Many of the fishing closures throughout the Vail Valley and surrounding areas remain the same, with one notable exception.  CPW lifted the afternoon fishing closure on the Roaring Fork River on August 20th.  With water still being released from Rudei Reservoir on the Frying Pan, flows and water temps on the Roaring Fork are in excellent condition.  The Eagle River is still closed below Lake Creek in Edwards and the Colorado River is still closed below Red Dirt Creek near Dotsero.  There are currently no closures on the Upper Colorado, but temps are still getting into the upper 60’s around State Bridge on warm, sunny afternoons.  Anglers should plan to get out early and carry a thermometer to monitor water temperatures if they plan to fish the upper sections of the Colorado.

Gore Creek and Upper Eagle

While flows remain low, water temps on Gore Creek and the Upper Eagle have remained consistently cool.  Target deeper seams and faster runs where there is plenty of oxygen and cover where fish can stay somewhat hidden.  With flows being as low as they are, dry dropper rigs have been most productive to cover fish feeding both on the surface and subsurface.  Hopper dropper rigs also tend to get hung up less than traditional nymph rigs.  If targeting fish on nymphs, try fishing a jig style nymph that rides hook point up to help prevent getting hung up on rocks or moss.  Productive nymphs on the Upper Eagle and Gore Creek have been small small beadhead nymphs, such as perdigons, pheasant tails and baetis patterns.  Worms have also been productive, especially late in the day when afternoon rain has pushed annelids into the rivers.  For dry flies, small terrestrials like ants and beetles have been productive dry flies. Small mayfly and midge patterns, like Parachute Adam’s and Griffith’s Gnats have also been good dry fly patterns, particularly early in the morning and late in the afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky.

Upper Colorado

Fishing on the Upper Colorado has been good, especially in the mornings when water temps are coolest.  Flows have come down slightly over the last week to between 700 and 750 cfs.  Tricos have been the primary hatch lately with black RS2’s and crystal midges producing the most fish.  Red quills have also been present on the Upper Colorado and while fish don’t seems to be keying in on the adults, red perdigons, Two-bit Hookers, and Frenchies have been productive nymphs to match fishing targeting these insects subsurface.  Fish have pulled off the banks into faster, deeper runs in the middle of the river where oxygen levels are highest.  Guides have been seeing some dead fish so it is important practice good fish handling, keeping fish wet and releasing them as quickly as possible.  

Roaring Fork

The Roaring Fork has provided some of the best fishing in the area recently.  Thanks to an increase in flows out of Rudei Reservoir, flows are around 800 cfs and water temps are staying in the low 60’s.  Perdigons have been the go fly for guides floating the Fork, with tan and purple being the most productive colors.  Hatches on the on the Fork seem to have died out lately, making terrestrials the go to dry flies.  Try fishing more realistic looking terrestrials like Dave’s Hooper or Moorish Hoppers as it seems the fish have gotten tired of the trusty Chubby Chernobyl.  Small mayfly nymphs like Frenchies and RS2’s have also been consistently putting fish in the net.

Overall, fishing remains good throughout the valley and will hopefully continue to improve as overnight temperatures drop and afternoon thunderstorms continue to help cool things down during the hottest part of the day.