Arkansas River Tailwater, Pueblo
Fishing Report for the Arkansas River Tailwater, Pueblo:
Date: April 25th, 2024
Flow: 780 cfs
Temperature: 48F from the dam, 46 – 54F Downstream
Clarity: Good 3-4′
April 23rd:
The tailwater is seeing elevated flows for this time of year due to downstream water calls but the river is running clear and the fish are quite happy with extra water. It does mean tougher wader conditions but the entire river is still accessible at this flow and if you think it too high (compared to ultra low winter flows) you really are missing out on some exceptional fishing. Midge in the morning and BWO’s in the early afternoon have kept hungry, post-spawn fish on the feed much of the day!
If you are not familiar with fishing the tailwater at these flows, you might consider going out with one of our guides to help get you up to speed quickly and confidently.
We’ve been fielding calls about floating the tailwater this spring and overall it is not advised for several reasons. First, the fishing is simply much better on foot than from a boat. Fish are selectively feeding on small midge and BWOs and a precise drift from a moving boat is difficult. Secondly, there are still a lot of wading anglers on the river until runoff starts in late May and that can make things get confrontational on a busy tailwater. Finally, work is still in progress on the Southside diversion and passage below Nature center is not possible due to the active construction site. Also be aware that boats MUST BE hand launched and hand removed from the river. There are NO trailer accessible ramps. While floating the tailwater is possible from below Juniper Bridge to the Nature Center when flows are AT LEAST 500 cfs, it fishes best from a boat on the downside of runoff in late June and July.
Recommended Patterns:
BWO Nymph/Emerger: FOD, Darth Baetis, Barr’s Emerger #18-22
BWO Adult: Barr’s Vis-A-Dun, Parachute BWO, CDC Comparadun Baetis #18-22
Midge Pupa: New Moon, Tube Wing Midge, Top Secret, Foamback Emerger #20-24
Midge Dry: Griffith’s Gnat, Eric’s Midge and Hanging Midge #20-22
Other: Egg patterns, Squirrel Leeches, Blood Midge
UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER: Canon City to Salida
Date: April 25th, 2024
Flow @ Wellsville: 550 cfs, and expected to rise
Temperature: 48 – 58F
Clarity: Variable, currently heavily stained with 12 – 18″ vis
Flows in Bighorn Sheep Canyon have begun to rise with mid-elevation snow melt and the water clarity was heavily stained as of the 25th. This is really just a prelude to runoff and certainly not the start of the main snow melt that is probably a good three weeks away. However, we do expect to see flows on the upper Ark continue to rise over the next day or two as water releases begin from Turquoise Reservoir. The call is to add about 350 cfs to river over the next 24 hours, which should bring the river up into the 750 – 900 cfs range at Wellsville. There will likely be an initial drop in water clarity as some streamside sediment will be captured by the higher flow but this should work it’s way through the canyon by Saturday and the end result will be improved water clarity by the influx of reservoir water. Of course, the potential for rain may also play a factor in overall river conditions through the weekend. By this time Monday, we should have a fairly good idea of how it’s all going to play out this weekend. Don’t you love springtime in the Rockies!
Recommended Patterns:
Caddis pupa: Tungsten Trapper, Graphic Caddis, Partridge Caddis #14-16
Caddis Adult: Peacock Caddis, Foam Caddis (black), Parachute Caddis #14-16
BWO Nymph/Emerger: FOD, Darth Baetis, Barr’s Emerger #18-22
BWO Adult: Barr’s Vis-A-Dun, Parachute BWO, CDC Comparadun Baetis #18-22
Other: Craven’s Two Bit Stone & Mercer’s Poxyback Golden Stone #10-14,
Streamers: Thinmint, Wounded Sculpin, Peanut Envy – Black, Olive and White