Fishing Report

UPDATED: 1/30/2023

Flow: 65 CFS River Graph

The Williams Fork River is best known for its tailwater section, which is released from the Williams Fork Reservoir, and flows into the Colorado River a few miles downstream of its origin. The Williams Fork tailwater fishes best when it has enough CFS to entice fish from the Colorado River to run up it ( lets say between 100-200 CFS). A very solid population of midges, Baetis, PMD’s, and caddis exist in the Williams Fork below the dam. Also notable are mosquito’s that develop in this area, they are second only to the mighty mosquitos of Muddy Creek. Bring DEET, cover all skin, and wear bug nets during peek mosquito season. A light nymph rig is the norm for fishing this stretch of water, although strong hatches can produce solid dry fly fishing at times. Streamer fishing can also be good here in the fall.

Current Conditions:

RIVER FLOW: 

65 CFS

WATER TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F): 

30 - 40’s

WATER CLARITY:

Clear

CURRENT FOOD SOURCES:

Midges and Baetis | Egg | Stoneflies | small fish, leeches, etc. |

Flies to Try

Guides Choice Dozen $24.99

Nymphs:

  Beadhead pheasant tail size 16-20 | Chocolate Foam Wing sz 20-22 | Poison Tung Green/black size 18-20 | Tungsten JuJu Baetis natural size 18-22 | RS2 gray size 18-22 | Pure Midge black or cream size 18-22 | WD-40 grey size 18-24 | Mayer's Tube Midge black size 18-22 | Wired Stone Fly Brown size 14-16

Dries:

 | Parachute Adams size 12-24 | Parachute Extended Body BWO  size 16-22  | Quigley's Hackle Stacker BWO size 18- 20 | Solitude Midge olive size 18-22 | Brook Sprouts Midge black or grey size 20-24 | Trailing Shuck Midge dark size 20-24 | 

Streamers:

  Chou’s Fortune Cookie brown/yellow size 04 | Sculpzilla black, olive , or natural size 8 | Bread and Butter Bugger size 04-06 | Near Nuff Sculpin olive, or tan, size 06 | Ishiwata’s Articulated Snitch olive size 06 | Bead Head Mini Leech Wine | Pine Squirrel Leech black size 12 | 

Guide Tip of the Week:

Williams Fork tailwater will be a great option through the winter as long as flows hold and weather cooperates.  Small midges & mayflies will be key food sources throughout the winter so it is good to have some on your rig. Don't forget, it can be quite the hike in there if there is some fresh snow!

Recent Media:

Bugs, fish, and water temps:
Guides Jack Specht and Davis Murane recently got out with owner Ben McCormick for a day on the Williams Fork Tailwater. There are lots of Brown trout still spawning in the system (as of 12/7) but we found plenty of healthy rainbow trout in the heads of runs. 

Small pheasant tails, midges and eggs were the main ticket for the day!

42 Degrees at 2 PM.

A healthy rainbow that ate a Poison Tung.

Yum, Midges!

RIVER ACCESS

OTHER LOCATIONS

Weather data provided by