Where to Go Arkansas River – Pueblo

Open 9 am to 6 pm Daily

Report Date: 9/9/2026

 Voluntary closure 12 pm - 12 am daily - CPW

Current Conditions:

Discharges out of the Pueblo Reservoir dam are holding at a low, technical flow at 53cfs, keeping the upper tailwater exceptionally clear and accessible. Because of the lean flow volume, cold water straight from the spillway warms rapidly as it flows east, triggering voluntary high temperature warnings further downstream. Resident trout are packed tightly into the shaded shelf drops, deep gravel slots, and plunge pools along the upper three miles, where they are on high alert due to intense late season angling pressure.

Guide Report:

Josh Heney - 9/2/2026

Great trico hatch early, then tapered off and then got slow.

TJ Spader - 8/31/2026

The flows were sitting about 66 cfs. We had a good trico hatch. Fly patterns #22 spent wing trico, #22 black wd-40

Kenny Romero - 8/31/2026

Good trico dry action

Weather:

Short Term -

Anglers will encounter warm high desert conditions, with early morning starts in the high 50s rapidly rising into the low 90s by mid afternoon. Bright, unobstructed sunshine will dominate the early hours, followed by light, shifting canyon drafts around noon. Brief patches of late afternoon cloud cover may roll through, but the harsh overhead sun makes the first three hours after dawn the absolute prime window for fish activity.

Long Term -

The weekly outlook points to a stable high plains heat pattern, with morning skies remaining clear and daytime highs consistently reaching the upper 80s to low 90s. Overnight temperatures will drop into the mid 50s, allowing the upper reservoir release to cool down slightly before the daily heat sets in. Without significant rain in the forecast, water releases out of the dam will stay locked at minimum levels through the week.

Hatches:

A dense Trico hatch and spinner fall serves as the primary morning event, starting around first light and peaking across the slow foam lines between 7 AM and 9 AM. Midge pupa and larvae activity remain active subsurface all day, alongside a light presence of micro caddis. As the afternoon heat peaks, terrestrial insects like small land ants, beetles, and hoppers tumbles off the dry brushy banks into the water.

Tactics:

Tie on a 10 to 12 foot leader tapered down to 6X or 7X fluorocarbon tippet to avoid detection in the thin, transparent water. During the early Trico event, fish a delicate two fly dry setup featuring spent wing spinners or micro parachutes along the slow seam edges. For subsurface fishing, swap heavy plastic indicators for natural wool yarn, trailing a tiny Mercury Midge, Black Beauty, or size 22 emerger through the deeper moving channels.

Tips:

Focus your fishing strictly on the upper mile directly below the dam outlet where water temperatures remain cold and well oxygenated. Pack a stream thermometer and call it a day if the water temperature hits 68 degrees to protect the trout population from high water stress. Keep your profile low when approaching shallow tailouts, casting from back on the dry gravel to prevent throwing shadows across the glassy water.

Photo by Ted Demetriou