Upper Basin: Leadville to Buena Vista
May 2, 2026
Flow in Hayden Meadows | 74 CFS |
|---|---|
Flow at Granite: | 99 CFS |
Water Temp: | 40s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
The upper basin is fishing well with a wide window of opportunity for quality fishing and both midge and blue wing olive hatches underway prompting aggressive feeding from resident trout. Milder weather is predicted in the valley for the foreseeable future which should encourage good activity from resident fish in prime areas around and north of BV. Any cloudy day ahead should prompt consistent blue wing olive hatches in the afternoons, but even the bluebird days can host localized hatches. Baetis nymphs (#18-20) are drifting daily in the afternoon. Expect fish to be in slower, deeper water in the mornings where they can hold without expending much energy, moving into shallower and sometimes faster feeding zones during the warmest hours of the day. With lower, clear flows you can expect fish to be more discerning so pay attention to available forage so you can closely match the natural insects with your imitations. Attractor patterns can still produce but you may find that realistic patterns are more productive as fish key in on specific food. Midges (#18-22) are important forage but immature golden stonefly nymph (8-14) offer opportunities to fish much larger flies to match the naturals.
Middle Basin: Buena Vista to Salida
May 2, 2026
Flow at Hecla Junction: | 281 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 45-55 degrees |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
Great fishing opportunities can be found in the middle basin as we head into May, with more mild weather in the foreseeable future. The cloudy, inclement weather in the forecast this week is producing some stellar blue wing olive hatches in all basins. Fishing is at its best from 10AM to 6PM. We are seeing fish consistently venture out into shallower and faster zones to feed, matching their activity to the water temperature and insect behavior. Baetis nymphs are on the move in the afternoons and cloudy weather continus to prompt very strong hatches of these mayflies after lunchtime. These can be some of the greatest match-the-hatch dry fly days of the year, so plan accordingly! Stock up on nymph, emerger, and dun imitations in 18-20. We have seen some early and isolated brachycentrus hatches up to Stone Bridge, but the majority of this hatch is yet to come above Salida. The cooler weather slowed caddis hatches mid-week, but weekend warmth and sun are again producing some hatches of caddis up through Salida. Midges (18-22) are still important forage and golden stonefly nymphs (8-14) offer a much larger meal opportunity and are a welcome sight for resident fish. Midge hatches are occurring daily and have also produced some great, technical dry fly fishing opportunities. 5x tippet is appropriate.
Lower Basin: Salida to Canon City
May 2, 2026
Flow at Wellsville: | 317 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 45-57 degrees |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
Brachycentrus caddis hatches have resumed in upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon this weekend. The leading edge of the hatch seems to be just above Salida, but hatches are still occuring way down on the river below town. Often, runoff interrupts this hatch as it moves upstream but this year's low snowpack may allow a much longer and widespread caddis event than we typically experience. Average size on the naturals is 16 but imitations will range from 14-18 depending on the pattern. An active presentation can be advantageous compared to a dead drift when fishing a dry fly, as caddis adults are known to be animated on the water before taking flight. Soft hackle caddis pupae fished as a dropper or on the swing should also be considered to imitate the emergent phase of the insect. Don't be surprised to see small pockets of caddis hatches upstream of the bulk of the insect activity as the river warms. Generally 54 degrees in water temperature is the target for finding the leading edge of the hatch, but this season we are seeing some variance due to the early warming of the lower basin's temperatures. Warm weather through Wednesday should incite more active caddis hatches, but cooler weather later may favor baetis and midges. To make matters more intriguing are the craneflies that have also entered the arena. Averaging a 14, these large dipterans often hover right above the water's surface and can incite splashy, slashing rises from feeding trout, much like you see on hatching caddis.
More widespread and more consistent than the caddis are the ongoing hatches of blue wing olive mayflies. We have seen some incredibly dense mayfly hatches this week with the cloudier, humid weather. These are ideal conditions for this hatch and the insects are playing right along. Though the strongest hatches usually occur on cloudy afternoons, even bluebird days produce some strong, localized mayfly hatches and trout are definitely taking advantage. Regardless of weather, expect baetis nymphs to engage in behavioral drift each afternoon as they distribute through the river. These insects are best imitated by offerings in 18-20, depending on the pattern. 5x tippet is appropriate, and fluorocarbon is recommended to all subsurface offerings due to the low, clear water.