Fryingpan River Fly Fishing Report
Gold Medal waterFryingpan River near Ruedi. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 150–250 cfs (Crystal Fly Shop). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
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What's swimming in the Fryingpan River
- The 14 miles below Ruedi Reservoir are Gold Medal water for trout, part of the longest continuous Gold Medal reach in Colorado (CPW fishery survey).
- Whirling-disease-resistant Rainbow Trout have been stocked as "put-and-grow" fingerlings since 2009; the reach holds the highest density of large trout below the dam, feeding on mysis shrimp (CPW fishery survey).
- Only Brown Trout may be harvested under the special regulation (2 fish, 14-inch maximum); all other trout must be released, and both whirling disease and didymo are present (CPW fishery survey).
Getting to the Fryingpan River
- CPW documents eight miles of public access at eight locations, managed by USFS and CPW, with year-round restrooms at the Rocky Fork Day Use Area near Ruedi Dam (CPW fishery survey).
- Ruedi Reservoir campgrounds (Dearhamer, Little Mattie, Little Maud, Molli B, Ruedi Marina) are managed by White River National Forest; Ruedi Marina has a boat ramp (USFS Ruedi Reservoir).
- Frying Pan River SWA (Fishing Lease) (CPW, Eagle County): public access prohibited except while fishing, dogs prohibited (CPW Frying Pan River SWA).
- Gold MedalRuedi Dam to the Roaring Fork confluence (~14 miles) -- artificial flies and lures only; brown trout are the only trout that may be kept, bag/possession/maximum 2 fish at 14 inches; all other trout must be released immediately (CPW fishery survey; CPW special regulations). Whirling disease and didymo are both present.
31 sourced hatch windows for the Fryingpan 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 |
| Midges | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #20-28 | Seasonal estimate | FishFlyWater |
| Mysis Shrimp | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #18-20 | Seasonal estimate | FishFlyWater |
| Blue-Winged Olive | Mar 1–May 31 | #18-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Blue Winged Olive (spring) | Mar 8–Apr 22 | #16-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| BWO (spring) | Mar 15–May 15 | #16-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis), spring | Mar 15 onward (no published end date) | #18-22 | Month-level | FishFlyWater |
| Caddisflies (various) | Apr 1 onward (no published end date) | #14-18 | Month-level | FishFlyWater |
| Pale Morning Dun | May 1–Aug 31 | #16-18 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Caddis | May 1–Sep 30 | #16-18 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Caddis (various) | Jun 8–Oct 7 | #10-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| PMD | Jun 15–Aug 30 | #16-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue Winged Olive (summer, larger) | Jun 15–Aug 14 | #14-16 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 15–Sep 14 | #16-20 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Caddis | Jun 18–Oct 15 | #10-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Green Drake | Jun 20–Aug 15 | #10-12 | Month-level | FishFlyWater |
| Golden Stone | Jul 1–Aug 31 | #8-10 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Green Drake | Jul 1–Sep 30 | #10-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Golden Stonefly | Jul 1–Aug 22 | #8-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Green Drake | Jul 1–Sep 22 | #10-12 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Red Quill | Jul 8–Aug 22 | #10-16 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Terrestrials (various) | Jul 8–Sep 30 | #6-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| 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 |
| Trico | Aug 8–Oct 22 | #20-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Trico | Aug 15–Oct 31 | #20-24 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| BWO (fall) | Aug 15–Oct 31 | #16-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue Winged Olive (fall) | Aug 15–Oct 31 | #16-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Blue-Winged Olive | Sep 1–Nov 30 | #18-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis), fall | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #18-22 | Seasonal estimate | FishFlyWater |
| Pale Morning Dun | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #14-18 | Seasonal estimate | FishFlyWater |
10 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 Fryingpan 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 Fryingpan River
Fryingpan River fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the Fryingpan River?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 150–250 cfs on the Fryingpan River (Crystal Fly Shop). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is the Fryingpan River designated Gold Medal water?
Yes, at least part of the Fryingpan River carries Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Gold Medal water designation.
What flies work on the Fryingpan River?
TroutTips tracks 10 fly pairings reported specifically on the Fryingpan 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 Fryingpan River?
Yes, Roaring Fork Anglers, Glenwood Springs Outdoors, Fly Fishing Outfitters (Avon), Taylor Creek Fly Shop, Frying Pan Anglers, Alpine Angling, Crystal Fly Shop, Aspen Flyfishing guide this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.