Looks Like Runoff Is Here

Jesus Saves Rock just downriver of Salida East Recreation Area on May 19, 2024.

Italic text = most up to date and pertinent fishing conditions. The rest of the text is general tips and info on the Arkansas River that is consistent between all my Fishing Reports that some readers may want to skip.

Overview:

Despite the fact that this spring seems to have been a little wetter and cooler, it looks as though runoff has arrived on time. I would’ve put money on runoff beginning later than normal. With that said, we have a lot of snow up high that needs to melt so it may be a while until it’s over.

In my opinion, you can’t do much better than the Arkansas River. Its first 152 miles is the longest stretch of Gold Medal fishing in Colorado. Which means it probably has more fish than any other river in the state. The Ark’s wild brown trout may outnumber rainbows 10 to 1, but the rainbows can often be of trophy size. With different types of water from meandering meadows to swift pocket water to deep pools, there is something for every angler on tons of public lands. It also offers some of the best whitewater in the world and you should expect fast and technical rafting and not a lazy drift.

Weather:

Today was pretty cool, windy, and rainy at times in Buena Vista. It looks like we may be getting into our typically drier period in late May and early June. It also looks like the temperatures should be going up, and I would be surprised if we have any more big snowstorms. It’s starting to feel like summer will come sooner rather than later. Fish in the mornings if you want calmer conditions. The next full moon is May 23rd.

The weather in the Arkansas Valley is some of the best in the state. Known as Colorado’s “Banana Belt” it is characterized by sunny days and a rain shadow created by the numerous 14,000-foot peaks on the west side of the valley. So, the summers are cool, and the winters are much warmer and drier than the rest of the mountains. It is hands down the best winter fishing in the state. Most of our snow, less than what a city like Chicago or Boston would get, falls between March and May. Most of our rain falls as daily thunderstorms during what we call “monsoon season” in July and August.

Water Temperatures:

While our air temperatures are generally higher these days, our water temperatures are still usually pretty chilly during runoff. Any increase in flows each day is from water that was frozen about 12 hours earlier. Water temperatures upriver in the Granite or Hayden Meadows area may struggle to get out of the upper 40’s or low 50’s most days.

The relationship between trout and water temperatures is critical but it’s important to understand many nuances that affect that relationship. Generally speaking, trout need a specific amount of dissolved oxygen to maintain their metabolism. If the water is too cold or too hot then the oxygen levels will be affected, which will affect their metabolism, which will affect how readily they will feed. With that said, it’s important to understand that water temperature is not consistent throughout a river from upriver to downriver or from shallow to deep. The Arkansas cover thousands of feet in elevation change over the 152 miles of its trout water. So, the temperature will be drastically different at mile 1 than mile 152. Likewise, the Arkansas is known for its greatly contoured riverbed. Deep pools and pockets broken up by fast moving tumbling riffles and whitewater can provide plenty of cold well oxygenated refuge even on the hottest summer afternoon. Because of this, if the Arkansas ever sees temperature related fishing restrictions, then we have a very serious climate problem on our hands.

Flows:

The current flow at the Wellsville gauge is 1340 cfs. Flows have been increasing by at least 100 cfs a day since last Friday. Lake Fork Creek out of Turquoise Lake is contributing 445 cfs but both Clear Creek and Lake Creek aren’t contributing much. So, that shows you how much of the flow is coming from runoff. Also, the upper portions of the Arkansas River basin that most affects the trout waters peaked around 117% of median Snow Water Equivalent according to the National Water and Climate Center earlier in April. So, we may see an extended runoff period unless we get a heatwave soon. Beyond that, the US Drought Monitor has had the Upper Arkansas portion of the basin mostly free of all drought conditions for at least a year, and the National Weather Service projects that we should see equal chances of normal precipitation through monsoon season this July and August. There is still a ton of snow up there.

The Arkansas is a freestone river, and its headwaters are undammed. However, the flows are augmented at times, mainly from the Fry-Ark Project that moves west slope water via pipeline into Twin Lakes and then into the Arkansas through Lake Creek. As much as 20% of our water can come from the west slope. This spares the river of the high temperatures that can cause trout to struggle, and it doesn’t freeze throughout most of its length in the winter. Look to the Arkansas when other rivers are too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer.

Clarity:

Water clarity has predictably worsened throughout the river as it seems we are now at the beginning of runoff. You may find more fishable conditions the higher upriver you go, but it may be limited until flows stabilize a little. One tip I give to people is that tributaries that come out of reservoirs typically have pretty clear water. So, you may find better clarity just below where Clear Creek or Lake Creek enter the river. Also, snow melt surges usually make its way into the river at some point in the morning after melting at higher elevations the previous afternoon. So, the clarity may be better in the afternoon than in the morning.

