Williams Fork River
Recent Guide Reports
Forecast
Trending Flies in Recent Reports
- Black Beauty
- Mercury Midge
- Juju Baetis
- Foam Back Emerger
- Griffith's Gnat
- Parachute Adams
- Supa Pupa
- Comparadun
- Prince Nymph
- Psycho Prince
Current Conditions
Gauge Flow
High Water Warning
Gauge Height
Water Temperature
Water Temperature Over 68°F
Condition Graphs
Fly Shop Directory
Recent Guide Reports
Jan 20
FlyCast River Forecast
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
The Williams Fork is fishing well and seems to be considerably less crowded as it relates to the front range tailwaters. While the mornings have been slow, productivity has improved starting at 11 am. Flows have held steady and water clarity is good. As such, do your best to sight fish. However, you cant go wrong fishing the deeper runs and slow pools. Cloud cover in the next several days will work in your favor, but near freezing temps will leave trout holding in their winter lies most of the day. Thursday (1/21) and Friday (1/22) are shaping up to be the ideal days to fish as a cold front is expected to move in thereafter. Nymphing continues to be the most effective mode of fishing. That said, keep an eye out for midge hatch activity in the late morning and afternoon. If you see trout actively rising, dont hesitate to rig up a small single or double dry fly or dry/emerger set up and hit the soft water, particularly near the banks. Otherwise, when nymphing youll want to fish those small and imitative midge pupa patterns with a dash of flash. Mercury Midges, Bling Midges, Mercury Black Beauties, Perdigons and Top Secrets have been our go-to patterns as of late. Starting this weekend, youll want to consider leading with something bigger like a stonefly given low air pressure. Regardless, be persistent and pick apart that fishy water before moving on.
Ideal Days to Fish: 1/21 & 1/22
Go to flies:
Sub-surface - RS2's (#20-22), JuJu baetis (#20-22), WD 40 (#20-22), Black Beauties (#20-22), Top Secret (#22-24), Mercury Midge (#22-24), Foam Wing Emerger (#20-22), Electric Caddis (#16-18), Super Pupa (#16-18), Frenchie (#16-20), Guide's Choice Hare's Ear (#16-20), Psycho Prince Nymph (#18-20), Pheasant Tails (#18-20), Copper John (#16-18), Pat's Rubber Legs (#12-14), San Juan Worm (#10-12)
Surface - Parachute Adams (#20 - #22), Griffiths Gnat (#24 - 26), Comparadun BWO (#22-24)
The Williams Fork is fishing well and seems to be considerably less crowded as it relates to the front range tailwaters. While the mornings have been slow, productivity has improved starting at 11 am. Flows have held steady and water clarity is good. As such, do your best to sight fish. However, you cant go wrong fishing the deeper runs and slow pools. Cloud cover in the next several days will work in your favor, but near freezing temps will leave trout holding in their winter lies most of the day. Thursday (1/21) and Friday (1/22) are shaping up to be the ideal days to fish as a cold front is expected to move in thereafter. Nymphing continues to be the most effective mode of fishing. That said, keep an eye out for midge hatch activity in the late morning and afternoon. If you see trout actively rising, dont hesitate to rig up a small single or double dry fly or dry/emerger set up and hit the soft water, particularly near the banks. Otherwise, when nymphing youll want to fish those small and imitative midge pupa patterns with a dash of flash. Mercury Midges, Bling Midges, Mercury Black Beauties, Perdigons and Top Secrets have been our go-to patterns as of late. Starting this weekend, youll want to consider leading with something bigger like a stonefly given low air pressure. Regardless, be persistent and pick apart that fishy water before moving on.
Ideal Days to Fish: 1/21 & 1/22
Go to flies:
Sub-surface - RS2's (#20-22), JuJu baetis (#20-22), WD 40 (#20-22), Black Beauties (#20-22), Top Secret (#22-24), Mercury Midge (#22-24), Foam Wing Emerger (#20-22), Electric Caddis (#16-18), Super Pupa (#16-18), Frenchie (#16-20), Guide's Choice Hare's Ear (#16-20), Psycho Prince Nymph (#18-20), Pheasant Tails (#18-20), Copper John (#16-18), Pat's Rubber Legs (#12-14), San Juan Worm (#10-12)
Surface - Parachute Adams (#20 - #22), Griffiths Gnat (#24 - 26), Comparadun BWO (#22-24)
Jan 16
The Blue Quill Angler
Clarity: Excellent
14 Day Forecast:Look for sporadic hatches of midges
Tips and Other Information:Flows are perfect on the Williams Fork. Its hard to go wrong with an egg pattern trailed by a midge imitation this time of year. The optimum window of opportunity is between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Make sure you target the slow, deep pools where the trout overwinter. The entire stretch between the confluence of the Colorado River and the dam is fishable. Access (walking through the snow) can be difficult at times, so plan accordingly.
