Fishing Conditions
Fishing report June 17, 2021
Dolores ~ Uncompahgre ~ San Miguel ~ Gunnison
San Miguel (450-600cfs) Watch this river carefully. Although still too high to fish, the San Miguel will drop rapidly after this spell of sizzling weather melts the majority of the runoff snowpack. Water color has already changed from brown to green. Caddis, stoneflies and callibaetis are hatching in clouds. By the last week of June, hard-wading locals will be killing it on the home river.
Dolores (125cfs below Rico, 300 cfs at Dolores) The Dolores is a river that just looks and fishes just right.
Uncompahgre (98.6 cfs): While low for this time of year, this is an excellent fishing flow at Pa-Co-Chu-Puk State Park. Up until this point, midges have dominated the menu, but we expect the 3-month PMD hatch to begin any day. Technical presentations will be necessary to catch Pa-Co's wary trout throughout this hatch. On top, fish size #18 PMD patterns such as the Lawson's no hackle, Harrop's CDC patterns and AK's Melon Quill. Nymphs tied with glass beads or no beads at all are most effective, including the Mayhem, RS-2 variations and split back mayfly nymphs.
Gunnison (493 cfs): The Black Canyon is alive with the Giant Salmonfly hatch, an event with no equal in the Southern Rockies. The massive stoneflies crawl to shore daily and the Gunnison's heavy trout follow their path, lining up along banks and walls to ambush the stoneflies as they emerge. Fish 2X leaders and size #4-8 dry flies, featuring salmonfly patterns such as the Rogue Foam Stone and Flushfloater Stone, as well as golden stonefly imitations is sizes #6-10. The Pat's Rubber Leg Stone should dominate your nymph box this month, but all size #6-10 stonefly nymphs have a place on the river.
Dolores
Miramonte Reservoir: Ice. Check again in April.
Dolores River private leases: Ice. Check again in late March.
Please call Telluride Angler with your fishing questions. We will be happy to steer you toward our best local fly fishing opportunities. 1-800-831-6230
