The Drift Fly Shop

Pueblo Tailwater Fishing Report: Pueblo Dam down to I-25

Date: October 5th, 2026

Flow below dam:  108 cfs combined flow (87cfs from the dam and 21cfs from the hatchery outflow)     

Temperature:  58F From the Dam, 58 – 64F Downstream

Clarity:  Good

**** Please note that the sewage spill on Aug 30th did not affect the tailwater in any way.  In fact, the spill occurred 2 miles EAST of I-25.  Unfortunately, the news outlets showed images of the river many miles upstream of the spill, giving the public a false impression of the waters affected. *****

 

October 5th:

Flows have come back down after the big rains last week so we are sitting just over 100 cfs with the hatchery outflow at this time.   Water temperatures have moderated finally and are remaining in a healthy range throughout the day from the dam all the way through town.  October is generally a month of transition on the tailwater as the trico and caddis hatches gradually taper off and the midge and BWO hatches build.  With warm, sunny weather forecast into next week, you can expect to see good late push of trico and caddis hatches with good dry fly activity during morning and evening hours.  There are also plentiful juvenile crayfish, suckers and leeches this time of year so play around with some larger patterns when bug activity is not prolific.  Egg patterns can be effective as well with the brown trout well into pre-spawn mode.  The next bout of cool fall weather should jump start the BWO hatches so keep an eye out for them once the weather changes.  In the meantime, the pseudocloeon mayflies will be hatching mid day and are nearly identical to BWO’s with the exception of being a size or two smaller. 

 

October 1st:

Fishing has been very good on the tailwater and the recent rains are improving flows and water temperatures as we head into fall.  Today’s increase of 150 cfs brought flows up to around 350 cfs, which will likely be as high as we get from this storm.  The following week looks mostly dry so we expect flows to taper down in a manner that mimics inflows.  Tricos and caddis remain the top hatches but midge and pseudocloeon mayflies are also hatching.  The browns are in prespawn mode and looking to add some extra calories to their diet before the spawn begins in early November.

Now that water temperatures have moderated, the river is fishable throughout the day from the dam all the way through town.  We have openings in our guide schedule so give us a call if you’d like to set up a trip.

Tightlines!

 

September 28th Update:

Flows have trended down a bit the past two days but we are expecting healthy rainfall the new three days and expect flows to be back up over 100 cfs very soon.  Meanwhile, water temps are remaining in the ideal range and fish will be much more active throughout the day with the cloud cover.   Expect good hatches combined with opportunistic feeding in between.

 

September 25th Update:

 Upper basin rainfall has resulted in improved flows below the dam!  Get out and enough these great early fall conditions.  The browns are getting extra frisky before the spawn starts in November and fish will be prime condition and coloration over the next six to eight weeks.  These prespawn fish often will be receptive to leeches, eggs and scuds, in addition to the smaller match the hatch mayfly and midge patterns. 

 

September 21st:

The tailwater is turning the corner on summer and moving into fall conditions.  The shorter days and cooler nights have moderated water temps on the tailwater to the point that fishing the downtown stretch is once again a viable option in the morning hours, while water temps on the upper half of the tailwater remain in the optimal range throughout the day.  Fishing is also benefitting from slightly increased flows due to upper basin rainfall.  Hatches are still comprised primarily of tricos, caddis and midge, along with terrestrials and the recent addition of pseudocloeon mayflies. (a.k.a. pseudo baetis)

     

September 8th:

Water temps are still holding at 57F from the dam which is great new as this is keeping water temperatures in the safe zone all the way down to the Nature Center.  Expect technical fishing during the morning trico emergence and subsequent spinner fall with many fish feeding on the surface during the peak of the hatch and spinner fall.  Late afternoon/evening fishing has been more varied and often depends largely on what the weather is doing.  Clear evenings with little wind will generally produce more surface feeding while overcast/windy evening require nymphs and/or small streamers.

 

Aug 27th:

The tailwater is benefiting greatly from colder than normal water from the dam compared to typical years.  In fact, last year at this time the water temperature from the dam was over 64F and currently it is hovering around 57F.  We saw a similar phenomenon in 2012, the last notable drought year, when water temps trended about 5 degrees cooler than normal.  While I won’t pretend to fully understand why this happening, I sure am grateful!  The cooler water is keeping fish healthy and active on the first three to four miles of the tailwater and creating very good morning and late evening fishing opportunities.   We’ve been saying this for three months now but the TRICOS are still going strong and should continue to do so well into October.  Caddis midge and tiny PMDs are also present and of interest to the fish.  The low flows are make for some very exciting, albeit challenging, dry fly fishing during peak hatch periods.  Finesse nymphing and even some streamer tactics are proving effective as well.

 

Recommended Patterns:

UV Midge, Ninja, Bling Midge  #20 – 22

Barrs Emerger & Foam Back Emergers #20 – 22

RS2 & Sparkle Wing Rs2 #20 – 22

AK’s Trico Dun #22

Craven’s Lil’ Bit # 18 – 20

Griffiths Gnat #18 – 22

Parachute Caddis & Missing Link #14 – 16

True Blood Midge #16 – 22

Streamers: Wounded Sculpin, Jiggy Mini Buggers & Jiggy Poacher