Upper Basin: Leadville to Buena Vista
March 11, 2026
Flow in Hayden Meadows | ~50 CFS |
|---|---|
Flow at Granite: | ~85 CFS |
Water Temp: | 30s-low 40s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
The upper basin is the coldest and will offer the shortest productive window of fishing on the river, though warm afternoons can still be worthwhile in the right areas. Midday fishing is remarkably productive due to milder weather than normal. There is relatively little ice to contend with in the upper basin. Warmer weather is predicted for the valley for the foreseeable future which should encourage good activity from resident fish in prime areas around and north of BV. 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 your primary forage but molting golden stonefly nymph (8-14) offer opportunities to fish much larger flies to match the naturals.
Middle Basin: Buena Vista to Salida
March 11, 2026
Flow at Hecla Junction: | ~230 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 30s-40s |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
Warm weather is forecasted again for the valley this week and great fishing opportunities persist in the middle basin as we move kickoff March. Fishing is at its best from 10AM to 4PM. We are seeing more and more venture out into shallower and faster zones to feed, matching their activity to the increase in water temperature. Midges (#18-22) are your primary forage but molting golden stonefly nymphs (8-14) offer a much larger meal opportunity and are a welcome sight for resident fish. Baetis nymphs are on the move in the afternoons and we anticipate consistent hatches of blue wing olives earlier than normal as a result of the warm weather. MIdge hatches are occurring daily and have produced some great, technical dry fly fishing opportunities and the few mayfly hatches we've experienced have produced more of the same, though they are still inconsistent this early in the season on mostly bright, sunny days. Expect cloudy, humid days to produce very strong baetis hatches through the rest of March and well into April. 4x-5x tippet is appropriate.
Lower Basin: Salida to Canon City
March 11, 2026
Flow at Wellsville: | 245 CFS |
|---|---|
Water Temp | 38-50 degrees |
Water Clarity: | Clear |
Bighorn Sheep Canyon is in great shape and is fishing well for early March, offering a wider productive window on the water than the river further north. The week begins again with highs in the 50s and 60s this week and when combined with mild nighttime temperatures are offering excellent fishing opportunities for this time of year. Water temperatures are remarkably warm, with daytime highs measuring around 50 degrees below Salida. The fish are responding accordingly, moving into much shallower water close to their winter lies to feed. Feeding behavior is more aggressive, too, with fish moving quite a bit further to intercept a drifting morsel. Midges (#18-22) are the primary forage with sporadic hatches prompting localized surface feeding from trout. We're also seeing fish feed consistently on golden stonefly nymphs as the naturals undergo their seasonal molt underwater. These can be imitated by nymphs in the #10-12 range. Blue wing olive nymphs are also making their presence known, and a little ahead of schedule, and are probably the favored food item after noon. It's reasonable to expect hatches to begin earlier than normal due to milder weather, and we've seen a FEW duns out already amidst the clouds of midges. These are best imitated by offerings in #18-20, particularly in the afternoons when their activity is at its daily peak. Expect cloudy, humid days to produce very strong baetis hatches through the rest of March and well into April. 4x-5x tippet is appropriate, and fluorocarbon is recommended to all subsurface offerings due to the low, clear water.