Blue River Fly Fishing Report
Gold Medal waterTwo separately-gauged stretches: the Dillon Reservoir tailwater through Silverthorne, and the Green Mountain Reservoir tailwater downstream near Kremmling. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 150–300 cfs on both stretches (RiverReports; Angler's Covey). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
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Below Dillon Reservoir
Below Green Mountain Reservoir
What's swimming in the Blue River
CPW has no fishery survey specific to the Silverthorne tailwater. The species notes below come from CPW's river-wide Blue River page and an adjacent-reach survey above Dillon Reservoir.
- CPW's river-wide page lists Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Kokanee Salmon and marks the Blue as "Stocked," with ample public access via the Blue River State Wildlife Area and Forest Service land (CPW Blue River).
- The adjacent reach above Dillon Reservoir (Breckenridge/Fourmile Bridge) is a self-sustaining wild fishery of Brown Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout and possibly Arctic Char that CPW does not stock (CPW survey, Blue River above Dillon Reservoir).
- The Blue carries Gold Medal status on two separate stretches: Dillon Dam to Hamilton Creek Road Bridge, with catch-and-release flies-and-lures-only water immediately below the dam, and again from Green Mountain Reservoir Dam downstream to the confluence with the Colorado River (CPW special regulations).
- The 19-mile stretch between them, from north Silverthorne to Green Mountain Reservoir, lost its Gold Medal designation after 15 years below the biomass and size standards, according to CPW aquatic biologist Jon Ewert (Summit Daily) -- so the middle of the river isn't Gold Medal even though both ends of it are.
Getting to the Blue River
CPW has no fishery survey specific to the Silverthorne tailwater -- the access points below are confirmed by name, but broader river context comes from CPW's river-wide page and an adjacent reach above Dillon Reservoir.
- River's Edge Park, Blue River Parkway in Silverthorne explicitly lists "fishing along the Blue River" as an amenity (Town of Silverthorne parks).
- Willow Grove Open Space, 1290 Mesa Drive, also in Silverthorne, has Blue River Trail access and a small pond (Town of Silverthorne parks).
- Blue River SWA -- Blue River Unit and Sutton Unit (CPW, Summit County) require a fishing/hunting license or SWA pass 16+; no discharging firearms or bows, no overnight vehicle parking (CPW Blue River SWA).
- Gold MedalDillon Reservoir Dam to Hamilton Creek Road Bridge. Dillon Dam to the north Silverthorne city limits is flies-and-lures-only, catch-and-release; north city limits to the Colo. 9 bridge at Blue River SWA is flies and lures only with a 2-fish, 16-inch minimum (CPW special regulations).
- Gold MedalGreen Mountain Reservoir Dam downstream to the Colorado River. This second Gold Medal stretch is separate from the Dillon-tailwater reach above and covers the full run down to the confluence near Kremmling; artificial flies and lures only, trout returned to the water immediately (CPW special regulations).
- The river is closed to fishing Sept. 1–Dec. 1 from the north inlet at Summit CR 3 down to Dillon Reservoir (CPW special regulations).
- The 19-mile stretch between those two Gold Medal reaches, from north Silverthorne to Green Mountain Reservoir, lost its Gold Medal status after 15 years below standard (Summit Daily) -- worth knowing so you don't assume the whole river carries the designation.
27 sourced hatch windows for the Blue River
Species, size, and season, each tied to the published fly-shop or guide-service chart it came from. See Hatch Charts for every Colorado river we track and a precision-level key.
| Species | Season Window | Size | Precision | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midge | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #22-26 | Seasonal estimate | FlyFishFinder |
| Midge larva / adult midge | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #18-22 (Miracle Midge #20-22, Griffith's Gnat #18-24) | Seasonal estimate | Cutthroat Anglers (fishcolorado.com) |
| Mysis Shrimp | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Epoxy Mysis #18 | Seasonal estimate | Cutthroat Anglers (fishcolorado.com) |
| Blue-Winged Olive | Mar 1–May 31 | #18-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| BWO (spring) | Mar 15–May 15 | #16-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue Winged Olive (spring) | Mar 15–May 14 | #14-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Caddis | May 1–Sep 30 | #14-18 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Golden Stonefly | May 1–Jun 30 | #8-10 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Golden Stone | Jun 1–Aug 31 | #8-10 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Golden Stonefly | Jun 1–Aug 7 | #8-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Caddis (various) | Jun 8–Sep 22 | #10-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Caddis | Jun 15–Sep 15 | #10-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Green Drake | Jun 23–Aug 22 | #10-12 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 23–Aug 31 | #16-20 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Green Drake | Jun 30–Aug 31 | #10-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Yellow Sally | Jun 30–Aug 31 | #12-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Yellow Sally | Jul 1–Aug 22 | #12-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Terrestrials (various) | Jul 8–Sep 30 | #6-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| PMD | Jul 15–Sep 15 | #16-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Red Quill | Jul 15–Aug 30 | #10-16 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Hoppers | Jul 15–Sep 25 | #6-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Red Quill | Jul 15–Aug 22 | #10-16 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Blue Winged Olive (fall) | Aug 23–Oct 22 | #14-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| BWO (fall) | Sep 1–Oct 31 | #16-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue-Winged Olive | Sep 1–Nov 30 | #18-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| BWO (small mayfly) | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | Mayfly Nymph BWO #18-20; Extended Body BWO #18-22 | Seasonal estimate | Cutthroat Anglers (fishcolorado.com) |
| PMD (small mayfly) | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | — | Seasonal estimate | Cutthroat Anglers (fishcolorado.com) |
20 fly pairings from real fishing reports
Up to 2 pairings for this river are always free to browse in full. Fly names, leader/tippet spec, and full source are unlocked by .
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Recent reports from anglers on the Blue River
Real ratings, notes, condition tags, and rig tags logged by signed-in anglers after fishing this water.
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Fly shops on the Blue River
Blue River fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the Blue River?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 150–300 cfs on the Blue River, on both tracked stretches (RiverReports; Angler's Covey). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is the Blue River designated Gold Medal water?
Yes, the Gold Medal designation covers two separate stretches of the Blue River: Below Dillon Reservoir and Below Green Mountain Reservoir.
What flies work on the Blue River?
TroutTips tracks 20 fly pairings reported specifically on the Blue River, each tied to a season and a real source. See the Fly Pairings section on this page for the full list.
Are there fly shops near the Blue River?
Yes, Cutthroat Anglers, The Colorado Angler, Mountain Angler, Breckenridge Outfitters, Trouts Fly Fishing (Frisco), Fly Fishing Outfitters (Avon), Fly Fishing Outfitters (Vail), Ty's Fly N Tackle guide this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.