Roaring Fork River
Lower (Below Carbondale)

LOWER ROARING FORK - CARBONDALE DOWNSTREAM TO GLENWOOD
FLOW: 440 CFS in Glenwood Springs
WATER CLARITY: Very low and Clear
OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 10
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Blue Winged Olive nymphs, Midges, Sculpins
THE LOW DOWN: Annual spawning closures are in effect at 3 Mile and 4 Mile Creeks in Glenwood Springs. You'll see the signs, please give these essential areas a wide berth.

Hatches are very thick now, comprising of spring blue winged olives and midges!

Construction on Westbank boat ramp will continue through the end of March, expect some color downstream from the heavy machinery when river work takes place. Add that to the color commonly spewed from the Crystal after moisture and this section can get pretty muddy.
HATCHES: Blue Winged Olives 18-22, Midges 18-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
NYMPHS: Rust Murder She Wrote 18-20, Tim Heng's BLM 18-20, Tungsten Two Bead Nymph Black 18-20, Bead Head Swiss Straw Emerger 16-18, Stott's Raisinette 20, Stott's Mercury Bad Carl Grey 20, BMW Foam Top RS2 Black 20-22, Mercury Bead RS2 Grey 22, Pandemic BWO Emerger 20-22, Freestone Emerger Olive 22, Internal Wire Tube Midge Black/Red 20, Desert Storm Midge Fluor. Orange 22, TC Custom Midge Red/Clear 20-22
DRIES: Improved Sparkle Dun BWO 18-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Roy's Special Emerger 20, Adams 18-22, TC Custom Collette's Para BWO 20-22, Hackle Dun Baetis 20-22, Mike Lawson's No-Hackle BWO 20-22, Mole Fly Baetis 20-22, Brook's Sprout Midge Grey 20-22, Bill Fitzsimmon's Midge Adult 22, Bill's Midge Emerger 22-24, Antonio's Hi-Vis Quill Midge Emerger 20-22, Harrop's Midge Adult Black 20-22
STREAMERS: Craven's Swim Coach, Circus Peanut, Grease Monkey, Barr's Slumpbuster, Devourer of Souls, Hansen's Meal Ticket, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor,
HINTS: Generally, cloudy days tend to produce the best action.

Upper Roaring Fork: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/uv/?site_no=09076300&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060

Middle Roaring Fork: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09081000

Lower Roaring Fork: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09085000

MIDDLE ROARING FORK - BASALT DOWNSTREAM TO CARBONDALE
FLOW: 220 CFS
WATER CLARITY: Very low and clear
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 10
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Midges, Blue Winged Olive nymphs, Sculpins
THE LOWDOWN: With cold overnight temps, it's normal for the river to be slushy and crunchy into the afternoon. Ice is now common and extending in shelves along the bank, so tread carefully. PLEASE NOTE: keep an eye upstream, as multiple ice jams have been letting loose as of late, and ice and anglers don't tend to get along (don't ask how we know).

It's the time of year where our middle and lower Fork boxes mirror our Fryingpan boxes with their tiny nymphs and understated dries. Midge and BWO activity is most prevalent. In all honesty, it's a real nymphing game right now; we're not seeing much in the way of hatches. Now that we're into the dead of winter, look for the slower, deeper water where fish need not expend much energy.

There's not a lot of public access mid-valley, but local favorites are Catherine Store, behind Crown Mountain Park, and the section along Two Rivers Road here in Basalt.
HATCHES: Midges 18-24

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS
NYMPHS: Mercury Bead RS2 Grey 22, Tungsten Zebra Midge Red 20-22, T Midge Black 24, Stott's Good Carl 20, Jigged Tungsten Red Tie PT 18-20, Tungsten Rainbow Warrior 20-22, Murder, She Wrote Epoxyback Rust 20, Thorax BWO Emerger 20-22, Jigged JuJu BWO 20, Egg 16-18
DRIES: Traditional Adams 18-22, Fitzsimmon's Midge Adult Black 22, Harrop's CDC Spent Midge Black 22-24, Morgan's Midge Dark 24, Brook's Sprout Midge Grey 22-24, Hackle Dun Baetis 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, TC Custom Sparkle Dun BWO 18-20
STREAMERS: Tungsten Double Mint, Tungsten Thin Mint, Craven's Baby Gonga, Carlton Banks, Circus Peanut, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor
HINTS: Fish the banks first- trout are lazy!