Arkansas River Tailwater, Pueblo
Pueblo Tailwater Fishing Report: Pueblo Dam down to I-25
Date: January 2, 2026
Flow below dam: 80 cfs from the dam plus 20 cfs from hatchery outflow
Temperature: 44F From the Dam, 42 – 46F Downstream
Clarity: Good – About 3′
January 2nd:
Happy New Year and thank you for checking with us. The weather has been incredible and the fishing has been equally good. Water temperatures are still in the mid 40’s and the fish are active and still occupying a variety of water types. We are also seeing prolonged BWO hatches due to the warmer than normal water temperatures which is adding to the dry fly fishing opportunities. Midge are also hatching daily and will likely become the dominant hatch by mid to January.
The warm weather and holidays combined for increased fishing pressure but most people were still pleased to be fishing in late December without the need for gloves and extra layers. Pressure should let up some over the coming weeks but expect to have to share the river with plenty of other likeminded anglers.
Our guide schedule is pretty open at the moment so give us a call and come experience the tailwater with the most experienced guides available!
December 20th:
With daytime highs in the 60’s and even low 70’s, it’s hard to believe Christmas is only a few days away. Welcome to winter fly fishing on the Arkansas River in Pueblo! With water temps from the dam still at 46F the fishing continues to be great. Fish are still spread out and utilizing a wide range of water types to take advantage of daily midge and BWO hatches. Nymphing is the the go to method for most people but there can be excellent dry fly opportunities in the midday hours. If you are out early morning or late afternoon, the fish will generally be feeding more opportunistically. This is a good time to fish leech, egg an worm imitations, and is also a good time to fish streamers.
We still have some openings in our guide schedule over the holidays to give us a call if you’d like to book a trip with one of our local guides. Happy Holidays and Tight Lines!
December 4th:
The start of winter flows has provided excellent fishing over the past two weeks and with water temps still at 50F from the dam we should have several more weeks of exceptional hatches and peak feeding activity. The BWO hatches have been starting between 11am and noon and are bringing a lot of fish to the surface to feed. Midge are equally important when nymphing with the pupa stage of primary significance. The brown trout are nearly done with the spawn but fish will still be keyed on eggs before and after peak hatch periods. Our guide trips are going strong and producing lots of quality fish. Give us a call at (719) 543-3900 to get on the schedule while the hatches are going strong! Tight lines and Happy Holidays!
November 14th:
Winter Water Storage begins at 12am on November 15th. We expect to see flows drop to around 100cfs (including the hatchery outlet) and flows generally remain stable through the winter months. Water temperatures are in the ideal range throughout the tailwater and fishing has been consistent from top to bottom. The trico and caddis hatches are winding down as the midge and BWO hatches ramp up. Lower winter flows combined with good hatches can provide excellent dry fly opportunities so be prepared with some midge and BWO adult imitations in additional to subsurface patterns.
Our guide trips are producing good numbers of fish along with some real quality trout that are reaching over 20 inches. We have openings still for the remainder of November so give us a call and get your trip locked down! (719) 543-3900 Tight lines!!
October 31st:
Happy Halloween! The tailwater is fishing spooky good at times now that water temps have cooled down and fish seem to be looking to feed throughout the day. The fish put on mad weight this summer and are in peak fighting condition right now. The water clarity is stained but the weeds are pretty much done dying off and nymphing has been good. The streamer bite has been hit or miss…. but hit it when it’s good and you won’t be able to think of much else for quite a while. We are still seeing tricos coming off late morning into early afternoon and there where quite a few caddis flying around yesterday. Midge are hatching daily and it won’t be long before the BWO hatches join the mix.
October 23rd:
What a difference a few days can make! We are happy to report that decaying “weed drift” on the river has greatly diminished and fishing has greatly improved. Water clarity will continue to be limited as lake turnover progresses on the reservoir but clarity is mostly in the one to two foot range the fish can pick out even the smallest of patterns. While larger food items will be eaten with fish are feeding opportunistically, stick with size 18 to 22’s whenever there is notable midge or mayfly activity.
The streamer bite can be excellent as water temps are back down in the ideal range with mornings, evenings and periods of inclement weather offering the best windows for consistent action.
Our guide trips are producing both good numbers and quality of fish so give us a call at (719) 543-3900 if you want to get on the schedule. The Drift employees only a select few local guides who have been fishing the tailwater for decades and are excited to share their knowledge with you. Treat yourself to a trip you will remember for years to come!
October 20th:
Congrats to Jeff B. on landing a studly 25″ buck brown trout over the weekend!
