The Drift Fly Shop

UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER: Canon City to Salida

Date: January 30th, 2026

Flow @ Wellsville: 311 cfs

Temperature:  33 – 38F, morning slush common but fishable mid-day 

Clarity: Good 

January 30th:

True winter conditions have finally arrived on the “Upper Ark” with water temps remaining in the 30’s throughout the day.  Ice formation is a factor is some areas but fishing is still possible on most of the river, with morning slush flows and cold water temps the primary considerations.  Fish have made their mini-migration to deep winter pools with moderate currents where they can conserve energy until the arrival of spring.  If you are looking for solitude and don’t mind a shortened fishing window, the upper Ark still has some good fishing opportunities.  Find a good pool with sun exposure and moderate currents and you may have a few hundred fish at your disposal.  We recommend a nymph rig with a heavy golden stonefly imitation and two midge pupa/larva imitations.  Dial in your depth and expect takes to be extra subtle, partly because you may have over 8′ of tippet between your indicator and flies.     

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