville, all the way to Buena Vista. The upper stretches near Leadville offer tighter fishing along cut banks with willowy vegetation. Good dry fly fishing can be found here as a large variety of aquatic insects dwell in the freestone river. The Caddis population is especially high, and is always a good insect to imitate in the Arkansas River. As the Arkansas flows downstream it becomes wider, with fast canyon areas containing large boulders. These lower stretches from Granite to BV are sometimes better fished with a heavy hopper dropper set up, or a nymph rig.

Current Conditions:

RIVER FLOW: 

Flow at Granite: 100 CFS

Flow in Hayden Meadows: River is iced over

WATER TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F): 

River has iced over in most of the upper stretches. However, Twin releases could make some of Granite fishable. 

WATER CLARITY:

ICE/SLUSH

CURRENT FOOD SOURCES:

Small Golden Stoneflies | Caddis | Midges | Baetis | small fish, leeches, eggs, etc. |

Flies to Try

Guides Choice Dozen $24.99

NYMPHS: 

 | Pat's Rubber Leg's olive, or black size 10-12 | TDJ golden STone size 14-16  | Egan's Iron Lotus olive size 14-16 | RS2 olive or grey size 18-22  | Sunkist 18 | Ninja 18-20 | Foamback emerger brown 20-22 | Two Bit Hooker dark olive size 18-20 | Bars BWO Emerger | Natural pheasant Tail or black Pheasant jnTail size 18 -22 | UV midge black & brown size 20-24 | Zebra Midge Purple or Blacksize 20-22 | Eggs

DRIES:

Parachute Adams size 18-24 | extended Body BWO 18-22 | CDC Baetis Dun Size 18-22 | CDC Morgans Midge size 18 - 22 | Snowshoe midge size 18-24

STREAMERS:

Baby Gongas | Craven's Dirty Hippie | Barely Legal olive/white | Thin Mint size 04-08 | Near Nuff Sculpin tan or olive size 04-06 | Ishiwata’s Articulated Snitch olive |  Bead Head Pine Squirrel Leech black size 12 |

Guide Tip of the Week:

The upper stretch of the Ark is iced over for the most part. On nicer days, good fishing may be found below Twin lakes Reservoir. However that will all depend of how much water is being released from twin. Expect slush in the morning, but on warm days this should clear up by noon. If you find open water, focus your efforts on Midges and Baetis. Look closer towards Salida for better fishing. 

Recent Media:

We love seeing and hearing about your outings as well. Send any fishing photos or stories you want to share over to jacob@fishcolorado.com and we'll throw 'em up in the reports.

Drakes on Drakes, with guide Jack Specht....

June 9th....

Fishing the Upper Ark at about 400 CFS, this was close to peak run off for the year....

Larger bugs where the most productive on this day, but a few days later midges where more productive, even in the high water...

A few bugs from a few quick sein samplings.... (from top to bottom) Baetis nymph, PMD nymph, Green Drake Nymph, and a bunch of cased caddis larva...

This beauty was taken on a small articulated streamer, jigged along the bank...

Remember, even if the fishing isn't outstanding its all about the experience...

May 24th...

Water clarity has a slight stain near Hayden Meadows, but it's just about perfect for fishing...

We have been finding quite a few stoneflies on rocks close to the banks recently...

A bit more color in the water near Clear Creek, but still nice and fishable... 

BWO's hatching in sparse numbers mid-afternoon, here is a cripple snagged from the surface film...

RECENT HISTORY:

We love seeing and hearing about your outings as well. Send any fishing photos or stories  you want to share over to jacob@fishcolorado.com and we'll throw 'em up in the reports.

Local Angler Kris Tikkanen went out for a fish on the Upper Arkansas recently, finding a few bugs and few trout along the way....

While there are some bigger food sources still available in the Upper Ark (such as this cranefly larva pictured on the left), the most active aquatic insects are currently BWOs (adult dun pictured on right), and midges.

Kris hooked almost all of his trout this day on a size 20 Natural Pheasant Tail, which is a classic nymph that is perfect for imitating BWOs subsurface...

9/1/2020

Large net building caddis larva were found in high numbers, as well as small mayfly nymphs...

Smaller nymphs imitating Baetis and midges hooked most of the fish on our last outing to the Upper Ark, we found these fish holding in fast/shallow water in the middle of the river, and hiding along deeper cuttbanks...

RIVER ACCESS

Also check out the Town of Silverthorne's Blue River Fishing Access Map

OTHER LOCATIONS

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