Colorado River Fishing

With so many top notch fishing holes in the state of Colorado it isn't easy to pick the best ones. Regardless of where you drop your line or toss your fly, you are guaranteed a few amazing things like beautiful scenery and easy access. One of the biggest stretches to fish in the state is on the Colorado River which has three distinct sections: upper, middle and lower. Being a big and demanding river with plenty of fish and fishing options, the Colorado River has something for every angler; novice or savvy veteran.

The upper section of the Colorado River, from Hot Sulphur Springs to Kremmling, is not as big and mighty as sections further downstream. Two beneficial aspects about the upper section of the Colorado are that you can wade across the river in most areas and it probably fishes better than the other areas and offers plenty of access zones and ample parking. Home to rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, as well as Colorado River cutbows, the upper section offers fishing almost every month of the year.

Below the town of Kremmling, the middle section of the Colorado River cuts through the remarkable Gore Canyon, dropping some 50 river miles until it meets the Eagle River at Dotsero. This section has a number of good drift boat areas, but navigating the water can be tricky – so a qualified guide is recommended. If you are looking for seclusion, try the waters in the canyon above Pumphouse. Although it can be tough to get there, the rewards are crystal clear waters with a lot of variety. A drawback to the middle section, which has whitefish, Colorado River cutbows and brown and rainbow trout, is during spring runoff when siltation from the aptly named Muddy Creek makes the fishing spotty.

In the lightly traveled lower section of the Colorado River from Grizzly Creek to Rifle, the fishing is excellent and is best suited for floating. The river gets a bit larger in this section and hiring a guide is not a bad option.