Where to Go Arkansas River – Pueblo
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FALL HOURS: 9AM TO 6PM DAILY
Photo by Covey Guide Brian Hilbert
Report Date: 11/27/2023
Current Conditions:
The flows are at bout 90 cfs. and are in line with the winter flow program for the Arkansas river. We should see flows stay right around 100 cfs clear through winter. (barring any "accidental" flow drops) Again, these flows are typical for this time of year and the fishing has been good. The winter crowds have also shown up, so keep that in mind. The river has been a lot busier lately. The fish are happy and feeding steadily on midges and BWO's. Fishing has been good all day long and we have seen some great surface action. The river is still stained, but starting to clear up a bit. Sightfishing has been a ton of fun. The fish have concentrated a little more near deeper water, but are moving into riffles and feeding aggressively.
There is some evidence of spawning fish, so please, please, please leave those fish alone. Be sure to steer clear of any redds you may encounter (Spawning beds)
The fish are taking full advantage of the hatches happening now. We have started to see some great BWO hatches and the midges are always hanging around. Some days have afforded great dry fly fishing. These insects will be targeted in all of their life stages. Although the flows here are very volatile and can change in an instant, we dont really foresee any significant flow increases happening. We always recommend keeping a close eye on the flow rates.
Hatches:
Midges and BWO's are the name of the game. These insects are hatching throughout the day. Water temps are still in the 50's and providing great conditions for prolific hatches. Most of the focus has been on nymphing, but the dry fly fishing can be spectacular this time of year.
Tactics:
The fish are pretty concentrated in the deeper water right now. The fish have become a little more spooky, so be sure to take your time! Nymphing has been the most productive, but the dry fly fishing will really turn on with these lower flows. The streamer fishing has been good in the mornings and late afternoons.
Weather:
Short term: The weather will warm up nicely today through Wednesday. Highs will be in the upper 50's /low 60's! Temps will cool off towards the weekend. We could see a small bit of precipitation on Saturday night, but it wont be anything to affect things too much.
Long term: Next week we will see some pretty nice conditions weather wise on the river. Highs will be in the 50's and 60's through all of next week. Things look to be pretty quiet through the first week of December. While its still too far out to tell right now, we could see some weather changes coming around 12/9. We will be keeping an eye on that and update things as they develop.
Tips:
As noted above, please steer clear of any spawning fish.
The river has become noticeably more busy, Remember that the entire river fishes well.
PARKING NOTE- If you do fish in here, we recommend you don't leave anything in your car. Only take what you will have on your person. Thieves have been breaking into cars all over the place.
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-
- Money midge, brown. sizes 20-24
- Buckskin, yellow. Sizes 16-18
- Pheasant tail-brown, Sizes 20-24
- Mercury RS2, black, grey, size 20 & 22
- Blindside midge, black, purple, sizes 20-22
- Stalcups baetis. Olive. Sizes 22-24
Our top Dry flies for today-
- BWO vis-a-dun, olive-size 22
- Mole Fly, all colors, sizes 18-22
- I Wan E Dun, olive, size 22
Our top Streamer patterns for today-
- Laser legal, Natural. Size 4
- Double Gonga, yellow. Size 4
- Meat whistle, brown. Size 8
Standard nymph rig set up.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR “WHERE TO GO” PAGE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON OTHER AREAS!
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
- From Anglers Covey: take I-25 south to Pueblo
- Get off on the highway 50 exit and go right
- Take highway 50 to Pueblo Blvd. and turn left
- Turn right on Thatcher and take Thatcher to Valco Ponds.