Roaring Fork River
Lower (Below Carbondale)

LOWER ROARING FORK- CARBONDALE TO GLENWOOD
FLOW: approximately 3720 cfs in Glenwood Springs
WATER CONDITIONS: Pretty blown out this week, temperatures are sure warming up in the valley.
OVERALL RATING: 2 out of 10
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, Midge adults, BWO adults, emergers and nymphs, PMD nymphs, worms, craneflies, sculpins
THE LOW DOWN: We have entered full run off, water is high and muddy. Fish could possibly be found hugging the banks in soft water. Nymphing is still most productive until we see a resurgence of caddis and when the drakes show up.

Give a call to the shop for all updated reports on fishing and water clarity, we have a historic snowpack and it will be a big water year!
HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, BWOs 18-20, Midges 18-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
NYMPHS: Tung PT 18-20, BLMs 18-20, Freestone Emerger 20, RS2s 20-22, Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Thread Body Baetis 18-20, Soft Hackle BWO 20-22, Imposters 20-22, Cat Poop 8-12, San Juan Worm 10
DRIES: Missing Link Caddis 14-18, Tan Elk Hair Caddis 14-18, Perfect Baetis 20, Collett's Para BWO 18-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Roy's Special Fryingpan Emerger 20-22, CDC Comparadun 18-20, Hatching Midge 20-22, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Morgans Midge 18-20, Sprout Midge 18-20, Skittering Zelon Midge 20-22, Griffiths Gnat 20
HINTS: Watching an indicator got you down? Try busting out some streamers on the cloudy days.

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: 3800 cfs in Basalt
WATER CONDITIONS: Running high and off color, runoff is here.
OVERALL RATING: 2 out of 10
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, Midges, BWO adults and nymphs, golden stoneflies, craneflies, PMD nymphs, worms, sculpins
THE LOW DOWN: The Fork around Basalt has been blown out recently, but you can still bag a few fish in the afternoons along the banks. Short and sweet rigs will fool a few fish, they still gotta eat!

Nymph fishing is still most productive with tiny and shiny flies being the main producers. We are also starting to fish more stonefly nymphs. You might see a few molting on the side of the banks, and it's a great lead fly to get the fish's attention, be sure to get your flies DOWN.
HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, BWOs 18-22, Midges 20-24

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS
NYMPHS: BLMs 18-20, Prince Nymphs 18-20, Pheasant Tails 18-24, Freestone Emerger 20, BH Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Sparklewing RS2 20-22, Tailwater Assassin 20-22, Imposter 20-22, Lil Foamy 18-20, Neon Nightmare 20-22, Cat Poop 8-12
DRIES: Elk Hair Caddis 16-18, Pearl and Elk Caddis 16-18, Collett's Parachute BWO 18-22, Perfect Baetis 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Hatching Midge 20-22, Morgan's Para Midge 20-22
HINTS: 4x and 5x tippet is more productive right now with lower flows and clear water.

LOWER ROARING FORK- CARBONDALE TO GLENWOOD
FLOW: approximately 6640 cfs in Glenwood Springs
WATER CONDITIONS: Pretty blown out this week, temperatures are sure warming up in the valley.
OVERALL RATING: 2 out of 10
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, Midge adults, BWO adults, emergers and nymphs, sculpins
THE LOW DOWN: We have now seemed to enter full run off, water is high and muddy. Fish could possibly be found hugging the banks in soft water. Nymphing is still most productive until we see a resurgence of caddis and when the drakes show up.

