By late July, the freestones are running low, clear, and warm, and the trout know it. That doesn’t mean the fishing has to slow down — it just means it’s time to change zip codes. Some of the best action all summer happens away from the rivers, out on Colorado’s lakes, reservoirs, and warmwater fisheries. Stillwater trout feed all day long in the cooler depths, and bass, carp, and pike are just hitting their stride. Here’s how we approach both this time of year, and the flies we’re tying on.
This isn’t a normal summer on Colorado’s rivers. The 2025–26 winter produced the lowest mountain snowpack on record statewide, and it melted out roughly a month ahead of schedule after a record-warm March. Runoff peaked early, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service has projected early-summer streamflows across the state’s major basins at only around a quarter of normal, with some Western Slope drainages even lower than that. Nearly the entire state has been sitting in drought, and reservoir storage is below normal heading into peak summer.
Practically speaking, that means the rivers are going to hit their stressful low-flow, high-temperature window earlier and harder than usual this year, and voluntary and mandatory fishing closures on trout water are likely to come sooner and cover more stretches. It’s shaping up to be one of those years where leaning on stillwater and warmwater fisheries isn’t just a nice change of pace — it’s genuinely the best and most responsible way to keep a bend in your rod through July and August while giving stressed river trout the space they need.
In a normal year, river flows drop and water temperatures climb through midsummer, which stresses trout and can trigger voluntary closures once afternoon temperatures push past 70 degrees. In a year like this one, we can plan on those closures being earlier and more widespread. Lakes and reservoirs don’t have that problem in the same way — deeper water holds a thermocline that keeps trout comfortable well below the surface, and warmwater species like bass and carp are built for exactly these conditions. Fishing stillwater and warmwater in July and August isn’t a consolation prize; it’s often the smarter move in any year, and this summer it may be the best option on the table.
Top fly patterns for Colorado stillwater right now:
While trout are dealing with summer heat, bass, carp, and pike are firing on all cylinders. Colorado’s warmwater fisheries — found in lower-elevation reservoirs and slower river stretches — offer a completely different style of fly fishing built around sight fishing, structure, and aggressive strikes.
Species and techniques for July and August:
Top fly patterns for Colorado warmwater right now:
In a typical year, July and August are a two-fisheries season in Colorado — rivers fishing well early and late, with the middle hours belonging to stillwater and warmwater. This year, with flows running a fraction of normal and heat arriving early, that balance tips even further toward lakes and reservoirs. Whether you’re watching a chironomid indicator twitch at sunrise or stalking a tailing carp across a mud flat at noon, there’s excellent fly fishing to be had all day long — and it’s the kind of fishing that doesn’t ask anything extra of an already stressed river.
Stop by the shop and we’ll help you put together the right flies, lines, and game plan for whatever water you’re headed to this summer.
Justin Nolan