Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your August 16, 2025, fishing update for the Colorado River and its prime tributaries. Let’s dive straight into today’s local action across Colorado waters.
First light cracks just after 6am and you’ll want to be off the water by around 8pm, with sunset coming just before then. Weather overnight was mostly cloudy with cool lows—mid 40s early this morning near the Little Colorado, and scattered light showers brushed parts of western Colorado through sunrise according to the National Weather Service. While a few clouds and patchy fog may linger, expect a partly sunny day ahead and temperatures rebounding into the 70s by mid-afternoon.
The big talk across the basin is drought. Reports from the Colorado Climate Center indicate the Western Slope is in “exceptional” drought conditions—the dry heat continues, and most streams and reservoirs are running lower than average. Still, forecasters are a bit optimistic for more rain by the end of the month, but for now, plan your day with water conservation and fish well-being in mind.
Now for the fishing—flows have come up a bit in some tailwaters but remain below average and water temps are running hot by midday. That means it’s essential to fish early, especially in spots like the Dream Stream and Cheesman Canyon on the South Platte, both legendary feeder waters to the Colorado River. Both are fishing well in the mornings, but by noon, trout are stressed. Target the 6am to 10am window.
Let’s talk bugs and bait. Cheesman Canyon flows are ideal at 270 cubic feet per second and the trout are spread out and hungry, according to Angler’s Covey. The hatch chart is lively: PMDs, caddis, tricos, midges, and yellow sallies are all on the menu. Effective patterns right now include Cheesman Emergers #22-24, Amy’s Ants #10-14, hoppers in #8-10, and nymph rigs loaded with scuds, cranefly larva, worms, and small stones. Copper Johns, Sparkle Wing RS-2s, and Medallion Midges are consistent producers.
Over in the Dream Stream, water temps are reaching near 70 by midday. The hopper/dropper bite is strong and early dry fly activity is electric—look for tricos, caddis, and small yellow sallies. Once the sun climbs, switch to nymphs under a small indicator and focus on deeper slots and runs.
Now, for what’s being landed: Browns, rainbows, cutthroats, and cutbows are the mainstay this summer. Streams feeding into the Colorado River, especially the upper tributaries, saw recent catches of browns in the 16–20 inch bracket and rainbows up to 22 inches. The Uncompahgre Cutthroat is making headlines; a rescue operation earlier this week netted over 260 of these native gems from the Upper Dolores, keeping this unique lineage safe at Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, as Colorado Parks and Wildlife shared.
Spin anglers, don’t count yourselves out—success has come on willow leaf and Colorado blade spinners, as shown by the bite on #3 blue-and-silver patterns, and small jerkbaits in deeper runs.
Two hot spots worth a visit: Cheesman Canyon for technical dry fly enthusiasts and the Elevenmile Canyon stretch for consistent midday nymphing and sight casting to feeding trout. Both demand an early start, light tippets, and long drifts. Remember, stake your claim early—these stretches get busy on August weekends.
Quick reminders: Check regs for catch-and-release zones, handle trout gently, and reel in as water temps approach 68—that’s the cutoff for responsible, ethical fishing. No tidal swing here—Colorado’s inland, but river flows and water temps dictate action.
Thanks for tuning in to this August 16th Colorado River fishing report with me, your local expert Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for more tips and on-the-water updates every week. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
First light cracks just after 6am and you’ll want to be off the water by around 8pm, with sunset coming just before then. Weather overnight was mostly cloudy with cool lows—mid 40s early this morning near the Little Colorado, and scattered light showers brushed parts of western Colorado through sunrise according to the National Weather Service. While a few clouds and patchy fog may linger, expect a partly sunny day ahead and temperatures rebounding into the 70s by mid-afternoon.
The big talk across the basin is drought. Reports from the Colorado Climate Center indicate the Western Slope is in “exceptional” drought conditions—the dry heat continues, and most streams and reservoirs are running lower than average. Still, forecasters are a bit optimistic for more rain by the end of the month, but for now, plan your day with water conservation and fish well-being in mind.
Now for the fishing—flows have come up a bit in some tailwaters but remain below average and water temps are running hot by midday. That means it’s essential to fish early, especially in spots like the Dream Stream and Cheesman Canyon on the South Platte, both legendary feeder waters to the Colorado River. Both are fishing well in the mornings, but by noon, trout are stressed. Target the 6am to 10am window.
Let’s talk bugs and bait. Cheesman Canyon flows are ideal at 270 cubic feet per second and the trout are spread out and hungry, according to Angler’s Covey. The hatch chart is lively: PMDs, caddis, tricos, midges, and yellow sallies are all on the menu. Effective patterns right now include Cheesman Emergers #22-24, Amy’s Ants #10-14, hoppers in #8-10, and nymph rigs loaded with scuds, cranefly larva, worms, and small stones. Copper Johns, Sparkle Wing RS-2s, and Medallion Midges are consistent producers.
