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Recent Guide Reports
Jan 23
ArkAnglers
Saturday 1/23, 2021
Flow at Wellsville: 270 cfs
Water Temp.: 30s to low 40s.
Clarity: Clear, minimal ice flow in the morning
Saturday Report - Braden Baker
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
The valley is finally seeing some warmer winter weather this week, with lows in the high teens-20s and highs in the 30s-40s near Salida. This is a much better weather trend than we've seen in a couple weeks, and should make for more enjoyable and productive conditions on the Arkansas River. There's snow in the forecast Sunday through Tuesday, but temperatures should remain mild and if you dress appropriately the river should still yield some good opportunities. We've had good reports this week through the milder weather, and a lot of edge ice has melted away making access to the river a little easier. The water is generally running clear but with the warmer temperatures sporadic ice melt may stain the river temporarily here and there, but not to the point where it will impact the fishing too much. Typically you'll find your best window of opportunity to be 10am to 2pm. If you find yourself fishing in the shade, move! Sunny areas will be far more productive. Flows are excellent for wade anglers, but you may have to work across treacherous snow and ice banks to reach the water. Expect to find fish congregated in or very near deeper, slower runs and pools where they can hold without wasting much energy through the colder months. Simply put, expect more fish in fewer places. Not every pool will always hold fish, but where you find one trout you will usually find several.
Midge hatches may yield some surface feeding at times, but most of the feeding during the winter will be subsurface. Midge larve and pupa are important as they remain available throughout the colder months, and pairing one of these small offerings with a larger attractor fly like a golden stonefly nymph is a great way to appeal to both the opportunistic nature of our brown trout as well as match the smaller, more plentiful menu items. Caddis larva are active in the mornings and can be another effective offering when paired with stonefly nymphs and midges. It pays to really slow down your approach this time of year, thoroughly working likely water by making regular adjustments to depth and weight. Expect strikes to be subtle in the cold water, so set the hook on any whisper of an indication of a take.
Generally, we find fish holding in deeper, slower pools but keep in mind that they will still move into nearby riffles and runs to forage when the food is there, even shallow riffles with 2' of depth. The deeper water provides shelter and security, but fish will still occupy slightly faster water to take advantage of concentrated flows of food. While a dry-dropper setup can still be effective, nymphing will offer more flexibility to adjust to different styles of water that are available at the lower flows. Be thoughtful in your approach to the river, as fish are spooky in the low, clear water.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796
Open Thursday-Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Flow at Wellsville: 270 cfs
Water Temp.: 30s to low 40s.
Clarity: Clear, minimal ice flow in the morning
Saturday Report - Braden Baker
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
The valley is finally seeing some warmer winter weather this week, with lows in the high teens-20s and highs in the 30s-40s near Salida. This is a much better weather trend than we've seen in a couple weeks, and should make for more enjoyable and productive conditions on the Arkansas River. There's snow in the forecast Sunday through Tuesday, but temperatures should remain mild and if you dress appropriately the river should still yield some good opportunities. We've had good reports this week through the milder weather, and a lot of edge ice has melted away making access to the river a little easier. The water is generally running clear but with the warmer temperatures sporadic ice melt may stain the river temporarily here and there, but not to the point where it will impact the fishing too much. Typically you'll find your best window of opportunity to be 10am to 2pm. If you find yourself fishing in the shade, move! Sunny areas will be far more productive. Flows are excellent for wade anglers, but you may have to work across treacherous snow and ice banks to reach the water. Expect to find fish congregated in or very near deeper, slower runs and pools where they can hold without wasting much energy through the colder months. Simply put, expect more fish in fewer places. Not every pool will always hold fish, but where you find one trout you will usually find several.
Midge hatches may yield some surface feeding at times, but most of the feeding during the winter will be subsurface. Midge larve and pupa are important as they remain available throughout the colder months, and pairing one of these small offerings with a larger attractor fly like a golden stonefly nymph is a great way to appeal to both the opportunistic nature of our brown trout as well as match the smaller, more plentiful menu items. Caddis larva are active in the mornings and can be another effective offering when paired with stonefly nymphs and midges. It pays to really slow down your approach this time of year, thoroughly working likely water by making regular adjustments to depth and weight. Expect strikes to be subtle in the cold water, so set the hook on any whisper of an indication of a take.
