Spring Fishing (Mid-March to May)
Nymph fishing deeper runs throughout April is most effective. Golden Stones are getting active in April and fish will begin changing their holding patterns. Dry fly fishing with Midges in April can be productive and as we get in to May the Caddis begin to dominate the bug scene. Snow melt can limit fishing choices.
Summer Fishing (June to August)
largest Mayfly to trout throughout the valley. Caddis are ever-present all summer and late summer will begin the terrestrials. This lineup of insect activity creates consistently great fishing opportunities throughout the entire summer season.
Fall Fishing (September to November)
Fall fishing is defined by dropping water levels and small size Mayfly hatches. Blue winged olives and pale morning Dun hatches will have fish waiting for the right time of day to go to feeding. Dry fly fishing can be excellent under the ideal conditions. Brown trout begin getting active in October and streamer fishing picks up. Kokanee Salmon enter the valley and offer a change in the daily opportunities. The landscape changes to brilliant colors and summer crowds are gone. Many argue this is the most spectacular time to be on the rivers!
Winter Fishing: (December to February)
The harsh climate at altitude takes hold of the valley and cold temperatures eliminate most of our fishing choices. Rivers ice up and feeding activity comes to a slow down. We are limited to tailwater fisheries (Taylor River, Gunnison River @ Gunnison Forks) to find feeding fish. Midge patterns dominate the fly choices and shrimp patterns are exclusive to the Taylor River. Activity is short lived throughout the day as productive days are hit or miss!
Hatch Chart
| FLY | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caddis | ||||||||||||
| All | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
| Mayflies | ||||||||||||
| Blue Winged Olive | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||
| Pale Morning Dun | X | X | X | |||||||||
| Green Drake | X | X | X | |||||||||
| Slate Drake | X | X | ||||||||||
| Red Quill | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| Terrestrials | ||||||||||||
| GrassHoppers | X | X | X | |||||||||
| Ants | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
| Beetles | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| Stoneflies | ||||||||||||
| Golden Stonefly | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| Salmonfly (Gunnison Gorge) | X | X | X | |||||||||
| Little Black | X | X | ||||||||||
| Miscellaneous | ||||||||||||
| Trico | X | X | X | |||||||||
| Midges | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Mysis Shrimp (Taylor River) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Streamers | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||
| FLY | Months |
|---|---|
| Caddis | |
| All | Jun – Oct |
| Mayflies | |
| Blue Winged Olive | Mar – May, Sep – Nov |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jul – Sep |
| Green Drake | Jun – Aug |
| Slate Drake | Sep – Oct |
| Red Quill | Jul – Oct |
| Terrestrials | |
| GrassHoppers | Aug – Oct |
| Ants | Jun – Oct |
| Beetles | Jun – Sep |
| Stoneflies | |
| Golden Stonefly | Apr – Jul |
| Salmonfly (Gunnison Gorge) | May – Jul |
| Little Black | Mar – Apr |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Trico | Jul – Sep |
| Midges | Year Round |
| Mysis Shrimp (Taylor River) | Year Round |
| Streamers | Mar – Nov |