Trout use their sense of sight heavily when feeding. It is much more important than their sense of smell. So, having the right water clarity is critical to fishing success. Like most high mountain rivers, the Arkansas is pretty clear. But the clarity is not consistent like it is on many tailwater rivers. Typically, the fall, winter, and spring, can be pretty low and clear, but any weather event that can raise the flows will affect the clarity. If the water is a little off-color then the fishing can be easier, but if it is reduced to under a foot of visibility you might as well stay home. Run-off in late May and early June will almost certainly destroy the clarity to unfishable levels throughout most of the river. But an afternoon thunderstorm in July or August may only effect specific sections below affected feeder drainages.

Habitat:

Look for trout in shallow water up against the shore and they will avoid much of the main channel of the river. I often think of the Arkansas as two small creeks once the water has risen. There is one 5-10-foot-wide creek on one side and another 5–10-foot-wide creek on the other. Also, you should be exploring up into side channels around islands as even small side channels now have water and fish in them. Don’t underestimate how shallow or how close to structure they will sit. They’ll likely be touching structure with a fin and may not move far for your fly.

Trout habitat in the Arkansas is generally characterized by the cobble and boulder strewn riverbed. The only part of the river that doesn’t have a lot of boulders is Hayden Meadows. Hayden is known for its grassy cut banks. Downstream from there the river is fairly steep and rocky creating many whitewater rapids and tons of pocket water. The many canyons the river flows through are known for their larger pools that provide shelter for both Browns and Rainbows and rocky banks that the Browns love. Rocky velocity shelters are key for this Brown trout dominated fishery.

Food:

The river has a lot of food options for the trout, but the general thinking is that that they would rather get easier bigger meals than working hard for lots of smaller ones. So bigger stoneflies, like Golden Stones may soon be on the menu. There are also a lot of young trout in the river that may struggle to find the right water to hold in. So, small trout often become meals for bigger trout during runoff.

Generally speaking, the Arkansas has mostly small insects. In the summer, the trout will find some larger Golden Stoneflies and Grasshoppers, but they likely eat more small Mayflies and Midges than anything. Historically, the Arkansas has been known for its sky darkening clouds of Mother’s Day Caddis, but as the overall variety of insect life has increased the caddis hatch has become a bit smaller and more localized. Small mayflies like Pale Morning Duns in the summer and Blue Wing Olives in the Spring and Fall are just as important as the Mother’s Day Caddis at this point. Also, there really aren’t any vertebrates in the Arkansas other than the native White Sucker and non-native Rainbow and Brown Trout. The native Yellow Fin Cutthroat Trout is now extinct. So, while the trout will often eat other trout, insects are the main dish on the menu.

Suggested Flies:

Make sure you have plenty of runoff staples, like Pat’s Rubber Legs and Wooly Buggers. The streamer fishing can sometimes be excellent when the water is high and off-color. For me, Wooly bugger variations like the Thin Mint work just as good as some of the more complicated and more expensive double-hooked articulated flies. With that said, the key is getting the fish to see the fly in poor visibility. The rule of thumb is to go with dark colors or black in poor clarity, but I also think that some flash can certainly be helpful as well. With the higher and colder water that we’ve generally experienced much of the spring we didn’t get much of a caddis hatch. So, there may be a lot of caddis larva left in the river. So, trying a bright green Caddis Larva pattern may be worth it. Lastly, weight can almost always be helpful on a river like the Arkansas, but especially at higher flows. Tungsten beads are a must.

My philosophy on fly selection is based around the fact that I’m trying to catch trout instead of tricking them into thinking, “Oh look, there’s a Hesperoperla pacifica! I must eat it.” Trout don’t think like that, humans do. Trout recognize any number of characteristics of a fly and instinctually strike or simply strike because something hit them in the nose, and they are willing to take the chance that it might be an easy meal. So, I am more focused on figuring out what characteristics bring a strike and not what characteristics look more like a bug. With that said, understanding the natural food a trout is consuming is an important starting point.

Rigging:

If you’re using bigger stonefly patterns or streamers, then shorter heavier leaders can be helpful. The only exception to that would be if you are doing a lot of high-sticking or tight line/euro nymphing. I suggest starting with a leader in the range of 7.5-foot 3x nylon and then add tippet as needed. Streamers don’t need a tapered leader or much length, so 5-6 feet of 0-1x level tippet is sufficient.

