Roaring Fork River Fly Fishing Report
Gold Medal waterRoaring Fork near Basalt. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 150–700 cfs (RiverReports). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
What's swimming in the Roaring Fork River
No CPW fishery survey exists for the Roaring Fork. The species notes below come from CPW's river-wide page.
- CPW's river-wide page lists Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout, describing the river as "sustained primarily by wild brown trout and rainbow trout" (CPW Roaring Fork River).
- Mountain Whitefish are present nearby, with CPW noting seasonal spawning-area closures along the middle Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers and a statewide 4-fish daily whitefish bag limit adopted in 2021 (CPW Colorado River fishery survey).
- Gold Medal water runs from the Fryingpan confluence at Basalt downstream to the Colorado River; McFarlane Creek to the upper Woody Creek bridge is catch-and-release, flies-only water (CPW special regulations).
Rivers and creeks that flow into the Roaring Fork River
7 hold fish on Colorado Parks and Wildlife's records, listed from the headwaters down. Open one for where to fish and its rules.
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Hunter 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 Roaring Fork River at Aspen. It flows year-round.
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Castle Creek Brown, rainbow and brook trout
Where to fish
National forest stretch
About 14 miles up the creek · Forest Road 127.1
About it
It joins the Roaring Fork River at Aspen. It flows year-round.
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Maroon Creek Brown, rainbow and brook trout
Where to fish
National forest stretch
About 6 miles up the creek · Forest Road 125.1A, open May 27 to Oct 3
About it
It joins the Roaring Fork River at Aspen. It flows year-round.
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Snowmass Creek Brown, rainbow and 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 Roaring Fork River at Snowmass. It flows year-round.
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Fryingpan River Brown, rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout
Where to fish
Frying Pan River SWA
CPW access point · Easy access · Stocked with young trout
Ruedi Reservoir inlet
CPW access point · Easy access · Stocked with young trout
White River National Forest
CPW access point · Easy access · Stocked with young trout
Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area
CPW access point · Medium access
CPW special rules
Special CPW rules apply on parts of it; its guide lists them.
About it
It joins the Roaring Fork River at Basalt. It flows year-round.
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Crystal River Brown, rainbow and brook trout, plus 1 other species
Where to fish
Beaver Lake SWA - Fishing Easement
CPW access point · Medium access
White River National Forest
CPW access point · Medium access · Stocked with young trout
About it
It joins the Roaring Fork River at Carbondale. It flows year-round. CPW also records mountain whitefish.
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Cattle Creek Brown and cutthroat trout
Where to fish
National forest stretch
About 14 miles up the creek · Forest Road 509.1, high-clearance, open May 21 to Nov 22
About it
It joins the Roaring Fork River at the town of Cattle Creek. It flows year-round along most of its length.
Show 14 more named tributaries (no CPW fish data)
These also flow straight into the Roaring Fork River. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has no fish data for them; some may still hold fish.
- Independence Creek
- Lost Man Creek
- Coleman Creek
- Ptarmigan Creek
- Lincoln Creek
- Difficult Creek
- McFarlane Creek
- Owl Creek
- Brush Creek
- Woody Creek
- Sopris Creek
- Crystal Spring Creek
- Fourmile Creek
- Threemile 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 Roaring Fork 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. Maps can be wrong and road seasons change. Away from CPW access points, check land ownership before you fish.
Getting to the Roaring Fork River
Fisherman's Park in Basalt is commonly cited locally, but the official Pitkin County page for it could not be freshly verified -- it is left out of this list until it can be re-sourced.
- Wingo Junction River Access, co-managed by the BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office and Pitkin County Open Space upstream of Basalt, has a concrete boat ramp but no restrooms (BLM Wingo Junction).
- Roaring Fork (Gianinetti) SWA Fishing Lease (CPW, Garfield County): fishing only, access from posted points, dogs prohibited (CPW Gianinetti SWA).
- Jackson SWA Fishing Lease (CPW, Garfield County): public access prohibited except while fishing, dogs prohibited (CPW Jackson SWA).
- Gold MedalFryingpan River confluence to the Colorado River confluence (Basalt downstream). McFarlane Creek to the upper Woody Creek bridge is artificial flies only, all trout released; from there to the Colorado River it's flies and lures, 2 trout at a 16-inch minimum. Within 50 yards of the Fourmile/Threemile Creek confluences, fishing is closed March 15–May 31 and Oct. 1–Nov. 30 (CPW special regulations).
