Right now
Live from USGS gauge 07093700 and National Weather Service.
What to tie on now
- Flies
- BWO nymphs and dries #18-20, midges #20-22, sculpin or articulated streamer for big browns
- Rig
- Nymph rig with 5x-6x in the runs; sink-tip and streamer on cloudy days. Stay off spawning gravel.
Best flow range here: about 250 to 700 cfs. The live flow above tells you where today sits.
Flies checked against local shop reports on Nov 15. Ask at the local fly shop for what hatched this morning. They know before we do.
- Water
- Freestone river through the Upper Arkansas Valley, about 102 miles of Gold Medal water
- Drive from Denver
- About 2.5 hours via US-285
- Access
- Signed public access sites across the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, plus in-town parks in Salida and Buena Vista
- Best for
- Lots of brown trout, dry flies, a weekend trip with good towns
- Season
- Best mid-March to late May and September to November; winter middays fish well
- Fees
- Some AHRA access sites charge a day-use fee
- Dogs
- Leashed dogs allowed in the recreation area
Where to park
Buena Vista River Park
- At the east end of Main Street in Buena Vista. Easy in-town water.
Ruby Mountain / Hecla Junction
- Recreation area sites south of Buena Vista off US-285. Ruby Mountain is about 8 miles south of town; Hecla Junction is known for browns.
- Some AHRA sites charge a day-use fee ($10 to $15 per vehicle). Public access is signed.
Lots, fees and hours change. Check posted signs when you arrive.
Overview
The Arkansas between Buena Vista and Salida is one of the best wade-fishing rivers in Colorado. It's mostly brown trout, lots of them, in a wide valley under the Collegiate Peaks. Two good river towns sit right on the water, which makes it an easy overnight from Denver.
Where to fish
- Buena Vista: the river park at the east end of Main Street, plus pull-offs along US-24 north of town and US-285 south.
- Browns Canyon, between Buena Vista and Salida: the most scenic and productive stretch, and the busiest with rafts in summer.
- Salida: in-town water along the river walk, then Bighorn Sheep Canyon below town along US-50.
- Public access is signed. Between signs, assume it's private.
When to go
- Spring (mid-March to May): blue-winged olives, then the famous caddis hatch, which starts near Cañon City in April and reaches Buena Vista and Salida by late May in a normal year.
- Summer: runoff in June, then good dry-fly fishing; hoppers along the banks from mid-July through August.
- Fall: browns are active and the rafts are gone. September to November is prime.
- Winter: the sun warms the water by midday and trout feed. Fish 11 to 3.
Flies and rigs
Fish a two-nymph rig in the riffles (pheasant tail and a caddis pupa), or a dry-dropper when fish are rising. In spring, an elk hair caddis covers the hatch. In winter, go small with midges and BWO nymphs in the slow water.
Regulations
Most of the river follows statewide rules, but some stretches near Salida are artificial flies and lures only with lower limits. The sections change, so check the CPW Fishing Atlas for the exact water you're on.
Where to eat after
Salida and Buena Vista both have breweries and restaurants a few blocks from the river, many with patios. Eddyline in Buena Vista and the restaurants along the river walk in downtown Salida are easy stops.
On the water
Questions anglers ask
- Is the Arkansas River Gold Medal water?
- Yes. About 102 miles of the Arkansas are Gold Medal, the longest stretch in Colorado.
- When is the caddis hatch on the Arkansas?
- It starts near Cañon City in mid-April and moves upriver over about six weeks, reaching Buena Vista and Salida around late May.
- Can you fish the Arkansas in winter?
- Yes. Midday sun warms the water enough for trout to feed. Fish small flies in slow water from about 11 to 3.
- How far is Salida from Denver?
- About 2.5 hours via US-285.
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