Generally, we find fish holding in deeper, slower pools but keep in mind that they will still move into nearby riffles and runs to forage when the food is there, even shallow riffles with 2' of depth. The deeper water provides shelter and security, but fish will still occupy slightly faster water to take advantage of concentrated flows of food. While a dry-dropper setup can still be effective, nymphing will offer more flexibility to adjust to different styles of water that are available at the lower flows. Be thoughtful in your approach to the river, as fish are spooky in the low, clear water.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796
Open Thursday-Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Jan 14
ArkAnglers
Thursday 1/14, 2021
Flow at Wellsville: 267 cfs
Water Temp.: 30s to low 40s.
Clarity: Ice flows in the mornings, fishable most days after 11am
Thursday Report - Braden Baker
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
The valley is finally seeing some warmer winter weather this week, with lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s near Salida. This is a much better weather trend than we've seen in a couple weeks, and should make for more enjoyable and productive conditions on the Arkansas River. The river is generally running clear, except for a little slush floating through on the colder mornings. With the warmer temperatures, sporadic ice melt may stain the river temporarily here and there, but not to the point where it will impact the fishing too much. Typically you'll find your best window of opportunity to be 11am to 2pm. If you find yourself fishing in the shade, move! Sunny areas will be far more productive. Flows are excellent for wade anglers, but you may have to work across treacherous snow and ice banks to reach the water. Expect to find fish congregated in or very near deeper, slower runs and pools where they can hold without wasting much energy through the colder months. Simply put, expect more fish in fewer places. Not every pool will always hold fish, but where you find one trout you will usually find several.
Midge hatches may yield some surface feeding at times, but most of the feeding during the winter will be subsurface. Midge larve and pupa are important as they remain available throughout the colder months, and pairing one of these small offerings with a larger attractor fly like a golden stonefly nymph is a great way to appeal to both the opportunistic nature of our brown trout as well as match the smaller, more plentiful menu items. Caddis larva are active in the mornings and can be another effective offering when paired with stonefly nymphs and midges. It pays to really slow down your approach this time of year, thoroughly working likely water by making regular adjustments to depth and weight. Expect strikes to be subtle in the cold water, so set the hook on any whisper of an indication of a take.
Generally, we find fish holding in deeper, slower pools but keep in mind that they will still move into nearby riffles and runs to forage when the food is there, even shallow riffles with 2' of depth. The deeper water provides shelter and security, but fish will still occupy slightly faster water to take advantage of concentrated flows of food. While a dry-dropper setup can still be effective, nymphing will offer more flexibility to adjust to different styles of water that are available at the lower flows. Be thoughtful in your approach to the river, as fish are spooky in the low, clear water.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796
Open Thursday-Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Flow at Wellsville: 267 cfs
Water Temp.: 30s to low 40s.
Clarity: Ice flows in the mornings, fishable most days after 11am
Thursday Report - Braden Baker
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
The valley is finally seeing some warmer winter weather this week, with lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s near Salida. This is a much better weather trend than we've seen in a couple weeks, and should make for more enjoyable and productive conditions on the Arkansas River. The river is generally running clear, except for a little slush floating through on the colder mornings. With the warmer temperatures, sporadic ice melt may stain the river temporarily here and there, but not to the point where it will impact the fishing too much. Typically you'll find your best window of opportunity to be 11am to 2pm. If you find yourself fishing in the shade, move! Sunny areas will be far more productive. Flows are excellent for wade anglers, but you may have to work across treacherous snow and ice banks to reach the water. Expect to find fish congregated in or very near deeper, slower runs and pools where they can hold without wasting much energy through the colder months. Simply put, expect more fish in fewer places. Not every pool will always hold fish, but where you find one trout you will usually find several.
Midge hatches may yield some surface feeding at times, but most of the feeding during the winter will be subsurface. Midge larve and pupa are important as they remain available throughout the colder months, and pairing one of these small offerings with a larger attractor fly like a golden stonefly nymph is a great way to appeal to both the opportunistic nature of our brown trout as well as match the smaller, more plentiful menu items. Caddis larva are active in the mornings and can be another effective offering when paired with stonefly nymphs and midges. It pays to really slow down your approach this time of year, thoroughly working likely water by making regular adjustments to depth and weight. Expect strikes to be subtle in the cold water, so set the hook on any whisper of an indication of a take.
Generally, we find fish holding in deeper, slower pools but keep in mind that they will still move into nearby riffles and runs to forage when the food is there, even shallow riffles with 2' of depth. The deeper water provides shelter and security, but fish will still occupy slightly faster water to take advantage of concentrated flows of food. While a dry-dropper setup can still be effective, nymphing will offer more flexibility to adjust to different styles of water that are available at the lower flows. Be thoughtful in your approach to the river, as fish are spooky in the low, clear water.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796
Open Thursday-Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Jan 07
ArkAnglers
Thursday 1/7, 2021
Flow at Wellsville: 256 cfs
Water Temp.: 30s to low 40s.