Effective Patterns: #22-24 Chocolate Foam Wing Emerger, #18 Hot Tail Flash Egg, #20 Mercury Blood Midge, #20 Red Larva, #20 Pale Olive Larva, #22-24 Black Beauty, #22 Mercury Flashback Black Beauty, #22 JujuBaetis, #22-24 Medallion Midge, #20-22 Mercury Midge, #20-24 Top Secret Midge, #20-22 Manhattan Midge, #22-24 Matts Midge, #22-24 Griffith Gnat, and #20-26 Parachute Adams.
14 Day Forecast:Look for sporadic hatches of midges
Tips and Other Information:Flows are perfect on the Williams Fork. Its hard to go wrong with an egg pattern trailed by a midge imitation this time of year. The optimum window of opportunity is between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Make sure you target the slow, deep pools where the trout overwinter. The entire stretch between the confluence of the Colorado River and the dam is fishable. Access (walking through the snow) can be difficult at times, so plan accordingly.
Effective Patterns: #22-24 Chocolate Foam Wing Emerger, #18 Hot Tail Flash Egg, #20 Mercury Blood Midge, #20 Red Larva, #20 Pale Olive Larva, #22-24 Black Beauty, #22 Mercury Flashback Black Beauty, #22 JujuBaetis, #22-24 Medallion Midge, #20-22 Mercury Midge, #20-24 Top Secret Midge, #20-22 Manhattan Midge, #22-24 Matts Midge, #22-24 Griffith Gnat, and #20-26 Parachute Adams.
Jan 13
FlyCast River Forecast
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
Despite cold weather, the Williams Fork continues to produce with stable flows and high water clarity. Trout here are particularly susceptible to swings in weather patterns so youll need to be persistent and be changing with the times. The nymph rig with small and imitative midge patterns continues to produce the best results. So if all else fails, go this route. However, elevated air pressure in the coming days will garner small attractor flies the most effective at the lead. Psycho Prince Nymphs, Flashback PTs, Rainbow Warriors and Copper Johns (red & purple) are a few of our go-tos this time of year. That said, our bug sampling has shown that small stoneflies are present in the water so dont hesitate to rig up a small Pats or Stonefly Nymph at the lead, particularly on Monday (1/18) as air pressure will sit at or below ideal levels and trout will feed more opportunistically. Otherwise, trail any of the aforementioned lead flies with one or more smaller and imitative midges like a Disco Midge, Black Beauty, Mercury Midge, Jujubee Midge or even an RS2. Pupa/larva patterns will garner the most consistent results in the coming days with cold temps, but dont hesitate to rig up an emerger and fish the mid to upper water in the afternoon. Regardless, youll want to give most of your attention to the deeper runs, pools and pockets ensuring plenty of weight.
Ideal Days to Fish: 1/17 & 1/18
Go to flies:
Sub-surface - RS2's (#20-22), JuJu baetis (#20-22), WD 40 (#20-22), Black Beauties (#20-22), Top Secret (#22-24), Mercury Midge (#22-24), Foam Wing Emerger (#20-22), Electric Caddis (#16-18), Super Pupa (#16-18), Frenchie (#16-20), Guide's Choice Hare's Ear (#16-20), Psycho Prince Nymph (#18-20), Pheasant Tails (#18-20), Copper John (#16-18), Pat's Rubber Legs (#12-14), San Juan Worm (#10-12)
Surface - Parachute Adams (#20 - #22), Griffiths Gnat (#24 - 26), Comparadun BWO (#22-24)
Despite cold weather, the Williams Fork continues to produce with stable flows and high water clarity. Trout here are particularly susceptible to swings in weather patterns so youll need to be persistent and be changing with the times. The nymph rig with small and imitative midge patterns continues to produce the best results. So if all else fails, go this route. However, elevated air pressure in the coming days will garner small attractor flies the most effective at the lead. Psycho Prince Nymphs, Flashback PTs, Rainbow Warriors and Copper Johns (red & purple) are a few of our go-tos this time of year. That said, our bug sampling has shown that small stoneflies are present in the water so dont hesitate to rig up a small Pats or Stonefly Nymph at the lead, particularly on Monday (1/18) as air pressure will sit at or below ideal levels and trout will feed more opportunistically. Otherwise, trail any of the aforementioned lead flies with one or more smaller and imitative midges like a Disco Midge, Black Beauty, Mercury Midge, Jujubee Midge or even an RS2. Pupa/larva patterns will garner the most consistent results in the coming days with cold temps, but dont hesitate to rig up an emerger and fish the mid to upper water in the afternoon. Regardless, youll want to give most of your attention to the deeper runs, pools and pockets ensuring plenty of weight.
