The North Fork of the South Platte is Colorado’s technical playground for big trout and bigger bragging rights. This week, flows below Roberts Tunnel are steady around 160 CFS, clarity is excellent, and the late-summer hatch menu is in full swing. Morning trico spinner falls and midday PMDs are keeping fish looking up, while hopper-dropper rigs along the banks are producing some of the river’s best fish.

In this episode, we break down the exact flies you’ll need—RS2s, Juju Baetis, CDC trico spinners, and even downsized streamers for the evening push. We’ll talk about when to fish, how to beat the crowds on this mostly private-access water, and why presentation matters more than pattern size right now.

We also cover:
– Best times to fish (7–11 AM for tricos, evenings for caddis)
– Why small, subtle streamers outfish “meat” here
– Public vs private access stretches (Grant vs. Boxwood/Long Meadow)
– Pro tips for matching the hatch on pressured trophy trout

Whether you’re booking a private rod fee or trying the public access near Grant, this episode gives you the insider edge for a technical but rewarding stretch of water.

The Colorado River isn’t a polite trout stream—it’s a freestone powerhouse where fish eat big, currents rip hard, and the right fly box makes or breaks your day. From Glenwood Canyon’s drift boat haunts to side channels near Kremmling, these are the patterns that consistently fool hungry trout.

Whether you’re high-sticking in the Upper Colorado’s pocket water, floating the deep runs of the Middle, or throwing meat in the Lower, you need the right flies. Let’s break down the top five flies that’ll keep you in business, plus the best seasonal choices for dries, nymphs, and streamers.

These are your ride-or-die patterns. If you don’t have these in your box, you might as well fish with a bare hook and a prayer.

The Big Three: Flies That Work Everywhere

Where Trout are Smart, the Wind is Mean, and the Anglers are Everywhere

The Dream Stream has a reputation—wild browns, oversized rainbows, and the chance at a cutthroat that looks like it swam out of a postcard. But here’s the reality check: this is one of the most technical, most pressured fisheries in Colorado. You don’t just stroll in with your “home state hero flies” and clean house. You earn every eat.

Flows are sitting at 155 CFS, low enough to make sight-fishing a reality but tricky enough that your approach matters more than your fly choice. Water clarity is excellent, mornings are crisp, and afternoons bring wind that turns perfect drifts into casting lessons.

Crowds? Let’s just say if solitude is your goal, this isn’t your stream. But if you want the chess match—matching hatches, stealthy wading, 6X tippet, and midges so small you’ll need a magnifier—you’re in the right place.

• Flow Rate: 155 CFS
• Water Temp: ~58°F mid-morning
• Air Temp: 62–82°F
• Clarity: Crystal clear
• Best Times: 7 AM – 11 AM; last hour of light
• Fishing Pressure: High (weekend zoo, weekday busy)
• Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (technical but rewarding)

The Blue below Green Mountain is still one of the best bets in Colorado right now. Flows are holding around 380–400 CFS, with cold releases from the reservoir keeping trout active through midday.

PMDs are still the headliner, with Tricos early and caddis filling in the late afternoon. Terrestrials are coming on strong—ants and beetles are producing opportunistic eats along shady seams and grassy banks.

Fishing pressure is steady but not overwhelming; expect company on weekends, quieter weekdays if you’re willing to walk.

Denver anglers are living in the sweet spot. Within two hours you can stand in a Gold Medal trout stream, a small alpine creek, or even an urban stretch full of carp that fight like bonefish — without touching I-70 traffic at rush hour (well… maybe).

The trick? Fish where the trout are now, not where they were last month.
That’s why we pull live data from River Whisper for real-time flows, clarity, temps, and hatches.

Here’s this week’s Top 5 Fly Fishing Spots Near Denver — with conditions, hatches, fly recommendations, pro tips, and conservation notes so you can skip the scouting and start catching.

Blue River Below Green Mountain Fly Fishing Report – August 6, 2025Cold Water, Hot Window

The Blue below Green Mountain is a tailwater that rewards persistence—and right now, it’s in prime summer form. Flows are around 400 CFS, keeping water temps in the sweet spot and trout feeding steadily through late morning and early afternoon.

PMDs are the main event mid-morning, with Tricos making an early showing and caddis filling in the gaps. Terrestrials are starting to pull fish from the edges, especially ants and beetles in the softer seams.

The clarity is excellent, the crowds are moderate, and this stretch is fishing better than most in Colorado right now

Canyon Mode: Stealth or Bust

Cheesman Canyon doesn’t give up fish in August—you earn every eat. Flows are holding around 210 CFS, the water is gin-clear, and the trout are in graduate school mode. This is a long-leader, small-fly, stealth approach fishery right now.

Your best window is early morning through 11 AM, with Tricos in full swing, PMDs still around, and terrestrials heating up. Midday, the Canyon becomes a chess match: subtle emergers, 6X fluoro, and perfect drifts are the only way you’re getting smiles.

Target tailouts, mid-depth riffles, and the undercut slots behind large boulders. If you want a technical challenge with the payoff of sight-hooking a truly wild South Platte rainbow, this is your arena.