River conditions are in prime shape for floating anglers, and wade fishing has been excellent—especially for those focusing on inside seams, river bends, and slower pools where fish are holding close to the banks. Water levels are steadily dropping, revealing that beautiful green-tinted clarity we love to see after weeks of chocolate-colored runoff. The Eagle River is nearly fully clear above Milk Creek (just below the Wolcott Campground), but visibility varies where Milk Creek feeds in to the Eagle. When it rains, this feeder creek will release off-color water that stirs up sediment which can vary water visibility. The Eagle River below Mill Creek has been clear this past week. Floating anglers, be cautious of unknown strainers in the river. With the high winds this week there is a high probability of newly fallen trees across the river.
Bug activity is strong from sunup to sundown. As a freestone river, the Eagle supports a rich variety of aquatic insects, which can make fishing exciting—but also can be a little overwhelming with fly choices. As the water warms up, hatches really kick off mid-morning and continue throughout the day into the evening. Right now, the dominant mayfly hatches are pale morning duns and blue wing olives. We have a strong caddis hatch in the late afternoon into the evening. Expect the yellow sally hatch to really ramp up this week, while we anticipate the golden stones to start hatching as well.
During the heat of the day, the streamer bite has been hot—anything yellow and articulated has been producing well.
The Upper C has been fishing great, but be mindful of water temperatures. Recent dam releases have helped cool things off, but with temps creeping back above 62°F, we recommend fishing early mornings or evenings if temps exceed 65°F.
Justin Nolan