Fraser River Fly Fishing Report
Fraser River at Tabernash. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 100–200 cfs (RiverReports). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
USGS seasonal reporting pause
Current flow unavailable.
What's swimming in the Fraser River
No CPW fishery survey specific to this stretch was found. The species and regulation notes below come from Grand County tourism, angling reference, and CPW regulation sources.
- Play Winter Park and Troutline.co both describe a "Grand Slam" river with Brown, Rainbow, Brook and Cutthroat Trout all present (Play Winter Park; Troutline.co).
- From the headwaters down to the St. Louis Creek confluence, Rainbow Trout must be caught and released; from St. Louis Creek down to the Colorado River confluence, the limit drops to 2 trout (eRegulations, Colorado special regulation waters).
- The Fraser is not Gold Medal water (eRegulations, Colorado special regulation waters).
- Colorado River Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited asks anglers to voluntarily avoid the popular "Fraser Flats" stretch between Fraser and Tabernash on Tuesdays and Thursdays to spread out fishing pressure -- an etiquette request, not a legal closure (Colorado River Headwaters Chapter of TU).
Rivers and creeks that flow into the Fraser River
5 hold fish on Colorado Parks and Wildlife's records, listed from the headwaters down. Open one for where to fish and its rules.
-
Jim Creek Brook trout
Where to fish
National forest stretch
About a mile up the creek · Forest Road 128, open Jun 15 to Nov 15
About it
It joins the Fraser River at Winter Park. It flows year-round.
-
Buck Creek Brook trout
Where to fish
We found no CPW access point or public-land stretch on it. Check land ownership before you fish.
About it
It joins the Fraser River at Winter Park. It flows year-round.
-
Vasquez Creek Brown, rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout
Where to fish
National forest stretch
About 2 miles up the creek · Forest Road 148
About it
It joins the Fraser River at Fraser. It flows year-round.
-
Saint Louis Creek Brook trout
Where to fish
Fraser Experimental Forest - Arapaho National Forest
CPW access point · Difficult access
About it
It joins the Fraser River at Fraser. It flows year-round.
-
Ranch Creek Brook trout
Where to fish
National forest stretch
About 15 miles up the creek · About a mile by the Corona Lake Trail from Forest Road 149, open Jun 15 to Nov 15
About it
It joins the Fraser River at Tabernash. It flows year-round.
Show 19 more named tributaries (no CPW fish data)
These also flow straight into the Fraser River. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has no fish data for them; some may still hold fish.
- Current Creek
- Robert Creek
- Second Creek
- Flora Creek
- First Creek
- Eva Creek
- Parsenn Creek
- Parry Creek
- Mary Jane Creek
- Cub Creek
- Cooper Creek
- Wolverine Creek
- Leland Creek
- Elk Creek
- Crooked Creek
- Behler Creek
- Strawberry Creek
- Tenmile Creek
- Rockwell Creek
Species and special rules are Colorado Parks and Wildlife's. Statewide rules apply everywhere. Before you fish, check land ownership, CPW's current regulations and its temporary closures for drought and low water.
How we pick these
Species are CPW's records from its Fishing Atlas. A creek missing from this list may still hold fish; CPW simply has no record for it. The list runs in the order each one joins the Fraser River, from the headwaters down, and "joins" names the nearest town to where it does on the same side of the mountains: a Census place, or a town with its own post office. Flow is how USGS maps each channel, not a live reading.
Special rules are the ones CPW writes for each creek in its Fishing Atlas. Rules CPW writes for the river itself, such as closures around a creek's mouth, are not repeated on the creek, and no directions lead into water CPW closes all year.
A national forest stretch is one that both the Forest Service's and BLM's ownership maps show as national forest for at least half a mile of the creek, with a road on the Forest Service's motor vehicle map within 500 feet; directions go to that road. Where a line names a trail, the Forest Service trail comes within 500 feet of the creek instead, and directions go to its trailhead; from where the trail enters the forest, the whole way is national forest in both maps. Maps can be wrong and road seasons change. Away from CPW access points, check land ownership before you fish.
Getting to the Fraser River
The main access point here (Fraser Flats) is documented by the regional water district and local news rather than a land-management agency page.
- Fraser Flats public fishing access, near Tabernash -- a multi-partner project (CPW, Colorado River District, Denver Water, Grand County, and others) opened 0.4 miles of river to public fishing off Grand County Road 83, with signed parking a few hundred yards from Hwy 40 (Sky-Hi News; Colorado River District).
- Cozens Ranch Open Space, Town of Fraser -- over 3 miles of river frontage plus the Lions Ponds and a pedestrian bridge (Town of Fraser, Fraser River Corridor Master Plan).
- Headwaters downstream to the St. Louis Creek confluence (covers Winter Park): artificial flies and lures only, rainbow trout returned to the water immediately. St. Louis Creek confluence downstream to the Colorado River (covers Tabernash and Fraser Flats): trout bag/possession limit of 2 (CPW special regulations).
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What’s hatching on the Fraser River
5 insects, from the published hatch charts of 1 fly shop, guides and fishing sites. Tap an insect to see where its dates come from. Every river, month by month →
Blue-Winged Olives (BWO)Jun and Sep · hook #18–202 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Rise Beyond Fly Fishing (Front Range summer hatches) “Blue Winged Olive”: Jun (months only) · #18-20
- Rise Beyond Fly Fishing (Front Range summer hatches) “Blue Winged Olive”: Sep (months only) · #18-20
CaddisJun · hook #14–181 source
Where these dates come from:
- Rise Beyond Fly Fishing (Front Range summer hatches) “Caddis”: Jun (months only) · #14-18
Pale Morning Duns (PMD)Jul · hook #16–181 source
Where these dates come from:
- Rise Beyond Fly Fishing (Front Range summer hatches) “Pale Morning Dun”: Jul (months only) · #16-18
Hoppers & terrestrialsAug · hook #8–121 source
Where these dates come from:
- Rise Beyond Fly Fishing (Front Range summer hatches) “Hoppers”: Aug (months only) · #8-12
Attractor patternsAug · hook #12–161 source
Where these dates come from:
- Rise Beyond Fly Fishing (Front Range summer hatches) “Attractor Dries”: Aug (months only) · #12-16
Some sources list only months, not days, so treat the dates as a guide and check conditions before you go.
3 fly pairings from real fishing reports
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Fly shops on the Fraser River
Fraser River fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the Fraser River?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 100–200 cfs on the Fraser River (RiverReports). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is the Fraser River designated Gold Medal water?
No, the Fraser River does not currently carry Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Gold Medal water designation.
What flies work on the Fraser River?
TroutTips tracks 3 fly pairings reported specifically on the Fraser 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 Fraser River?
Yes, Winter Park Flyfisher / Grand County Fly Fishing Co. guides this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.