Conditions on the tailwater are variable as we transition from summer to fall conditions. It may seem odd that we are talking about this transition in late October but if you look at water temperatures, it all makes sense as we just started to see water temperatures from the dam start to trend down a little over a week ago. Cool nights have just recently accelerated that downward trend and the reservoir is now experience “fall turnover.” A time when the water column gradually flips, or turns over, as a result of cooling water temperatures at the surface of the reservoir sink to the bottom and force warmer water from the bottom up to the surface. This process will continue until equilibrium is reached, that being when the entire reservoir is about 39F. This process takes about two months, but the first few weeks has the biggest impact to fishing on the tailwater. The first effect is a notable decline in water clarity due to sediment in the reservoir being kicked up and then sucked through the dam. The water will appear chalky for several weeks and will limit sight fishing opportunities for the time being. The other effect is turnover has is the steady drop in water temperatures form out summertime highs in the mid-60’s. Yes, the water from Pueblo Reservoir reaches into the mid-60’s as it exits the dam in September and much of October. Therefore, the cool down of water temps has a very beneficial impact on trout and aquatic insects. Hatches are now shifting from early morning to late morning and early afternoon, with egg laying activity moving from late evening and after dark to the late afternoon hours. This means more fishing opportunities through the daylight hours moving forward.
There is another caveat to fishing conditions and that is decomposing weeds. With daylight declining at a rate of 3 to 4 minutes a day, weed growth has now turned to weed death and the result is a proliferation of drifting weed clumps in the current. This occurs every fall on rivers with water temps and velocities that facilitate significant weed growth. The past week was likely the peak of the “weed epidemic,” as the boost in flows helped to push through massive amounts of weeds that had collected along the banks. However, there is still a fair amount of weeds yet to release from the river bottom so this problem will persist to a certain degree for another week or two.
As far as hatches and fish behavior is concerned, things are going to improve rapidly over the coming weeks. The tricos are still out but their numbers are declining, as are the caddis. Midge have been very prolific and are often the prime bug to match. We are also seeing some tiny pseudocloeon mayflies (24-26) as well that will give way to the fall baetis hatches in a few weeks that are slightly larger in size (20-22). Keep in mind, there is also an abundance of leeches, juvenile crayfish, suckers and wild fingerling rainbows also on the menu, so if a hatch is not in progress, you may want to try some larger offerings.
The brown trout are moving into pre-spawn mode and will be spending more time in active feeding lies during the next four to six weeks than any other time of the year. If you are lucky enough to tangle with one of these trophy fish, please handle them carefully and release promptly to ensure they are in great shape when the spawn occurs in late November.
October 14th:
We saw a nice bump in flows this morning as a result of overnight rain throughout the basin. This should help flush much of the decaying weed growth in the tailwater and offer more fishable water to anglers. However, expect the lower reaches of the tailwater to have considerable amounts of weeds in the current today and tomorrow.
Tricos and caddis are still very active and will continue to be present through October. As water temps continue to cool there will also be increased baetis and midge hatches in the coming weeks. We are in a transitionary period now as things shift from summer to fall conditions so be prepared to experiment with fly selection from day to day.
October 13th:
Flows are back up to around 100 cfs and we are finally starting to see water temperatures trend down from the dam. It will take another week or two before water temps are back down in the ideal range but coupled with cooler weather moving in next week we expect the combination will be very beneficial for fishing. This shift in water temps will also delay hatches until later in the morning, with improved bug activity throughout the day resulting in more consistent feeding. Decaying weeds in the current are still an issue at times but this will also improve over the coming weeks. Despite some challenges, the opportunity for hooking into some quality fish is still very good and improving weekly, if not daily.
September 29th:
The morning trico hatch continues to be strong and offer good fishing for selectively feeding fish. Not that flows have dropped dry, double dry or dry/dropper set ups are often the preferred method for fishing many areas on the tailwater at this time. Decaying weeds can be problematic so try to minimize any excess knots when rigging as they are a catch point for weeks in the current. Caddis are returning to the lay eggs in the evening and this is creating another great dry fly fishing opportunity, particularly from dusk into dark.
The weather has been moderate recently and the days are getting shorter, however, please be aware that water temperatures are still on the upper end of what is healthy for trout. Be sure to play fish aggressively and keep them in the net AND in moving water when unhooking.
The Drift employees only local guides, including Head Guide Connell O’Grady, who has been fishing the tailwater for over 30 years and guiding exclusively on the tailwater for almost 20 years. Our newest addition to the guide staff is Eric Roger, who has been fishing the tailwater for over twenty years before becoming a guide. If you are looking to hire a guide to fish the Pueblo Tailwater, give us a call and rest assured you will be fishing with a local expert who will cater the trip to meet you specific needs. Tight lines!
