Where to Go Arkansas River – Pueblo

Open 9 am to 6 pm Daily

Report Date: 9/26/2026

Current Conditions:

Flows below Pueblo Reservoir are sitting in an ideal fall window around 140 cfs. Tailwater releases remain clear and notably cool, with bottom-release dam temperatures hovering in the upper 50s. The quality water stretch from Pueblo Dam down to the Nature Center (and through the Valco Ponds reach) is fishing exceptionally well, especially during morning hours. Trout are distributed throughout shallow riffles, gravel bars, and shelf seams.

Guide Report:

Ted Demetriou - 9/19/2026

Tricos still poppin! Caddis after. BWO before and during Tricos. Cloudy days will provide more BWO.

Kenny Romero - 9-16-2026

Good trico nymph and dry fly action.

Weather:

Short Term -

Early autumn conditions with daytime highs peaking in the upper 70s to low 80s in Pueblo. Sunny mornings transition to partly cloudy afternoons with light 5–8 mph breezes.

Long Term -

Daytime highs will cool into the low-to-mid 70s over the next week, accompanied by crisp morning starts in the 40s. These cooler overnight temperatures will continue to stabilize river conditions throughout the entire tailwater corridor.

Hatches:

Early morning hours feature strong Trico mayfly activity (#20–24) in quiet tailouts and slow eddies, followed by spinner falls around mid-morning. Small tan Caddis (#16–18) and Pseudo-Baetis/BWOs (#18–22) emerge steadily by late morning. Midge larvae and pupae (#20–24) remain present all day, alongside late-season terrestrial drops (ants and hoppers) along brushy bank edges.

Tactics:

During the morning Trico hatch, run a double dry rig featuring a visible lead pattern (such as a small tan Caddis or Parachute Adams) with a tiny Trico spinner or female dun trailer on a 6x fluorocarbon tippet. For subsurface feeding, switch to a dry-dropper or micro-yarn setup. Lead with a red San Juan worm, midge larva, or small flash-back nymph, trailing an RS2 or Mercury Midge.

Tips:

Photo by Ted Demetriou