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What’s hatching on the Roaring Fork River
12 insects, from the published hatch charts of 5 fly shops, guides and fishing sites. Tap an insect to see where its dates come from. Every river, month by month →
Blue-Winged Olives (BWO)Mar 1 – Nov 30 · hook #14–227 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “BWO”: Mar 1 – Nov 30 · #16-20
- Fly Shack “Blue Winged Olive (spring)”: Apr 1 – May 14 · #14-22
- Fly Shack “Blue Winged Olive (fall)”: Aug 15 – Nov 14 · #14-22
- FlyFishFinder “Blue-Winged Olive”: Mar – May (months only) · #18-22
- FlyFishFinder “Blue-Winged Olive”: Sep – Nov (months only) · #18-22
- Alpine Angling “Blue Winged Olives”: Mar – May (months only) · #16-20
- Alpine Angling “Blue Winged Olives”: Aug – Sep (months only) · #16-20
CaddisMar 1 – Sep 30 · hook #10–224 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Caddis”: Mar 1 – Sep 30 · #10-18
- Fly Shack “Caddis (various)”: Apr 15 – Sep 30 · #10-22
- FlyFishFinder “Caddis”: May – Sep (months only) · #14-18
- Alpine Angling “Caddis”: Mar – Sep (months only) · #10-18
Golden StonefliesMay 1 – Aug 31 · hook #6–183 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Golden Stoneflies”: May 1 – Aug 31 · #8-12
- Fly Shack “Golden Stonefly”: Jul 1 – Aug 31 · #6-18
- Alpine Angling “Golden Stoneflies”: May – Aug (months only) · #8-12
SalmonfliesMay 1 – Jul 31 · hook #6–102 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Salmonflies”: May 1 – Jul 31 · #6-10
- Alpine Angling “Salmonflies”: Jun – Jul (months only) · #6-10
StonefliesMay 15 – Aug 31 · hook #4–161 source
Where these dates come from:
- Fly Shack “Stoneflies (various)”: May 15 – Aug 31 · #4-16
Green DrakesJun 1 – Sep 14 · hook #10–143 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Green Drake”: Jun 1 – Aug 31 · #10-14
- Fly Shack “Green Drake”: Jun 15 – Sep 14 · #10-12
- Alpine Angling “Green Drakes”: Jun – Aug (months only) · #10-14
Pale Morning Duns (PMD)Jun 1 – Sep 30 · hook #14–204 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “PMD”: Jun 1 – Sep 30 · #14-18
- Fly Shack “Pale Morning Dun”: Jun 15 – Sep 14 · #16-20
- FlyFishFinder “Pale Morning Dun”: Jun – Aug (months only) · #16-18
- Alpine Angling “Pale Morning Duns”: Jun – Sep (months only) · #14-18
Red QuillsJun 1 – Sep 30 · hook #12–203 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Red Quill”: Jun 1 – Sep 30 · #12-16
- Fly Shack “Red Quill”: Jul 1 – Aug 31 · #12-20
- Alpine Angling “Red Quills”: Jun – Sep (months only) · #12-16
Yellow SalliesJun – Sep 30 · hook #14–163 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Yellow Sally”: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · #14-16
- FlyFishFinder “Yellow Sally”: Jun – Aug (months only) · #14-16
- Alpine Angling “Yellow Sallies”: Jul – Sep (months only) · #14-16
Hoppers & terrestrialsJul 1 – Sep 30 · hook #6–204 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Terrestrials”: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · #6-18
- Fly Shack “Terrestrials (various)”: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · #8-20
- Alpine Angling “Hoppers”: Jul – Sep (months only) · #6-14
- Alpine Angling “Ants & Beetles”: Jul – Sep (months only) · #14-18
MidgesAll year · hook #16–243 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Midges”: Sep 1 – Mar 31 · #18-24
- Fly Shack “Midges (various)”: Apr 1 – Nov 30 · #16-24
- Alpine Angling / Roaring Fork Anglers “Midges”: Sep – Mar (months only) · #18-24
Streamers & baitfishAll year · hook #2–124 sources
Where these dates come from:
- Big Y Fly Co “Sculpins”: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · #2-12
- Big Y Fly Co “Leeches”: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · #2-12
- Fly Shack “Streamers (various)”: Sep 1 – Nov 30 · #2-10
- Alpine Angling “Streamers”: Jan – Dec (months only) · #2-12
Some sources list only months, not days, so treat the dates as a guide and check conditions before you go.
8 fly pairings from real fishing reports
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Fly shops on the Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the Roaring Fork River?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 150–700 cfs on the Roaring Fork River (RiverReports). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is the Roaring Fork River designated Gold Medal water?
Yes, at least part of the Roaring Fork River carries Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Gold Medal water designation.
What flies work on the Roaring Fork River?
TroutTips tracks 8 fly pairings reported specifically on the Roaring Fork 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 Roaring Fork River?
Yes, The Colorado Angler, Roaring Fork Anglers, Glenwood Hookers Fly Shop, Glenwood Springs Outdoors, Vail Valley Anglers, Fly Fishing Outfitters (Avon), Gore Creek Fly Fisherman, 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.