Colorado River Fishing Report: Trout, Bass, and a Sunset Ahead

Today on the Colorado River, conditions are classic August — low and clear water, cool in the early morning, warming fast by midday, and fishing smack in the heart of summer rhythm. Sunrise hit at 6:07 am and anglers were out early, beating the heat and pressure with water temps starting in the upper 50s and reaching up into the 60s as the sun climbed. Sunset tonight is at 8:10 pm, so there’s plenty of evening action ahead.

There’s no real tidal influence on the Colorado River way up here, but water releases from upstream reservoirs can affect flow and temp. According to Taylor Creek Fly Shops, the river is running low right now — perfect for sight-fishing but demanding some tricky presentations. Weather’s stable: partly cloudy, with light morning winds and highs pushing to the mid-80s by afternoon. Patchy clouds could give us some streamer windows if we get any shade.

Fish activity is up. The early hours were best for trout — browns, rainbows, and a few cutbows moving in riffled seams and tailouts. Most reports from the water above Glenwood Springs and near Kremmling mention good numbers caught this week, with anglers landing 10–15 fish per day in the best spots. Fish size is mostly 10–16 inches, though there’s always the chance at a fat wild brown behind the deeper rocks.

Recent catches also include some smallmouth bass, especially downstream thanks to warmer conditions and lower reservoir levels — a trend scientists at Canadian Science Publishing say is tied to drought and dam releases. That means the lower river stretches near Grand Junction are running hotter and hosting more bass, so keep an eye out for them mixing with big carp and the occasional channel catfish in the slack water.

Lures and bait recommendations for mid-summer Colorado River: top water dries are working early and late — big foam Chernobyl Ants and hoppers get loud grabs up top but for pure numbers, it’s all about going subsurface. Thin out your patterns: use small mayfly and midge nymphs like RS2s, Zebra Midges, and Flashback Pheasant Tails, size 18–22 on lightweight tippet. Dropper rigs under a hopper or Chubby Chernobyl are catching throughout the day. Caddis larva and beadhead emergers work in the faster water. If clouds roll in, streamer junkies are slinging black Woolly Buggers and olive Mini Leeches with good results, especially where the current breaks near structure.

For bait folks, drifting nightcrawlers or PowerBait in the deeper pools along bends brings in rainbows and, on rare occasion, a scrappy brown. Remember, live bait is restricted on some stretches — check regs.

Suggested hot spots:
- Pump House to Radium: Classic floats and walk-wade runs; best for numbers and variety.
- State Bridge area: Holds bigger browns and some chunky cutbows, especially early morning.
- Lower Glenwood Canyon: Mix of trout and smallmouth bass on sunny days.
- Near Kremmling: Consistent action on dries and nymphs with plenty of easy-access water.

Overall, best windows are early (6–10 am) and late (6:30 pm to sundown), when fish slide out from cover. The bite drops midday as the sun and traffic pick up. With the clear water, you’ll want to sneak up, shorten your casts, and make every drift count.

Thanks for tuning in to this local fishing report from Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest river intel and tackle tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today on the Colorado River, conditions are classic August low
and clear water cool in the early morning, warming fast
by mid day, and fishing smack in the heart of
summer with them. Sunrise hit at six oh seven am,
and anglers were out early, beating the heat and pressure,
with water temps starting in the upper fifties and reaching

(00:20):
up into the sixties as the sun climbed. Sunset tonight
is at eight ten PM, so there's plenty of evening
action ahead. There's no real tidal influence on the Colorado
River way up here, but water releases from upstream reservoirs
can affect flow and temp. According to Taylor Creek fly Shops,
the river is running low right now, perfect for sight fishing,

(00:41):
but demanding some tricky presentations. Weather stable, partly cloudy, with
light morning winds and highs pushing to the mid eighties
by afternoon. Patchy clouds could give us some streamer windows
if we get any. Shade Fish activity is up. The
early hours were best for trout, browns, rainbows, and a
few cutbows moving in riffled seams and tailouts. Most reports

(01:03):
from the water above glen Wood Springs and near Kremling
mention good numbers caught this week, with anglers landing ten
to fifteen fish per day In the best spots. Fish
size is mostly ten to sixteen inches, though there's always
the chance at a fat wild brown behind the deeper rocks.
Recent catches also include some smallmouth bass, especially downstream thanks

(01:26):
to warmer conditions and lower reservoir levels. A trend scientist
at Canadian Science Publishing say is tied to drought and
DAN releases. That means the lower river stretches near Grand
Junction are running hotter and hosting more bass, so keep
an eye out for them mixing with big carp and
the occasional channel catfish in the slack water. Lures and

(01:47):
bait recommendations for midsummer Colorado River top water drys are
working early and late. Big foam chernobyl ants and hoppers
get loud grabs up top, but for pure numbers it's
all about going subsurface. Fin out your patterns. Use small
mayfly in midge niffs like RS. Two's, zebra midges and

(02:07):
flashback pheasant tails size eighteen to twenty two on lightweight
tippet dropper Rigs under a hopper or chubby chernobyl are
catching throughout the day. Cattis, larva and bead had emrgers
work in the faster water if clouds roll in. Streamer
junkies are slinging black wooly buggers and all of many
leeches with good results, especially where the current breaks near structure.

(02:31):
For bait folks drifting nightcrawlers or power bait into deeper
pools along bends brings in rainbows and on rare occasion
a scrappy brown. Remember live bait is restricted on some stretches.
Check rags suggested hotspots compouse to radium classic floats and
walkwaight runs best for numbers in variety. State Bridge area

(02:55):
holds bigger browns and some chunky cutbows, especially early morning
lower Glenwood Canyon. Mix of trout and smallmouth bass on
sunny days near Kremlin, consistent action on dryes and nymphs
with plenty of easy access water. Overall, best windows are
early six to ten am and late six thirty pm

(03:17):
to sundown when fish slide out from cover the bike drops.
Mid day as the sun and traffic pick up. With
the clear water, you'll want to sneak up, shorten your casts,
and make every drift count Thanks. For tuning in to
this local fishing report from Artificial Lore. Don't forget to
subscribe for the latest river intel and tackle tips. This

(03:39):
has been a quiet please production. For more check out
Quiet Please dot ai