Telluride Fishing Report

With the clocks springing forward and nighttime temps rising, it is time to start fishing here in the San Juans. While most drainages have shed their winter ice, water temps are still low and flows are minimal.  The big takeaway for the next month is try to fish during the warmer hours of the day and be careful while navigating any bank ice that remains.

The San Miguel is flowing 74.2 cfs in Placerville but is fishing pretty darn well. A light nymph rig or dry dropper setup fished in the deeper runs is the name of the game.  You will have to cover a lot more water than one would mid summer, looking for the deeper, slower winter holding water.  Try a Twenty Incher above a black Two Bit or any variety of midge dropper.  We will probably start seeing some BWO's pretty soon and small Flashback Pheasant Tails and Micro Mayfly's will do the trick.

The tailwater from Ridgway reservoir is at a clear and techy 36.2 cfs.  The fish will be holding in the deep dumps and will require a stealthy approach and properly weighted nymph rigs to inspire an eat.  Small midge patterns under a larger attractor nymph is your best bet. Try a Pat's Rubber Leg followed by a Juju Baetis or red midge in a size #22.  Hopefully flows will increase along with water temps and we should start seeing a few mayfly hatches with the possibility of dry fly fishing.

The lower Gunny is flowing at between 630 and 750 cfs right now.  This flow should allow for some amazing spring fishing this season.  Be prepared with a streamer, nymph and a dry fly rod.  The streamer fishing has been pretty consistent with Thin Mints, Game Changers and Sparkle Minnows.  Pounding the banks with a sink tip line and a short leader will allow for covering water quickly and efficiently.  The nymphing is best done on foot, fishing the deeper, longer tail outs methodically with attractor nymphs followed by any small baetis or midge pattern.  I love Two Bits, brown glass bead Micro Mays, Winker Midges or Mckittrick's Ice Queen.  There is a really good chance to find rising fish in the afternoon, particularly on the slow, glassy shelves along the banks.  These fish will most likely be focused on BWO's, sometimes midges.  I really like to throw Comparaduns or an Eric's Midge

There is currently no flow report for the Upper Dolores given this is the one drainage that is reluctant to thaw out.  The water from Dolores, upriver to around Rico, is certainly fishable but still has quite a bit of ice on the edges.  Could you catch fish, probably.  Very light baetis and midge rigs would probably get the job done if you can find water with a little depth.  The Lower Dolores River below Mcphee Reservoir is actually fishing pretty well but will require a bike to get to the top 3 miles. The flows have been reduced to 10 cfs.  I'm unsure if that is a result of dam maintenance or they are hedging their bets on a lower than average snowpack going into summer irrigation calls.  At any rate, the BWO hatches have been pretty good for an hour or two during midday and the midge hatches have been pretty consistent.