Ideal Days to Fish: 1/17 & 1/18
Go to flies:
Sub-surface - RS2's (#20-22), JuJu baetis (#20-22), WD 40 (#20-22), Black Beauties (#20-22), Top Secret (#22-24), Mercury Midge (#22-24), Foam Wing Emerger (#20-22), Electric Caddis (#16-18), Super Pupa (#16-18), Frenchie (#16-20), Guide's Choice Hare's Ear (#16-20), Psycho Prince Nymph (#18-20), Pheasant Tails (#18-20), Copper John (#16-18), Pat's Rubber Legs (#12-14), San Juan Worm (#10-12)
Surface - Parachute Adams (#20 - #22), Griffiths Gnat (#24 - 26), Comparadun BWO (#22-24)
Jan 06
FlyCast River Forecast
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
The Williams Fork continues to be one of our preferred rivers as far as the Colorado Basin is concerned. Fishing has been consistent with previous weeks and the trout have been fairly active starting in the late morning. While trout here can be generally selective, you should see decent results with stable and above average flows for this time of year. A cold front is rolling in so expect to see slower productivity in the morning. That being said, if you hit the water between 11 am and 3 pm you should be in good shape. Nymphing will be your best bet, but be prepared for sporadic midge hatches and some surface action. When nymphing, go with small attractor flies at the lead followed by one or more smaller imitative midge patterns. Weve also kicked up a few stoneflies so dont hesitate to lead your nymph rig with a small Pats Rubber Legs. Otherwise, Top Secrets, Mercury Black Beauties, Zebra Midges, Jujubee midges and foam back emergers have been productive. Focus on the slack water near the banks in the early hours making sure to observe the water before you jump in. In the afternoon, look for trout to spread out and hold in the slower pools, runs and pockets.
Ideal Days to Fish: 1/7 & 1/9
Go to flies:
Sub-surface - RS2's (#20-22), JuJu baetis (#20-22), WD 40 (#20-22), Black Beauties (#20-22), Top Secret (#22-24), Mercury Midge (#22-24), Foam Wing Emerger (#20-22), Electric Caddis (#16-18), Super Pupa (#16-18), Frenchie (#16-20), Guide's Choice Hare's Ear (#16-20), Psycho Prince Nymph (#18-20), Pheasant Tails (#18-20), Copper John (#16-18), Pat's Rubber Legs (#12-14), San Juan Worm (#10-12)
Surface - Parachute Adams (#20 - #22), Griffiths Gnat (#24 - 26), Comparadun BWO (#22-24)
The Williams Fork continues to be one of our preferred rivers as far as the Colorado Basin is concerned. Fishing has been consistent with previous weeks and the trout have been fairly active starting in the late morning. While trout here can be generally selective, you should see decent results with stable and above average flows for this time of year. A cold front is rolling in so expect to see slower productivity in the morning. That being said, if you hit the water between 11 am and 3 pm you should be in good shape. Nymphing will be your best bet, but be prepared for sporadic midge hatches and some surface action. When nymphing, go with small attractor flies at the lead followed by one or more smaller imitative midge patterns. Weve also kicked up a few stoneflies so dont hesitate to lead your nymph rig with a small Pats Rubber Legs. Otherwise, Top Secrets, Mercury Black Beauties, Zebra Midges, Jujubee midges and foam back emergers have been productive. Focus on the slack water near the banks in the early hours making sure to observe the water before you jump in. In the afternoon, look for trout to spread out and hold in the slower pools, runs and pockets.
Ideal Days to Fish: 1/7 & 1/9
Go to flies:
Sub-surface - RS2's (#20-22), JuJu baetis (#20-22), WD 40 (#20-22), Black Beauties (#20-22), Top Secret (#22-24), Mercury Midge (#22-24), Foam Wing Emerger (#20-22), Electric Caddis (#16-18), Super Pupa (#16-18), Frenchie (#16-20), Guide's Choice Hare's Ear (#16-20), Psycho Prince Nymph (#18-20), Pheasant Tails (#18-20), Copper John (#16-18), Pat's Rubber Legs (#12-14), San Juan Worm (#10-12)
Surface - Parachute Adams (#20 - #22), Griffiths Gnat (#24 - 26), Comparadun BWO (#22-24)