Clear Creek Fly Fishing Report
Clear Creek at Golden. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 75–250 cfs (Troutline.co). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
Want today's Rig of the Day pick for Clear Creek? Flip its card in the live River Conditions grid on the homepage.
What's swimming in Clear Creek
No CPW fishery survey specific to this stretch was found. The species and regulation notes below come from an angling reference site keyed to the same USGS Golden gauge.
- Troutline.co's gauge-matched guide lists wild Brown Trout as the primary catch through the Golden stretch, with CPW-stocked, catchable-size Rainbow Trout also common (Troutline.co).
- Visit Golden also notes Brook Trout, Cuttbow and native Cutthroat Trout occurring in the broader creek and canyon corridor above town (Visit Golden).
- Clear Creek is not Gold Medal water and carries standard statewide bag and possession limits through Golden, not a special catch-and-release regulation (Troutline.co).
- In summer 2026, CPW asked anglers to voluntarily avoid fishing Clear Creek from noon to midnight between Vanover Park and the Tunnel 1 Trailhead because of low flows and high water temperatures -- a seasonal advisory, not a permanent closure (Denver Gazette, Jul 29, 2026).
Getting to Clear Creek
CPW publishes no special fishing regulation for this Clear Creek (Clear Creek/Jefferson counties) -- its published listing only covers a different Clear Creek in Chaffee County.
- Clear Creek Canyon Park, Jefferson County Open Space -- six named trailheads along US 6 (Gateway, Tunnel 1, CCR, Big Easy, Mayhem Gulch, Cannonball Flats), including a fully ADA-accessible 1.5-mile trail and creek access at the CCR Trailhead; valid fishing license with habitat stamp required (Jefferson County).
- Vanover Park / Clear Creek Parking Lot, City of Golden -- creek access at 304 10th St. with nearby garage parking (Visit Golden).
- Courtney Ryley Cooper Park and Citizens Park, Idaho Springs -- both border Clear Creek downtown, with picnic areas and a public restroom at Citizens Park (City of Idaho Springs).
- No special regulation is published for this stretch -- statewide limits apply: 4 trout daily, 8 in possession (CPW statewide limits). Note for summer 2026: CPW requested a voluntary fishing restriction from Vanover Park upstream to the Tunnel 1 Trailhead (Visit Golden) -- check current status before fishing that specific stretch.
6 sourced hatch windows for Clear Creek
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midges | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #18-24 | Seasonal estimate | Blue Stream Fly |
| Blue Winged Olive | Mar 1–May 31 | #18-22 | Month-level | Blue Stream Fly |
| Caddis | May 1–Aug 31 | #14-18 | Month-level | Blue Stream Fly |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 1–Aug 31 | #16-18 | Month-level | Blue Stream Fly |
| Hoppers | Jul 1–Sep 15 | #8-12 | Month-level | Blue Stream Fly |
| Blue Winged Olive | Sep 1–Oct 31 | #18-22 | Month-level | Blue Stream Fly |
4 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 .
Loading fly pairings…
Recent reports from anglers on Clear Creek
Real ratings, notes, condition tags, and rig tags logged by signed-in anglers after fishing this water.
Loading angler reports…
Fly shops on Clear Creek
Clear Creek fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish Clear Creek?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 75–250 cfs on Clear Creek (Troutline.co). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is Clear Creek designated Gold Medal water?
No, Clear Creek does not currently carry Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Gold Medal water designation.
What flies work on Clear Creek?
TroutTips tracks 4 fly pairings reported specifically on Clear Creek, 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 Clear Creek?
Yes, Golden River Sports, Golden Fly Shop guide this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.