Recommended Patterns:
F.O.D., Juju Baetis, Stalcup Baetis #18-22
Sparkle Wing Rs2 #20-22
Vis-A-Dun, Ext. Body BWO #18-22
Tube Wing Midge, Mercury Blk Beauty, Foamback Emerger #18 – 22
True Blood Midge #16-22
Squirrel Leech #10-14
Egg patterns #14-18
Streamers – Thinmint, Wounded Sculpin, Squirrel Leeches
UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER: Canon City to Salida
Date: January 2nd, 2026
Flow @ Wellsville: 311 cfs
Temperature: Upper 30’s to low 40s
Clarity: Good
January 2nd:
The upper Arkansas remains mostly ice free due to the mild weather and is still very fishable. This is a great option is you are looking for solitude and good numbers of medium size fish. With water temperatures frequently in the 30’s, fish are congregating in primary pools for the remainder of the winter. A heavy stonefly nymph with one or two midge pupa of the back is a consistent rig for fishing the upper Ark through January and February.
November 14th:
Mild weather has keep the bwo and midge hatches going on the upper Arkansas for the time being. The rainbow trout are still quite active while most of the brown trout are post spawn and in recover mode. Fish are moving to bigger pools with slower currents but will move to nearby riffles and heads of runs when bugs are hatching. Nymphing is the main technique to focus on but the afternoon hatch can bring fish to the surface for sort periods.
October 31st:
Water temps are dropping fast on the upper reaches of the Arkansas River and fall fishing will soon be turning into winter fishing. We probably have another two or three weeks of good BWO hatches that generally offer the last bit of consistent surface feeding until spring on the upper river. The browns are finishing up the spawn so watch where you wade to avoid trampling all those precious eggs.
October 13th:
Cooler weather has arrived, with night time lows bring water temps down into the ideal range for BWO and midge hatches. Expect to encounter selective feeding during peak hatch windows with small nymphs and pupa imitations being critical to success at these times. The brown trout are starting their spawn now so keep an eye out for beds and avoid actively spawning fish.
October 6th:
The cooler weather that has moved in should really trigger some great BWO hatches on the upper Arkansas. We expect great fishing the next two weeks before the browns really move into full spawn mode. Nymphing in the morning with small baetis nymphs and emergers will be effective. Early afternoon can produce good dry fly action on sz 18 & 20 adult imitations like Adams, Vis-a-Duns and extended body BWOs.
September 16th:
We are moving into fall fishing conditions on the upper Ark and BWO’s will soon be the primary hatch going forward. However, caddis, terrestrials and red quills are also productive patterns at this time. Dry/Dropper rigs continue to be effective much of the day but expect to rely more heavily on nymphing as we approach late September when there isn’t a noticeable hatch in progress.
September 3rd:
The Upper Ark is starting to transition from summer to fall conditions. Water temperatures are trending back down into the ideal range and flows are low and easily wadeable. Terrestrials and attractor dries are still producing well but you should expect to start downsizing your flies over the coming weeks as tricos, BWO’s’ and midge become more prolific. As water temperatures continue to cool and we move into late September, nymphing will become increasingly important. For now, dry fly and dry/dropper rigs are equally as effective as nymphing. The streamer action can be red hot as well through September and into early October so don’t overlook this fun way to catch fish on the fly.
August 21st:
The Voluntary Flow Program has ended for the summer and the flows on the upper Arkansas are now down to native levels. This makes float fishing a bit of a challenge, but allows full access to those wanting to wade fish. The dry fly fishing continues to be great on most days and when the fish aren’t looking up, they are generally very willing to eat a variety of nymphs and streamers subsurface. Red Quills are hatching and medium sized pheasant tails, as well as perdigon style flies in black, red and brown have been very productive subsurface. Morrish hopper, chubbies, parachute red quills and parachute caddis have been great dry fly options. Small to medium sized streamers like the thinmint and wounded sculpin in sz 6 – 10 are recommended as well. If you are out in the morning hours, be prepared for tricos as well!
August 6th:
The Upper Ark has fully cleared from the monsoon weather pattern in late July and flows are great for both wading and float fishing. The terrestrial action has been very good at times and there has been consistent caddis activity in the evenings to keep fish looking up. On the hot, bluebird days you may need to switch to nymphs or streamers to trigger eats until cloud cover moves. Red Quills are becoming more active and hatches should improve over the coming weeks.
Recommended Patterns:
Trico Spinners #20 – 22
BWO Adult & Adams #18 – 20
Juju Baetis & Mercury Rs2 #18 – 20
Napoleon Jigs #16 – 18
Tungsten Pheasant Tails #18 – 20
Parachute Caddis & Foam Caddis #16
Chubby Chernobyl #10 – 16
Hoppers #10-14
Streamers: Wounded Sculpin, Thinmint, Peanut Envy