Voluntary Flow Management Program Ends for the Season

The Arkansas River near the town of Howard, Colorado on Tuesday, August 13, 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:

The Voluntary Flow Management Program ends for the season today so the Arkansas should return to native flows. That doesn’t necessarily mean that flows will be a ton lower right away, but we are unlikely to see any increases with the exception of bumps from monsoons.

In my opinion, you can’t do much better than the Arkansas River. Its first 102 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:

We are in monsoon season. No matter what the forecast says on your phone, expect sunny skies in the morning and thunderstorms to build in the afternoon and evening. I don’t suggest going out on the river without a raincoat. It may be raining somewhere almost every afternoon or evening through August. If you want perfect weather, then get out in the mornings.

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:

Water temperatures are still very ideal in the upper sections of the river but have started to get pretty warm in the afternoons downriver of Salida. We saw as high as 72 degrees in the shallows at Vallie Bridge recently. Of course, the fish aren’t in the shallows much right now and the Arkansas’ whitewater and deep pools provide well oxygenated cold-water refuge for the fish.

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:

It’s currently 674 cfs at the Wellsville guage. The Voluntary Flow Management Program coordinates when water rights owners move water through the river to storage downstream. Typically, flows are kept at or above 700 cfs at the Wellsville gauge through August 15th when conditions allow. So, flows will not be augmented with this water for the rest of the season. With that said, it has been a good water year so our native flows might not be too far from that 700 cfs target without augmentation. At least for a little while. Long story short, our flows won’t immediately go down but expect the river to slowly decrease as the summer comes to an end. Just keep an eye out for any temporary bumps in flow due to the odd thunderstorm.

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:

Upriver of Buena Vista has seen very clear conditions and anything downriver has seen highly variable clarity due to frequent monsoons. Thunderstorms over the Chalk Cliffs may mess up the clarity anywhere below the confluence with Chalk Creek. Clarity below Howard has been consistently cloudy, but certainly not unfishable.

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:

The trout have started to spread out throughout the river and are not necessarily just along the edges. The flows are low enough upriver of Buena Vista that they are able to find pockets around the plentiful exposed boulders. Downriver the fish are looking more and more for riffles, foamy seams and deeper pools. Keep an eye out of gravel bars with water dumping over them into the main channel. The tumbling water is well oxygenated and can be full of aquatic insects.

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:

Many of the main summertime hatches are over for the year. But there are plenty of terrestrials of all shapes and sizes. Pale Morning Duns can still be found throughout the entire river but may be winding down for the year. Red Quills are showing up, however. Especially, downriver. Midge larva can always be found on the menu, but I’m not sure that Midge adults or Trico adults are very important to the Brown trout on this river. The fish will also see a few caddis, but they’re never as important as the mayflies. Blue Wing Olives may be starting to show back up.

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:

Size 12-ish Chubby Chernobyls are very effective this time of year and will hold up heavy Perdigon patterns like a size 14 Brown Spanish Bullet or size 18 Sunburst Perdigon. A size 14 Frenchie is always a good option on this river. I like a size 10 Dave’s Hopper, size 10 Sweetgrass Hopper, and a simple size 14 Sailor Ant for terrestrials. A size 18 Don’s PMD is a relatively easy to see option for the small mayflies. Rusty Spinners will be effective for any mayfly spinner. 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:

For the most part, shorter heavier leaders can be helpful with the large dry flies we often use this time of year. If you prefer high-sticking or tight line/euro nymphing then you’ll obviously want something fairly long and thin. Either way I usually suggest starting with a tapered leader in the range of 7.5-foot 3x nylon and then add tippet as needed. Streamers don’t need a tapered leader or have 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:

Flows are absolutely ideal for float fishing. The whitewater is fairly tame at these flows, but it’s still high enough that you don’t have to constantly maneuver around rocks. With that said, I expect flows to begin to slowly decrease from here on out so expect more technical boating.

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 less crowded, but it’s definitely on the low and clear side making it a challenge for most people other than the most experienced anglers. Currently, 144 cfs. Approximately 9,500 feet in elevation.

Granite doesn’t have much more water than Hayden right now and is just as crystal clear. So, your presentations will still need to be precise. The upper portions of the river are offering very technical and challenging fishing right now. Currently, 232 cfs. Approximately 9,000 feet in elevation.

Below Granite through Buena Vista is in great shape. Wading in this pocket-water laden section should provide some good days of wade fishing. Currently 375 cfs. Approximately 8,000 feet in elevation.

Brown’s Canyon is a great place to float if you have the skill to run the rapids. Flows are starting to get lower in there and so the rapids will be much more technical, but there will be significantly less boaters. Once flows get down in the 300-400 cfs range it becomes easier to wade across the river at Hecla Junction making the canyon much more available to wade fishing. Currently 636 cfs. Approximately 7,500 feet in elevation.

Big Bend and Salida has seen a lot of pressure lately. With that said, it’s still a decent place to float because it’s very novice and family friendly to float with almost no major rapids. If you float through downtown Salida, the new Scout wave can present big problems if you don’t t-off with plenty of momentum. The boat chute that they built is useless at this flow. Currently 628 cfs. Approximately 7,000 feet in elevation.

Upper and Lower Bighorn Sheep Canyons as well as Pleasant Valley are really fishing great right now. There are lots of big eddies under the many bluffs in this section that not only hold lots of Pale Morning Duns in the afternoons but also larger Rainbows feeding on them. Currently 674 cfs. Approximately 7,000-6,000 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 less anglers. Currently 791 cfs. Approximately 5,500 feet in elevation.