Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Late September Colorado River Fishing Report - Trout, Bass, and Pike Bites
Published 6 months ago
Description
Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here, and I’ve got your boots-on-the-bank report for fishing the Colorado River and nearby stretches, right here at the tail end of September 2025.
We’re waking up today to classic early fall weather along the river: mostly sunny skies, crisp air, and just a slight whisper of a shower possible in the afternoon according to the National Weather Service forecast for the Grand and Battlement Mesas. Highs are hanging in the mid 60s to low 70s, with cool mornings in the upper 40s. Don’t forget to layer up—it’ll be chilly early, but that sun will warm things fast by mid-morning.
Sunrise today is right on the nose at about 6:55 AM, with sunset trailing off just before 7 PM. Plan your outings for early and late—the trout and bass bite has been most reliable in those low-light windows, with a noticeable lull by midday, according to recent angler reports up at Eleven Mile and echoed around the upper Colorado.
River flows remain lower than average for late September, which is the new normal as Colorado River negotiations grind on and drought keeps its grip. Water temps on the big reservoirs like Eleven Mile are around 59 degrees, and main stems and tributaries are running cool and clear, ideal conditions for trout to get moving as they prep for spawning runs this fall.
Latest reports from North Park Anglers and Eleven Mile Marina show catch rates picking up, especially for rainbow and brown trout. Rainbows in the 14-18 inch class are common, with some Snake River cutthroats and even a few hefty browns in the mix. Northern pike are firing up mid-morning until mid-afternoon, especially in the slackwater zones and weedy pockets near confluence points.
No tidal report is needed for our section—it’s all fresh, all the time. The slight bump in flows from recent rain has improved fishing in back eddies and riffles.
Hot lures right now? Anglers are scoring with Tasmanian Devils, quarter-ounce spinnerbaits, and tried-and-true Rapala-style stickbaits in silver/blue and brown trout patterns. For bass, October favorites are already in play: double Colorado-blade spinnerbaits, finesse jigs in green pumpkin, and soft plastics twitched slow near structure—this comes straight from recent YouTube bass guides targeting fall transitions.
On the bait side, it’s hard to beat fresh nightcrawlers early, with salmon eggs and PowerBait nuggets picking off slower trout, especially for shore anglers. For pike, big bucktail spinners or swimbaits worked through weed lines are money.
A couple of hot spots for you to try:
- State Bridge area downriver from Bond is holding good numbers of mixed trout—work the seams and soft water with jerkbaits or drifting nymph rigs.
- The inlet at Radium, especially around the slackwater below the ramp, has been full of rainbows and the occasional brown—throw small spinners in copper or black, or dead-drift woolly buggers for an epic take.
- Not far upriver, Williams Fork confluence is always worth a look, particularly for pike hunters and the patient trout angler after a trophy brown.
Elsewhere, backwaters near Parshall and Byers Canyon continue to produce, especially when anglers switch up bait colors and stay mobile.
Remember, fall can be fickle, so change presentations and cover water—don’t just wait it out in one spot. Any storm that pushes through can stir up the fishing, so keep an eye for cloudy patches and time your lunker hunt accordingly.
That’s it for today’s Colorado River rundown. Thanks for tuning in to your local report—if you found this useful, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the
We’re waking up today to classic early fall weather along the river: mostly sunny skies, crisp air, and just a slight whisper of a shower possible in the afternoon according to the National Weather Service forecast for the Grand and Battlement Mesas. Highs are hanging in the mid 60s to low 70s, with cool mornings in the upper 40s. Don’t forget to layer up—it’ll be chilly early, but that sun will warm things fast by mid-morning.
Sunrise today is right on the nose at about 6:55 AM, with sunset trailing off just before 7 PM. Plan your outings for early and late—the trout and bass bite has been most reliable in those low-light windows, with a noticeable lull by midday, according to recent angler reports up at Eleven Mile and echoed around the upper Colorado.
River flows remain lower than average for late September, which is the new normal as Colorado River negotiations grind on and drought keeps its grip. Water temps on the big reservoirs like Eleven Mile are around 59 degrees, and main stems and tributaries are running cool and clear, ideal conditions for trout to get moving as they prep for spawning runs this fall.
Latest reports from North Park Anglers and Eleven Mile Marina show catch rates picking up, especially for rainbow and brown trout. Rainbows in the 14-18 inch class are common, with some Snake River cutthroats and even a few hefty browns in the mix. Northern pike are firing up mid-morning until mid-afternoon, especially in the slackwater zones and weedy pockets near confluence points.
No tidal report is needed for our section—it’s all fresh, all the time. The slight bump in flows from recent rain has improved fishing in back eddies and riffles.
Hot lures right now? Anglers are scoring with Tasmanian Devils, quarter-ounce spinnerbaits, and tried-and-true Rapala-style stickbaits in silver/blue and brown trout patterns. For bass, October favorites are already in play: double Colorado-blade spinnerbaits, finesse jigs in green pumpkin, and soft plastics twitched slow near structure—this comes straight from recent YouTube bass guides targeting fall transitions.
On the bait side, it’s hard to beat fresh nightcrawlers early, with salmon eggs and PowerBait nuggets picking off slower trout, especially for shore anglers. For pike, big bucktail spinners or swimbaits worked through weed lines are money.
A couple of hot spots for you to try:
- State Bridge area downriver from Bond is holding good numbers of mixed trout—work the seams and soft water with jerkbaits or drifting nymph rigs.
- The inlet at Radium, especially around the slackwater below the ramp, has been full of rainbows and the occasional brown—throw small spinners in copper or black, or dead-drift woolly buggers for an epic take.
- Not far upriver, Williams Fork confluence is always worth a look, particularly for pike hunters and the patient trout angler after a trophy brown.
Elsewhere, backwaters near Parshall and Byers Canyon continue to produce, especially when anglers switch up bait colors and stay mobile.
Remember, fall can be fickle, so change presentations and cover water—don’t just wait it out in one spot. Any storm that pushes through can stir up the fishing, so keep an eye for cloudy patches and time your lunker hunt accordingly.
That’s it for today’s Colorado River rundown. Thanks for tuning in to your local report—if you found this useful, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the