Clarity: Ice flows in the mornings, fishable most days after 11am
Thursday Report - Braden Baker
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
We've got cold weather in the forecast for at least the next week with nights down in the single digits and days in the 20s and 30s. This is not an ideal weather pattern for fishing, but open water can be found on most days around noon in the Salida area. With cold nighttime lows, expect ice flow in the river most every morning. Once the sun has some time to warm things the river clears around 11-11:30am most mornings and is fishable through the middle of the day. If you find yourself fishing in the shade, move! Sunny areas will be far more productive. Flows are excellent for wade anglers, but you may have to work across treacherous snow and ice banks to reach the water. Expect to find fish congregated in or very near deeper, slower runs and pools where they can hold without wasting much energy through the colder months. Simply put, expect more fish in fewer places. Not every pool will always hold fish, but where you find one trout you will usually find several.
Midge hatches may yield some surface feeding at times, but most of the feeding during the winter will be subsurface. Midge larve and pupa are important as they remain available throughout the colder months, and pairing one of these small offerings with a larger attractor fly like a golden stonefly nymph is a great way to appeal to both the opportunistic nature of our brown trout as well as match the smaller, more plentiful menu items. Caddis larva are active in the mornings and can be another effective offering when paired with stonefly nymphs and midges. It pays to really slow down your approach this time of year, thoroughly working likely water by making regular adjustments to depth and weight. Expect strikes to be subtle in the cold water, so set the hook on any whisper of an indication of a take.
Generally, we find fish holding in deeper, slower pools but keep in mind that they will still move into nearby riffles and runs to forage when the food is there, even shallow riffles with 2' of depth. The deeper water provides shelter and security, but fish will still occupy slightly faster water to take advantage of concentrated flows of food. While a dry-dropper setup can still be effective, nymphing will offer more flexibility to adjust to different styles of water that are available at the lower flows. Be thoughtful in your approach to the river, as fish are spooky in the low, clear water.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796
Open Thursday-Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.
Flow at Wellsville: 256 cfs
Water Temp.: 30s to low 40s.
Clarity: Ice flows in the mornings, fishable most days after 11am
Thursday Report - Braden Baker
COVID-19 Chaffee County is the best resource for up to date information on the county.
We've got cold weather in the forecast for at least the next week with nights down in the single digits and days in the 20s and 30s. This is not an ideal weather pattern for fishing, but open water can be found on most days around noon in the Salida area. With cold nighttime lows, expect ice flow in the river most every morning. Once the sun has some time to warm things the river clears around 11-11:30am most mornings and is fishable through the middle of the day. If you find yourself fishing in the shade, move! Sunny areas will be far more productive. Flows are excellent for wade anglers, but you may have to work across treacherous snow and ice banks to reach the water. Expect to find fish congregated in or very near deeper, slower runs and pools where they can hold without wasting much energy through the colder months. Simply put, expect more fish in fewer places. Not every pool will always hold fish, but where you find one trout you will usually find several.
Midge hatches may yield some surface feeding at times, but most of the feeding during the winter will be subsurface. Midge larve and pupa are important as they remain available throughout the colder months, and pairing one of these small offerings with a larger attractor fly like a golden stonefly nymph is a great way to appeal to both the opportunistic nature of our brown trout as well as match the smaller, more plentiful menu items. Caddis larva are active in the mornings and can be another effective offering when paired with stonefly nymphs and midges. It pays to really slow down your approach this time of year, thoroughly working likely water by making regular adjustments to depth and weight. Expect strikes to be subtle in the cold water, so set the hook on any whisper of an indication of a take.
Generally, we find fish holding in deeper, slower pools but keep in mind that they will still move into nearby riffles and runs to forage when the food is there, even shallow riffles with 2' of depth. The deeper water provides shelter and security, but fish will still occupy slightly faster water to take advantage of concentrated flows of food. While a dry-dropper setup can still be effective, nymphing will offer more flexibility to adjust to different styles of water that are available at the lower flows. Be thoughtful in your approach to the river, as fish are spooky in the low, clear water.
Follow us on instagram at @ArkAnglers!
Salida Location - 7500 W. Highway 50, Salida, CO 81201. (719) 539-3474.
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm.
Buena Vista Location - 517 S. Highway 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211. (719) 395-1796
Open Thursday-Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
Email [email protected] with questions or to make your reservation.