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Where to Go Arkansas River – Pueblo

Current Reports

 

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FALL HOURS 9am to 6pm Daily

 

Photo by Covey Guide Ted Demetriou

 

Report Date: 4/6/2026

 

Current Conditions:
  The flows plummeted again and the current reading is 34 cfs. It is likely that this reading is incorrect, according to Pueblo water. We have been in contact with them over these recent big drops and they have explained that the gauge reading isnt always accurate. Something to keep in mind..
 At any rate, the flows are extremely low. We would recommend waiting until they come back up to fish here.
  WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF REDDS AND ACTIVELY SPAWNING FISH. PLEASE USE CAUTION AND AVOID THESE AREAS.
 These areas are hard to miss. You will see these fish in very shallow water chasing each other and splashing around. These fish are spawning, not feeding. Spawning fish are the future of this fishery. Please do your part in protecting the resource. Please do NOT fish to spawning fish!
  The crowds are still pretty heavy here, but there are a lot of different places to fish down here. All through the state park and clear through town has been good. The fish are really venturing out into all types of water and have been feeding heavily during the pronounced hatches. The fishing can be on the technical side, but persistence is the key.  Nymphing has been the best method with the higher water, but you may still get some good dry fly opportunities in the tailouts and side seams.
Hatches:
 Midges and BWO's are the main attractions right now. We are seeing these two hatch on and off all throughout the day. Pay attention to the hatches and switch accordingly. Cloudy days are supporting some absolutely great mayfly hatches.
Tactics:
Start fishing water or areas you have been ignoring all winter. With these flows, the fish are starting to occupy different areas in the river. These fish want absolutely perfect drifts, so keep the focus on your presentation!
Tips:
  The prime fishing window is rather large right now. There are opportunities from earlier in the mornings clear through the evening. In fact we have seen some great midge hatches later in the day here. Water temps are still cold, but they are warming nicely and the river has really come to life.   Fishing in town has been great, just be cautious on where you park. and do not leave ANYTHING in your car.

Weather:

Short Term-  We are currently seeing some classic spring weather in this area. This week will be nice with highs in the 70's, with morning lows in the 30's and 40's. Precipitation chances will slightly increase here through the week as well. We could actually see some rain down here on Friday! The weekend will be nice and pleasant with highs in the 70's. We could have some more active weather after that.

Long Term-  Next week will be more of the same, but we could see a few more rain chances. Temps will cool into the 60's. The mountains will also have some good snow chances during this time. In all, there will be a lot more activity than we have seen recently.

While March felt like summer, April will feel like spring. We will have a chance to add a little more snow to our dwindling snowpack over the next 2 weeks.

This is an area we offer guided walk/wade and float trips, please give us a call if you are interested!
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our top 6 nymphs for today-
  • Blindside midge, black, size 22
  • Mercury RS2- grey, size 22
  • Eggs, peach, size 16
  • Stalcups baetis, olive, sizes 20-22
  • Slim Shady, olive, size 22
  • JuJu baetis, brown and olive, size 20
Our top Dry flies for today-
  • Neil's BWO, olive, sizes 20-22
  • Parachute Adams, sizes 18-22
  • Smokejumper, olive, size 22
  • Micro CDC cripple, olive, size 22
Our top Streamer patterns for today-
  • Micro Dungeon, Natural. Size 10
  • Baby Gonga, yellow. Size 8
  • Conehead barely legal, olive/white, size 4

 

Standard nymph rig set up. 

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR “WHERE TO GO” PAGE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON OTHER AREAS! 

Shop Hand-Picked Pueblo tailwater Flies

The tailwater on the Arkansas River has blossomed into one of the best fisheries in the state, and it's a short distance from town. Fish populations are very healthy here and even hold some truly goliath trout. The technical angler will be perfectly at home here. If you go further into town, you will also find many other different species of fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, and even carp.

This area is oftentimes best fished in the shoulder seasons or winter due to high flows in the summer. But don't let bigger flows stop you! We are the only outfitter on the front range that offers both guided walk/wade and float trips here.

This is an area we specialize and are permitted to guide in, so give us a shout if you have any question or if you are interested in allowing one of our Orvis Endorsed Guides show you how best to conquer the Arkansas River – Pueblo.

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Directions - 50 miles - 50 Minutes

  1. From Anglers Covey: take I-25 south to Pueblo
  2. Get off on the highway 50 exit and go right
  3. Take highway 50 to Pueblo Blvd. and turn left
  4.  Turn right on Thatcher and take Thatcher to Valco Ponds.
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