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Colorado River Fishing Report: Trout, Bass, and Cats Biting Steady
Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River fishing report for Sunday, October 26, 2025. Sunrise came at 7:27 AM, and sunset will drop at 6:14 PM, so anglers have right around 11 hours to make the most of today’s solid fall bite.
Weather this morning started brisk—low 40s near dawn with highs pushing into the mid-60s by early afternoon. Skies are mostly clear, with a light breeze from the northwest. These classic Colorado October conditions mean you’ll want to dress in layers and keep a wind shell handy out on or near the water.
There’s no tidal report for this stretch—Colorado is landlocked—but water clarity is fair to good and flows are moderate. Recent rains in the high country bumped the river just enough to get fish active and moving around. If you’re wading, boots with good grip are a must and always check water levels before stepping in.
Fish activity is improving, especially in the afternoons. According to the Colorado River Colorado Daily Fishing Report, hungry trout and stripers have been showing up in good numbers. Recent catches include plenty of rainbow and brown trout in the 16-19” range and steady action on smallmouth and largemouth bass closer to Grand Junction. Catfish and bluegill remain consistent for shore anglers at slower stretches and backwater pockets.
For bait and lures—trout are striking spinners, especially Colorado blade spinnerbaits and small spoons, as recommended in recent YouTube angler tips. Fly anglers are having luck with midges, small nymphs, and streamers, adapting to colder water per Rise Beyond Fly Fishing’s cold water guide. Bass are still chasing crankbaits with a gold or fire-tiger pattern and soft plastics in green pumpkin. Channel cats are keyed onto fresh-cut bait and nightcrawlers in muddy pockets and deep holes—right on cue for late fall.
Top baits right now include:
- Live nightcrawlers or salmon eggs for trout
- Colorado blade spinnerbaits for bass
- Cut shad and stink baits for catfish
- Small crankbaits, tubes, and jigheads in natural colors
Corn Lake, part of Colorado River State Park, is red hot. Reports from Snoflo and area locals confirm catches of largemouth bass on topwater lures at dusk, and channel cats taken with chicken liver or dough bait off the bottom. Connected Lakes in Grand Junction is another destination—crappie and bluegill are biting well in shallow reeds, with bite-sized pieces of worm or small jigs producing fast action.
If you’re after trout, the upper river near Kremmling is producing, with action in riffles and undercut banks—use small streamers or olive/black woolly buggers, per Rise Beyond’s fly report. For a mixed bag, hit the slow pools downstream from Parachute or Rifle.
Looking for hotspots? Here are my top picks:
- Corn Lake for largemouth bass and steady catfish action.
- Connected Lakes for crappie, bluegill, and some excellent evening bass.
- The tailouts and bends near Rifle and Parachute for chunky browns and rainbows.
On the calendar, Farmers’ Almanac calls tonight “Fair” for evening fishing—expect modest results but steady pickup after 4:30 PM once the shadows start casting across the water. Early risers got a bit of breakfast bite, but that evening window looks strongest.
To recap: mid-60s and clear skies, rivers are active, fish are feeding ahead of next week’s cold snap, and the top lures are blades and live baits. Best bets for success—keep it small, natural, and move between deep pools and shallow outsides.
Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s Colorado River fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for your daily updates and stories from the river! This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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