Over in the Dream Stream, water temps are reaching near 70 by midday. The hopper/dropper bite is strong and early dry fly activity is electric—look for tricos, caddis, and small yellow sallies. Once the sun climbs, switch to nymphs under a small indicator and focus on deeper slots and runs.
Now, for what’s being landed: Browns, rainbows, cutthroats, and cutbows are the mainstay this summer. Streams feeding into the Colorado River, especially the upper tributaries, saw recent catches of browns in the 16–20 inch bracket and rainbows up to 22 inches. The Uncompahgre Cutthroat is making headlines; a rescue operation earlier this week netted over 260 of these native gems from the Upper Dolores, keeping this unique lineage safe at Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, as Colorado Parks and Wildlife shared.
Spin anglers, don’t count yourselves out—success has come on willow leaf and Colorado blade spinners, as shown by the bite on #3 blue-and-silver patterns, and small jerkbaits in deeper runs.
Two hot spots worth a visit: Cheesman Canyon for technical dry fly enthusiasts and the Elevenmile Canyon stretch for consistent midday nymphing and sight casting to feeding trout. Both demand an early start, light tippets, and long drifts. Remember, stake your claim early—these stretches get busy on August weekends.
Quick reminders: Check regs for catch-and-release zones, handle trout gently, and reel in as water temps approach 68—that’s the cutoff for responsible, ethical fishing. No tidal swing here—Colorado’s inland, but river flows and water temps dictate action.
Thanks for tuning in to this August 16th Colorado River fishing report with me, your local expert Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for more tips and on-the-water updates every week. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, anglers. This is artificial war with your August sixteen,
twoenty twenty five fishing update for the Colorado River and
its prime tributaries. Let's dive straight into today's local action
across Colorado waters. First light cracks just after six am,
and you wanna be off the water by around eight pm,
(00:20):
with sunset coming just before then. Weather overnight was mostly
cloudy with cool lows mid forties early this morning near
the Little Colorado, and scattered light showers brushed parts of
western Colorado through sunrise, according to the National Weather Service,
while a few clouds and patchy fog may linger. Expect
(00:42):
a partly sunny day ahead and temperatures rebounding into the
seventies by mid afternoon. The big talk across the basin
is drought. Reports from the Colorado Climate Center indicate the
western slope is in exceptional drought conditions. The dry heat
continues and most streams and reservoirs are running lower than average. Still,
(01:05):
forecasters are a bit optimistic for more rain by the
end of the month, but for now, plan your day
with water conservation and fish well being in mind. Now,
for the fishing, flows have come up a bit in
some tailwaters but remain below average and water temps are
running hot by midday. That means it's essential to fish early,
(01:27):
especially in spots like the Dream Stream and Cheeseman Canyon
on the South Platte, both legendary feeder waters to the
Colorado River. Both are fishing well in the mornings, but
by noon trouter stressed target the six am to ten
am window. Let's talk bugs and bait. Cheeseman Canyon flows
are ideal at two hundred and seventy cubic feet per
(01:49):
second and the trouter spread out and hungry. According to
Angler's Covey, the hatch chart is lively. Pmds, caddis, trichos, midges,
and yellow sales are all on the menu. Effective patterns
right now include Cheeseman emergers number twenty two to twenty four,
Amy's ants number ten to fourteen, hoppers in number eight
(02:12):
to ten, and niff rigs loaded with scuds, cranefly larvae,
worms and small stones. Copper John's sparkle wing ars twos
and medallion midges are consistent producers. Over in the Dream Stream,
water temps are reaching near seventy by midday. The hopper
dropper bite is strong and early dry fly activity is electric.
(02:36):
Look for Trichos caddis and small yellow sallies. Once the
sun climbs, switch to mips under a small indicator and
focus on deeper slots and runs. Now for what's being landed. Browns, rainbows, cutthroats,
and cutbows are the mainstay this summer streams feeding into
(02:57):
the Colorado River, especially the upper Tribute. Terry's saw recent
catches of brown's in the sixteen to twenty inch bracket
and rainbows up to twenty two inches. The uncompagre cutthroat
is making headlines. A rescue operation earlier this week, meted
over two hundred and sixty of these mateive gems from
the Upper Dolores, keeping this unique lineage safe at Warring
(03:19):
Judy Fish Hatchery, as Colorado Parks and wildfire shared spin anglers,
don't count yourselves out. Successes come on willow leaf and
Colorado blade spinners as shown by the bite on number three,
blue and silver patterns and small jerk baits and deeper runs.
