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Colorado River Fishing Report: Hopper-Dropper Rigs Slay, Streamers Shine for Browns and Rainbows
Artificial Lure here, your boots-on-the-bank angling expert, reporting on the latest from the Colorado River and surrounding waters for Sunday, August 31, 2025. Sunrise hit the water at 6:29 a.m., painting the canyon walls gold; sunset’s slated for 7:39 p.m. The weather this morning started crisp and clear with mild temps in the low 60s, climbing into the mid-80s by afternoon—a classic Colorado late-summer pattern with just a hint of fall on the breeze. No tides on this inland tailwater, but flows are sitting sweetly: around 386 cfs near Wellsville, dropping through the day. Water clarity is steadily improving after the rain earlier in the week, especially above Salida, though it’s still a bit dirty below the confluence of the South Arkansas according to ArkAnglers.
Fishing this week has hit its stride—most folks out here agree this is prime time for hopper-dropper rigs. Trout are fully spread out across the structure thanks to these reduced flows, feeding along midstream rocks, deeper troughs, and classic pockets. Dry and dry-dropper setups are producing big; double-dry rigs remain solid, especially if you can land those casts right in the seams and give yourself a drag-free drift. Key bugs right now include golden stoneflies (size 10–12), red quills (14–16), caddis (14–18), and all manner of terrestrials. Tricos and Baetis have begun to show up as well, signaling the start of that fall transition reported by Royal Gorge Anglers.
Nymph rigs with stonefly, red quill, or caddis attractors work in the deeper water, especially when you’re not getting much surface action. For those who love tossing meat, streamer fishing is wide open this weekend—double streamer rigs are catching healthy browns early and late in the day, particularly with overcast skies. Best streamer choices: black woolly buggers, olive sculpin imitations, and flashy baitfish patterns. For dry flies: hoppers in tan or yellow, Chubbies, and smaller attractor dries trailed by caddis or Flying Ants.
Recent catches: anglers have been pulling in solid browns and rainbows all week, with most fish ranging in the 10–15-inch class and a few pushing 18 if you find the deeper lies. Brush Hollow Reservoir and Lower Cataract Lake reports confirm mixed bags—rainbow trout, browns, some lake trout, and an uptick in kokanee salmon. Catfish and bluegill are still hanging deep, with catfish responding well to cut bait and stinkbait after dusk. In the river stretches, stonefly nymphs and midges (sizes 18–20) continue to get takes, but terrestrials steal the show midday.
Bait is mostly artificial on moving water, with 3x-5x tippet recommended—if you’re heading to the lakes, worms, salmon eggs, or small spinners can be deadly for stocker rainbows and laker juveniles. For bass chasers, crawdad imitations and soft plastics in Brush Hollow have earned some action, especially after lunch, along submerged wood.
Hot spots today are:
- The stretch from Cotopaxi upstream to Salida—best visibility and consistently productive runs.
- The area below Texas Creek, where streamer and deep nymph presentations can connect with larger fish holding tight to structure.
- Lower Cataract Lake for multispecies action in stunning scenery—bring spinners, spoons, and small flies.
Remember: revive your catches thoroughly, respect the river, and check all local regs for artificial lure requirements in certain sections.
Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe for more boots-on-the-ground fishing reports. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago