Rio Grande River Fly Fishing Report
Gold Medal waterRio Grande River near Del Norte. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 200–500 cfs (FlyGuysNLies). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
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What's swimming in the Rio Grande River
- On the Marshall Park-to-Del Norte reach, Brown Trout make up 90-99% of the fishery (spawning mid-October to November) and Rainbow Trout 1-10% (spawning mid-April to mid-May) (CPW fishery survey).
- CPW stocks tens of thousands of whirling-disease-resistant Rainbow Trout annually on this stretch, including 23,000-plus subcatchables near South Fork in a recent year (CPW fishery survey).
- Gold Medal water runs from the Colo. 149 bridge at South Fork downstream to the Rio Grande Canal diversion: flies and lures only, Brown Trout 2-fish/16-inch minimum, Rainbow Trout must be released (CPW fishery survey).
Getting to the Rio Grande River
- Rio Grande River Fishing Easement: Del Norte (CPW, Rio Grande County): public access prohibited except while fishing, hand-propelled vessels only at the CR 17 ramp (CPW Del Norte easement).
- Coller SWA is flies-and-lures water with brown trout 2 fish/12-inch maximum and rainbows released; CPW's survey lists eleven public boating access points on this reach plus seasonal restrooms at Creede and Coller SWA (CPW fishery survey).
- Del Norte City Park, Deer Park Fishing Access, Masonic Park Fishing Easement and Creede Fishing Access are named Rio Grande access properties in the CPW Fishing Atlas.
- Marshall Park Campground (USFS Rio Grande National Forest) offers shore, wade or float access; float fishing can be difficult at low flows (CPW Rio Grande — Fisherman Area to Marshall Park).
- Important: "This stretch is a mix of private and public lands… any person or object touching the bank or river bottom is trespassing" on the float sections (CPW fishery survey).
- Gold MedalColo. 149 bridge at South Fork to the Rio Grande Canal diversion -- flies and lures only, brown trout 2 fish 16-inch minimum, rainbows released immediately. Upstream (River Hill Campground to the 149 bridge): flies and lures only, brown trout 2 fish at a 12-inch maximum (CPW special regulations; CPW fishery survey).
32 sourced hatch windows for the Rio Grande 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midges (various) | Apr 1–Nov 30 | #16-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Streamers (various) — spring | Apr 1–May 31 | #2-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Midge | Apr 1–Nov 30 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| Streamers | Apr 1–Nov 30 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| Caddis (various) | Apr 15–Aug 14 | #10-16 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Caddis | May 1–Sep 30 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| Caddis | May 1–Aug 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Midge | May 1–Oct 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Streamers | May 1–Oct 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Green Drake | Jun 1–Aug 31 | #10-12 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Stonefly | Jun 1–Sep 30 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| Green Drake | Jun 1–Jul 31 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| BWO | Jun 1–Jul 31 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| PMD | Jun 1–Jul 31 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| Stonefly | Jun 1–Jul 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Blue Wing Olive | Jun 1–Jul 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 1–Jul 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Green Drake | Jun 1–Jul 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Salmonfly (giant stonefly) | Jun 1 onward (no published end date) | — | Month-level | Rio Grande Angler (Creede) |
| Stoneflies (various) | Jun 8–Jul 31 | #4-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 15–Jul 31 | #12-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Red Quill | Jul 1–Aug 31 | #10-16 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Terrestrials | Jul 1–Oct 31 | — | Month-level | Fish the Upper Rio |
| Terrestrials | Jul 1–Oct 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Terrestrials (various) | Jul 15–Oct 14 | #8-16 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Hoppers | Aug 1–Aug 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande Angler |
| Stonefly | Sep 1–Sep 30 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Blue Wing Olive | Sep 1–Oct 31 | — | Month-level | Rio Grande County Tourism |
| Streamers (various) — fall | Sep 15–Nov 30 | #2-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Blue Winged Olive | Sep 15–Nov 14 | #12-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Green Drake | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | — | Seasonal estimate | Rio Grande Angler |
| Caddis, dark stones, Yellow Sallies, BWO, PMD | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | — | Month-level | Rio Grande Angler |
9 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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande River
Rio Grande River fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the Rio Grande River?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 200–500 cfs on the Rio Grande River (FlyGuysNLies). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is the Rio Grande River designated Gold Medal water?
Yes, at least part of the Rio Grande River carries Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Gold Medal water designation.
What flies work on the Rio Grande River?
TroutTips tracks 9 fly pairings reported specifically on the Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande River?
Yes, Wolf Creek Anglers, 8200 Mountain Sports Fly Shop, Rio Grande Angler, Rio Epic Outfitters, Jackalope Anglers, Ramble House / Creede Guide & Outfitters guide this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.