Two hot spots worth a visit Cheeseman Canyon for technical
dry fly enthusiasts and the eleven mile Canyon stretch for
(03:43):
consistent midday niffing and sight casting to fiend trout both
demand an early start. Light tippets and long drifts, remember
stake your claim early. These stretches get busy on August weekends.
Quick reminders check regulations for catch and release zone, Handle
trout gently, and reel in as water tamps approach sixty eight.
(04:04):
That's the cutoff for responsible ethical fishing. No titles swing here.
Colorado's inland, but river flows and water temps dictate action.
Thanks for tuning in to this August sixteenth Colorado River
Fishing report with me your local expert artificial lore. Don't
forget to subscribe for more tips and on the water
(04:24):
updates every week. This has been a quiet please production.
For more check out quiet please dot ai
Good morning, anglers. This is artificial war with your August sixteen,
twoenty twenty five fishing update for the Colorado River and
its prime tributaries. Let's dive straight into today's local action
across Colorado waters. First light cracks just after six am,
and you wanna be off the water by around eight pm,
(00:20):
with sunset coming just before then. Weather overnight was mostly
cloudy with cool lows mid forties early this morning near
the Little Colorado, and scattered light showers brushed parts of
western Colorado through sunrise, according to the National Weather Service,
while a few clouds and patchy fog may linger. Expect
(00:42):
a partly sunny day ahead and temperatures rebounding into the
seventies by mid afternoon. The big talk across the basin
is drought. Reports from the Colorado Climate Center indicate the
western slope is in exceptional drought conditions. The dry heat
continues and most streams and reservoirs are running lower than average. Still,
(01:05):
forecasters are a bit optimistic for more rain by the
end of the month, but for now, plan your day
with water conservation and fish well being in mind. Now,
for the fishing, flows have come up a bit in
some tailwaters but remain below average and water temps are
running hot by midday. That means it's essential to fish early,
(01:27):
especially in spots like the Dream Stream and Cheeseman Canyon
on the South Platte, both legendary feeder waters to the
Colorado River. Both are fishing well in the mornings, but
by noon trouter stressed target the six am to ten
am window. Let's talk bugs and bait. Cheeseman Canyon flows
are ideal at two hundred and seventy cubic feet per
(01:49):
second and the trouter spread out and hungry. According to
Angler's Covey, the hatch chart is lively. Pmds, caddis, trichos, midges,
and yellow sales are all on the menu. Effective patterns
right now include Cheeseman emergers number twenty two to twenty four,
Amy's ants number ten to fourteen, hoppers in number eight
(02:12):
to ten, and niff rigs loaded with scuds, cranefly larvae,
worms and small stones. Copper John's sparkle wing ars twos
and medallion midges are consistent producers. Over in the Dream Stream,
water temps are reaching near seventy by midday. The hopper
dropper bite is strong and early dry fly activity is electric.
(02:36):
Look for Trichos caddis and small yellow sallies. Once the
sun climbs, switch to mips under a small indicator and
focus on deeper slots and runs. Now for what's being landed. Browns, rainbows, cutthroats,
and cutbows are the mainstay this summer streams feeding into
(02:57):
the Colorado River, especially the upper Tribute. Terry's saw recent
catches of brown's in the sixteen to twenty inch bracket
and rainbows up to twenty two inches. The uncompagre cutthroat
is making headlines. A rescue operation earlier this week, meted
over two hundred and sixty of these mateive gems from
the Upper Dolores, keeping this unique lineage safe at Warring
(03:19):
Judy Fish Hatchery, as Colorado Parks and wildfire shared spin anglers,
don't count yourselves out. Successes come on willow leaf and
Colorado blade spinners as shown by the bite on number three,
blue and silver patterns and small jerk baits and deeper runs.
Two hot spots worth a visit Cheeseman Canyon for technical
dry fly enthusiasts and the eleven mile Canyon stretch for
(03:43):
consistent midday niffing and sight casting to fiend trout both
demand an early start. Light tippets and long drifts, remember
stake your claim early. These stretches get busy on August weekends.
Quick reminders check regulations for catch and release zone, Handle
trout gently, and reel in as water tamps approach sixty eight.
(04:04):
That's the cutoff for responsible ethical fishing. No titles swing here.
Colorado's inland, but river flows and water temps dictate action.
Thanks for tuning in to this August sixteenth Colorado River
Fishing report with me your local expert artificial lore. Don't
forget to subscribe for more tips and on the water
(04:24):
updates every week. This has been a quiet please production.
For more check out quiet please dot ai
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