Skip to content
719-471-2984

Where to Go Arkansas River – Pueblo

Current Reports

 

Angler's Covey Bug of the Month 

Bug of the month videos here 

Visit the blog here 

 

FALL HOURS 9am to 6pm Daily

 

Photo by Covey Guide Ted Demetriou

 

Report Date: 4/18/2026

 

Current Conditions:
  The flows have been stable at 84 cfs for a couple of weeks now. Even though these flows seem low, they are just about average for this time of the year. The fishing has been pretty good, especially for anglers that pay close attention to details such as depth/weight, and the bugs that are active. These fish want absolutely perfect drifts right now, and will also spook at the sound of your rig hitting the water. A stealth approach will make the fishing better.
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 will always be the most consistent method, but we are seeing several great windows throughout the day for good dry fly fishing.
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-  Today will remain cooler behind a quick storm that came through the state yesterday. This storm brought some much needed snow and precipitation to the high country and we even saw some flakes locally. Things rebound quickly and we will be back in the upper 70's on Sunday. Nice and mild weather will continue well into next week with highs in the 80's and morning lows in the 40's. This is ahead of another and potentially larger system that looks to be coming into Colorado late next week and into next weekend.

Long Term-  Late next week we will see some large scale changes coming to the area. Exact details are still spotty, but we will see a significant increase in precipitation and cooler temperatures. Temps will cool into the 50's and 60's. This system will hang around for 3-4 days and give us a chance to get some key precipitation. Our fingers are crossed that the tailwater can squeeze some rain out of these storms next week. This will be a great opportunity for the high country to get some more snow. In all, we are pretty excited about this weather late next week!

April is definitely feeling more like spring.

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 or black, size 22
  • Daysaver baetis, brown, size 20
  • 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.

Interested in Booking a Trip?

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.
Get Directions