Episode Details

This is Artificial Lure with your Colorado River report out of Colorado’s high country.

We don’t worry about tides up here, just **flows and weather**. The National Weather Service’s Central Colorado River Basin forecast is calling for clear to mostly sunny skies with highs running in the mid‑50s to mid‑60s, light north to northwest winds, and cold overnights in the 20s to low 30s. That means crisp mornings, a quick warm‑up by late morning, and stable pressure—perfect conditions for a strong mid‑day bite.

Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m. with sunset near 6 p.m. First light to about 9:30 a.m. and then again from 3 p.m. to dark are your prime windows. With the longer days, fish are sliding a bit shallower to feed but still hugging structure and softer seams.

Flows on the Colorado through the central basin are typical early‑spring levels: clear to slightly off‑color, cold, but not locked in ice. Expect trout to be **concentrated in deeper runs, tailouts, and slower inside bends**, with some mid‑day movement into riffle heads when the sun gets on the water.

Recent chatter from local guides and shops along the upper Colorado points to good action on **browns and rainbows**, with a smattering of whitefish and the odd cuttbow. Numbers have been solid rather than spectacular—think half‑dozen to a dozen quality fish for a competent angler putting in a full day, with browns in the 12–16 inch class and rainbows pushing 18–20 inches not uncommon. No fresh trophy reports this week, but several shops have mentioned “heavy bows” coming on nymph rigs during the warm spells.

Best **presentations** right now:

- **Nymphs:** Small mayfly and midge patterns (#18–22) under a yarn or air‑lock indicator. Think pheasant tails, two‑bit hookers, RS2s, zebra midges, and small tungsten jigs. Add a tiny split shot to tick bottom in those deeper buckets.
- **Eggs and worms:** With spring flows and ongoing trout spawning activity in some tribs, pegged beads, glo‑bugs, and San Juan worms in natural or red have been top producers, especially in slightly stained water.
- **Streamers:** When clouds roll in or the wind chops the surface, articulated sculpin and leech patterns in olive, black, or brown stripped slow on a sink‑tip will move bigger browns tight to cutbanks and boulder lines.

For **hardware and bait** anglers on legal sections:
- Small **silver or gold spoons**, 1/8‑oz marabou jigs in brown/olive, and 2–3 inch minnow baits in ghost or rainbow patterns have been putting fish in the net.
- Where bait is allowed, nightcrawlers drifted on a small hook with just enough weight to bounce bottom in the softer seams remain the most reliable choice. Salmon eggs and small pieces of shrimp can also turn finicky trout.

A couple of **local hot spots** to focus on:

- **Pumphouse to Radium stretch:** Classic upper Colorado water—deep runs, boulder gardens, and softer inside bends. Work the tailouts with a double‑nymph rig in the morning, then swing or strip small streamers tight to the banks once the sun gets higher.
- **Below Glenwood Springs, near Two Rivers area:** Slightly warmer water where the Colorado picks up some color from tributaries. Great for mixed‑bag trout with a better shot at bigger fish. Focus on slower edge water, eddies behind big rocks, and the heads of deep pools.

Fish are still in **winter energy‑saving mode**, so keep your drifts slow and deep, downsize tippet to 5X–6X, and be patient. Once that sun hits the water and bumps the temp a degree or two, you’ll feel the switch flip—especially on midges and baetis nymphs.

That’s your Colorado River rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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