Give a call to the shop for all updated reports on fishing and water clarity, we have a historic snowpack and it will be a big water year!
HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, BWOs 18-20, Midges 18-26
APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
NYMPHS: Tung PT 18-20, BLMs 18-20, Freestone Emerger 20, RS2s 20-22, Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Thread Body Baetis 18-20, Soft Hackle BWO 20-22, Imposters 20-22, Cat Poop 8-12, San Juan Worm 10
DRIES: Missing Link Caddis 14-18, Tan Elk Hair Caddis 14-18, Perfect Baetis 20, Collett's Para BWO 18-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Roy's Special Fryingpan Emerger 20-22, CDC Comparadun 18-20, Hatching Midge 20-22, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Morgans Midge 18-20, Sprout Midge 18-20, Skittering Zelon Midge 20-22, Griffiths Gnat 20
HINTS: Watching an indicator got you down? Try busting out some streamers on the cloudy days.

Upper Roaring Fork: http://www.dwr.state.co.us/SurfaceWater/data/detail_graph.aspx?ID=ROABMCCO&MTYPE=DISCHRG

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: 2640 cfs in Basalt
WATER CONDITIONS: Running high and off color, run off is here.
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 10
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, Midges, BWO adults and nymphs, sculpins
THE LOW DOWN: The Fork around Basalt has been pretty darn good one day, blown the next. We are seeing the first waves of the caddis swarm up here, and BWO hatches have been darn good when conditions allow. Midges tend to hatch out of the slower water, so key in on the holding water on the side of the riffles.

Nymph fishing is still most productive in the deeper holes, with tiny and shiny flies being the main producers. We are also starting to fish more stonefly nymphs. You might see a few molting on the side of the banks, and it's a great lead fly to get the fish's attention, be sure to get your flies DOWN.
HATCHES: Caddis 14-18, BWOs 18-22, Midges 20-24

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS
NYMPHS: BLMs 18-20, Prince Nymphs 18-20, Pheasant Tails 18-24, Freestone Emerger 20, BH Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Sparklewing RS2 20-22, Tailwater Assassin 20-22, Imposter 20-22, Lil Foamy 18-20, Neon Nightmare 20-22
DRIES: Elk Hair Caddis 16-18, Pearl and Elk Caddis 16-18, Collett's Parachute BWO 18-22, Perfect Baetis 20-22, No Hackle BWO 20-22, Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Hatching Midge 20-22, Morgan's Para Midge 20-22
HINTS: 4x and 5x tippet is more productive right now with lower flows and clear water.

The roaring fork is rising as runoff is hitting that area and causing the rivers to rise and become off color. The fork is flowing over 2000 through basalt with around 1 foot of visibility. A good day fishing can still be found on the fork but conditions can vary day to day as our historic snowpack will continue to have an effect on the river system for the first part of summer. There should however be some good caddis hatches that could get some fish looking up as well as some solid bwo hatches that could increase fish activity. That said, nymphing will still be the most productive method of fishing. With the high water bigger flies and bigger tippet will be a smart move. Look to throw some stoneflies, caddis, and other larger/brighter flies to cut through the stained water.

Parachute Adams
#12-22
Para Extended Body PMD #14-18
Sparkle Dun PMD #14-18
Hackle Stacker PMD #14-18
Lucent Wing Green Drake #12-14
Sparkle Dun Green Drake #12-14
Foam Green Drake #12-14
Missing Link Green Drake #12-14
Elk hair Caddis #14-18 (yellow
tan
olive)
Chubby Sally #14
Silvey's Sally #16-18
Chubby Chernobyl #10-16
Amy's Ant #12-16. Jujubaetis PMD #18-22
Barr's Emerger PMD #18-22
SparkleWing RS2 #18-20
Blue Poison Tung #16-18
Tungsten Rainbow Warrior #18-22
Girdle Bug #6-10
Tungsten Teaser #10-18
20-Incher
Copper John #10-18
Pheasant Tail #12-18
Poxyback Green Drake #12-14
CDC P-Tail #10-18
2 Bit hooker (red) #14-18
Sparkle Minnow #6
Zoo Cougar #4
Sculpzilla #8
SlumpBuster #8
Bellyache Minnow #8
Near Nuff Crayfish #8. Iron Sally #12-16