I always prefer a rigging style that is versatile. The Arkansas River is ever changing and requires a variety of approaches to consistently catch fish. I’m not a “Dry Fly Angler” or a “Streamer Junkie” or a “Euro Nympher” I’m a trout fisherman who likes catching as many trout as I can in various conditions all year long, and as a result I want one rigging system with one rod that can be adjusted to utilize the best aspects of all styles of fly fishing. Having multiple types of rods and lines and systems is cumbersome and not practical around here. If you want to read specifics of my particular rigging system, click here.

Float Fishing:

Even though the flows have risen, float fishing should be pretty effective up to about 2000 cfs. Float fishing is much more effective than wading if you are fishing streamers. Be aware that with the increased flows comes a need for a more experienced oarsman. Decisions have to be made much faster with faster water and consequences can be bigger. Also, the new Scout Wave in the Salida Whitewater park is reaching a fairly dangerous level for the novice boater and I don't believe we have enough water yet for the new boat chute to be passable. Scouting may be helpful if you are unsure.

Boating on the Arkansas is whitewater rafting. Whitewater rafts outfitted with custom fishing frames are the norm and this river is way too rocky and technical for hard sided drift boats. No section of this river at any time of year is appropriate for a drift boat. With that said, not all of this river is hard-core whitewater. There are plenty of sections that offer mostly class II water for families or the novice boater. Like the Milk Run near Buena Vista and Big Bend to Salida East among others. Most float fishing occurs downriver of Buena Vista as the water upriver of there is either just too small or way too fast and technical for effective float fishing. Always do your research before setting out on the river for the first time. Also, check the flows for the section you plan to boat as flows can change overnight here making what was fun and splashy whitewater to something that may be way out of your league. Please always wear your PFD. Anglers can easily fall out of the boat in relatively calm water while they are more focused on fishing. Even the “calmest” water on this river can be life or death without a PFD. Also, please respect private property. In Colorado the landowner owns the riverbed, and it is trespassing to not only eddy out on private land but also to set anchor. Do you best to free your boat immediately if you inadvertently get stuck on a rock. Not all private land is obviously posted, but you must still respect it. You would probably want it that way if it was your land. Remember your actions reflect upon all boaters.

Sections:

Hayden Meadows is high and overflowing the banks in many areas. The meadow around the river may be pretty boggy and saturated right now. But the clarity here is as good as anywhere on the river and may be your best shot at good conditions. Currently, 804 cfs. Approximately 9,500 feet in elevation.

Granite is similar to Hayden right now but has more velocity shelters and rocky edges the fish can take advantage of as the water has risen. Also, Granite may be one of the clearer sections of river due to the influx of always clear water coming in from Lake Creek. The gauge here is also not working right now due to the replacement of the Granite Bridge, but it should probably be pushing 1000 cfs. Approximately 9,000 feet in elevation.

Below Granite to Buena Vista is also very high and continuing to rise. There is some very big whitewater upriver of Buena Vista and that area may be difficult to wade right now. The Milk Run from Wilderness Aware Rafting in Johnson Village to Ruby Mountain Campground could about the only section really worth float fishing right now. But if the fishing isn’t any good on your float you should stop at River Runners at Fisherman’s Bridge for cocktails, food and live music along the way. Currently 999 cfs. Approximately 8,000 feet in elevation.

Brown’s Canyon could be more of a whitewater rafting trip than good float fishing right now. The clarity here is not good at the moment. The river is certainly no longer crossable on foot at Hecla Junction. The only way in on foot is a seven-mile hike from Ruby Mountain to the north. Currently 1160 cfs. Approximately 7,500 feet in elevation.

Big Bend and Salida also is experiencing some clarity issues. If you float through Salida you should still take caution in the new Scout Wave. They had to spend another quarter of a million dollars to fix it so that it is safe for the thousands and thousands of boaters that float through it each year. We haven’t seen what the most recent round of improvements will look like at higher flows and the current flows may be making the wave fairly dangerous. Especially, to novice boaters. Scouting may be helpful. Currently 1150 cfs. Approximately 7,000 feet in elevation.

Upper and Lower Bighorn Sheep Canyons as well has clarity issues. It looked fairly unfishable in this section yesterday when I was there. Currently 1340 cfs. Approximately 7,000-6,000 feet in elevation.

Pleasant Valley also has clarity issues. Currently 1340 cfs. Approximately 6,500 feet in elevation.

The Royal Gorge is beyond the limits of the Gold Medal designation and is a little harder to access on foot since the road doesn’t follow the river here. It also has the biggest whitewater (class III-V) on the river and only experienced boaters should attempt it. Therefore, it doesn’t get as much fishing attention. That doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of fish here, but there will likely be a few less anglers in this section. Currently 744 cfs. Approximately 5,500 feet in elevation.