Colorado September Fishing Reports!

September is here can you believe it! Fish On

With Fall right around the corner the question most fisherman are asking one another is where to fish? Pretty Nice problem to have with so much good water around the state to fish and it can only get better with the upcoming months. Most of the rivers listed below are favorite's by most, but if you're like a few of us, we'll save the secret spots for our GPS eyes only and some hungry browns that hopefully will make this Fall one to remember again!

Don't Forget FFA has daily updated River Reports on our blog below! So feel free to scroll down and look for your favorite rivers whether in the Rockies, Michigan, Cali or if looking for Saltwater reports we have em as well

Gunnison River Willowfly Anglers
Gunnison River:Flow: 376 cfs through townStonefly nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns, Barr's BWO Emergers, and streamers. Mayfly nymphs trailed behind larger stonefly nymphs. Streamers in black, olive or white (4-8). Dry fly action with stimulators (10-12), caddis (12-18), and BWOs (18-20). Hopper-dropper rigs are working well. The kokanee are now moving up the Gunnison and some salmon are in the Almont area and up at Roaring Judy. Their numbers should increase during September.

South Platte River Reports Blue Quill Anglers
Dream Stream Flow: 134cfs Food Organisms: Midges, Caddis, Tricos, Pale Morning Dun's and Yellow SalliesHatches: Midges, Caddis, Tricos, Pale Morning Dun's and Yellow Sallies14 Day Forecast: Look for good hatches of midges (black and olive), caddis, Tricos, pale morning duns, Baetis, and yellow sallies.Tips and Other Information: Flows are low and the fish are spooky. Dry/dropper rigs are your best bet right now. Hopefully flows will improve soon.Effective Patterns: #20-22 Mercury Flashback RS II, #18-20 Mercury Flashback Pheasant Tail, #18 Buckskin, #16-18 Bead Head Barr’s Emerger (pmd), #20-22 Churchill’s Sparkle Wing RS II, #16 Elk Hair Caddis, #16 Yellow Stimulator, #24 Stalcup Trico

Frying Pan River Taylor Creek Fly Shop
FRYING PAN FLOW: 446 cfs. MYSIS ALERT! Stickin' pigs is commonplace for good anglers right now! Lots of Drakes too! WOW! Big flows equal big fish. THE SHORT AND SWEET: Typically we only experience these flows once a year. However, due to endangered suckers and chubs along the Lower Colorado River extra water is needed from the Frying Pan. If you missed the last flush, you won't want to miss this one! Big Fish madness is on in a big, big way. Not to mention all the great dry fly fishing and hatches of Drakes, PMD's, BWO's and superb Rusty Spinner falls.
FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Drake Nymphs (12-14), Mysis Shrimp (Clear and White), PMD's #16-18 (Yellow and Greenish, Pink on the slowdown)), #16-20,BWO's #20-22 (Gray,Olive, and Black),, Huevos (Yellow and Orange) #14-18, Sculpins/Streamers (Olive, White, Brown, Black) #6-10, Caddis #14-16, PMD's #16-18

Arkansas River Royal Gorge Anglers
The Arkansas now has a very stable flow of around 300 cfs which should last a couple of months or more, give or take a cfs or two. Fish are holding in riffles and along cut bank shorelines with some venturing mid river during the early evening hours. Fishing is a bit more technical than during the summer. I recommend longer leader systems and fluorocarbon tippets. Attractors are now smaller in #16 and #18 but the old hopper/copper/dropper is still hanging in there with a #16 Foam Stimulator or Amy's Ant trailing a #16 Copperhead, Red Thunder or Red Copper John and then dropping a BWO emerger such as an RS2. A variety of single dries including Wulffs, Coachmen, Royal Humpies, Caddis and Red Stimulators are all taking fish.

Colorado River Cutthroat Anglers
The word on Guide Street is, the Tricos are exploding on the Upper Colorado! Clouds of insects are covering the water up there, and the fish are going crazy! It's hopper and dry-fly season! Guide wisdom... "Fish a UV emerger behind a hopper or stimulator."
Top producers include: Black UV Emergers, JuJu Baetis, PMD Barr's Emerger, WD40s, Barr's Pure Midge Larva, Garcia's Rojo, JuJu Bees, Big Bear Baetis, RS2s, Crystal Hunchback Baetis, Killer Mayfly, Sparkle Baetis, Brooks Sprout Baetis, and San Juan Worms, Graffic Caddis. Dries: Trico spinners in all flavors, Para Wulff PMD, Parachute Hopper, Orange and Yellow Stimis, Elk Hair Caddis.

Rocky Mountain National Park Kirk's Fly Shop
Lily Lake - Fishing good in late morning and early evening. Use a suspended scud pattern in tan, callibaetis, damsel nymph or dry, or small black midge on the surface.
Sprague Lake - Fishing very good at the inlet. Use small surface midges, such as a #22 or #24 Griffith's Gnat, Neversink Gnat or CDC Cluster Midge. Also sink a #20 pheasant tail, copper-beaded Micro Mayfly or green Gidget under a Pearl Elk hair Caddis #18 or ParaWulff Adam #18. Dream Lake - Fishing good. Try a small black midge on the surface, such as the Neversink Gnat #20, dropped with a jujubee #18.
Lake Haiyaha - Fishing good. Try similar flies to Dream, plus an Orange Asher #18.
Fern/Odessa Lakes - Fishing good. Use a Parachute Adam #18, ParaWulff Adam #18 or Deer Hair Ant #16 on top, trailed with a copper-beaded Micro Mayfly #20, flashback Pheasant Tail #20, Crystal Hunchback Baetis #20 or a Mighy Mite #20.
Spruce/Loomis Lakes - Fishing good. Use small black, surface midges. Griffiths Gnats #22, Neversink Gnats #22, CDC Cluster Midges #24 are best bets. You can also sink a small pheasant tail #20, copper-beaded Micro Mayfly #18, or a Crystal Hunchbak Baetis #22 beneath a Parachute Adam #20, Parawulff Adam #18 or a Flying Loco Beetle #14.
Mills Lake - Fishing good. Use either small midges on the surface, such as an orange asher #16, Yager's Neversink Gnat #22, or Sprout's Baetis #24, or us a Pearl Elkhair Caddis #18, Trigger Caddis black #18, or a black Ripcord Caddis #16, trailed with a Might May Sloan Baetis #20, Jujubaetis #20 char, Transparant #16 or a copper-beaded Micro Mayfly #18.

Statewide Colorado Streamflow Reports