Colorado Pumphouse Area

Fishing Report

UPDATED: 9/5/2024

Flow: 960 near Kremmling River Graph

Pump House Recreation Area offers campsites with amenities, fishing access, and boat ramps to the general public. For the wade fisherman Pumphouse holds miles of river both downstream, and upstream of the parking area. Downstream of the parking area the Colorado River winds through a large meadow, featuring braids, riffles, and undercut banks. Hiking upstream of the parking area will gradually lead the angler into the mighty Gore Canyon, which contains breathtaking spires, powerful rapids, and some first class trout fishing.

For the float fisherman Pumphouse is the first viable put in for angling on the Upper Colorado. Below Pumphouse there are miles upon miles of fishable river to be floated, and numerous boat ramps for loading and unloading.

The Colorado River in this area has very healthy and diverse aquatic insect life. Prominent hatches include Giant Golden Stoneflies, Salmonflies, Yellow Sallies, Skwala Stoneflies, PMDs, Red Quills, Baetis, Tricos, and midges. This diverse bug life provides the angler with both nymph, and dry fly fishing opportunities. Streamer fishing can also be a productive technique here, as the Colorado contains baitfish such as sculpin, whitefish, and juvenile trout.

Current Conditions:

RIVER FLOW:

960 cfs at Pumphouse

WATER TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F):

50’s-60’s

WATER CLARITY:

1-2 feet of clarity

CURRENT FOOD SOURCES:

Flies to Try

Guides Choice Dozen $24.99

NYMPHS:

DRIES:

STREAMERS:

Guide Tip of the Week:

The Colorado at Pumphouse area is an excellent section to float to avoid higher water temperatures. This section is also great for the wade anglers. Fishing for both wade and Float anglers continues to be super productive. We’ve been seeing hatches of red quills, tricos, small caddis, and BWOs are showing up again as we move towards fall. Grasshoppers continue to be an important food source and a super fun bug to fish and imitate. Hatches on the Colorado have been starting early with small 20-24 tricos. Red quills and rusty spinners have also been present in size 14-18 as more of a morning hatch. Smaller caddis have been showing up throughout the day and BWOs have been hatching if the weather gets cloudy or rainy. Dry fly fishing has been regally good particularly in the mornings fishing a double dry fly rig with a hopper size 10-16 followed by a parachute about size 14-18 or small trico has been super productive fished up in skinny water. If the day turns sunny fish will tend to retreat deeper as the day goes on. Fishing hopper droppers rigs when dry fly fishing is less productive has been the way to go. A hopper dropper rig consisting of a large chubby chernoble size 8-12 with a size 10-14 pats rubber leg in olive or brown about 2-4 feet under the hopper has been a really consistent fish catcher. Adding a beadhead mayfly or caddis nymph underneath the pats rubber leg can improve the rig and give the fish another option. We like flies like hares ears, pheasant tails, red two bits, and a variety of jig nymphs and perdigons in size 16-18 for dropping underneath the pats rubber leg. Streamer fishing promises to pick up as we move into the fall season as the brown trout gear up to spawn and fish look for larger meals. This can be a great way to target larger fish.