Colorado River Upper Stretch: Early Summer Trout Bite and Smallmouth Awakening

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River fishing report for the upper river around Colorado. First thing, no tides to worry about here – this stretch of the Colorado is all freshwater and flow‑driven, not tidal. What matters is river level and clarity. With snowmelt tapering but still feeding the system, expect a moderately high, slightly off‑color river, with better clarity in side channels and slower inside bends. Releases from upstream reservoirs can bump flows midday, so keep an eye on gauges and watch for rising water along the banks. Weather today shapes up mild and dry for most of the upper river corridor. Mornings are cool in the low 40s to low 50s, climbing into the 70s by afternoon with light winds and only a slight chance of an isolated shower or gusty breeze as the day warms. Skies will swing between partly cloudy and mostly sunny. Sunrise is right around 5:40 a.m., sunset near 8:30 p.m., giving a long, generous window for those low‑light bites. Fish activity is classic early‑summer pattern. The coldest part of the morning starts a bit sluggish, but from about an hour after sunrise through late morning the bite picks up nicely. Midday slows in the bright sun and clear shallows, then things fire back up for the evening window, especially the last 90 minutes of light. Trout are still the headliners on this stretch. Anglers have been putting good numbers of browns in the net, with plenty of 12–16 inch fish and a few bruisers pushing 20 inches. Rainbows are mixed in, often a little smaller on average but very aggressive in the riffles and runs. In the deeper holes and slower eddies, smallmouth bass are waking up too, with fish in the 10–15 inch range fairly common when you work structure patiently. For trout, nymphing is still doing most of the damage. Think small mayfly and midge imitations under an indicator, with a bit of weight to get down. A size 18–20 pheasant tail or baetis nymph, paired with a tiny midge or slender attractor, is hard to beat. As the day warms, you can start looking for rising fish in softer seams; small parachute mayflies and caddis dries will take fish when you see noses poking up. A dry‑dropper along grassy banks and undercuts is a great way to cover water and pick off opportunistic browns. Spin anglers are doing well with smaller hard baits and in‑line spinners. Gold or copper blades, 1/8 ounce or so, swung through riffle tails and along current breaks, are putting up steady numbers. Little minnow‑style crankbaits in natural trout patterns are a solid choice in the deeper runs. If you’re after smallmouth, downsized soft‑plastic craws or tube jigs in green pumpkin, worked slowly around rock piles, ledges, and submerged wood, will draw strikes. Best lures and baits right now: - For trout on fly: small pheasant tails, hare’s ears, baetis nymphs, midge patterns, elk hair caddis, and parachute mayflies. - For trout on spin: gold or silver Panther‑Martin or Mepps‑style spinners, 2–3 inch minnow plugs in brown trout or rainbow patterns. - For bass: 3‑inch tube jigs, Ned‑style soft plastics, and small crankbaits bumped along rocky structure. - For bait anglers where it’s allowed: nightcrawlers drifted naturally, or salmon eggs in softer seams and eddies. Couple of local hot spots to put on your list: - The runs and riffles just downstream of Glenwood Springs, where cooler tributary water mixes in and creates great current seams and holding water for both browns and bows. - The bends and deeper slots near New Castle, where mid‑river boulders and broken current give you that ideal combo of depth, structure, and softer edges that hold trout and the occasional decent smallmouth. Focus on that early and late light, adjust your depth as flows change, and don’t be afraid to move until you find active fish. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn