Right now
Live from USGS gauge 06727000 and National Weather Service.
What to tie on now
- Flies
- Zebra midge #20-22, RS2 #20, small hare's ear #18; Griffith's gnat if fish rise
- Rig
- Two-fly nymph rig under a small indicator, 6x. Fish every pocket behind the boulders.
Best flow range here: about 10 to 60 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
- Small freestone creek through Boulder and up Boulder Canyon
- Drive from Denver
- About 40 minutes
- Access
- Boulder Creek Path in town; pull-offs along CO-119 in the canyon
- Best for
- Lots of small wild browns, quick after-work trips
- Season
- Year-round; best spring before runoff and late summer through fall
- Fees
- None
- Dogs
- Leashed dogs on the creek path
Where to park
Eben G. Fine Park
- At the mouth of the canyon at the west end of Arapahoe. Fish from the park downstream along the creek path.
- Busy with tubers on summer afternoons.
Boulder Canyon pull-offs (CO-119)
- Dirt pull-offs line the highway. The lot at the end of the bike path near Fourmile Canyon is a popular start.
- Cell service is spotty in the canyon. Load directions before you lose signal.
Lots, fees and hours change. Check posted signs when you arrive.
Overview
Boulder Creek has hundreds of wild trout per mile, mostly small browns, and you can fish it from the path in the middle of town. Up the canyon it turns into steep pocket water with pull-offs along the highway. It's not big-fish water, but it's fun and close.
Where to fish
- In town: from Eben G. Fine Park downstream along the Boulder Creek Path. Avoid summer afternoons when tubers are out.
- Lower canyon: pull-offs along CO-119, including near the Fourmile Creek confluence. Early and late are quieter.
- Upper canyon: above Boulder Falls the water clears faster after storms.
How to fish it
Short casts. A dry-dropper with an elk hair caddis and a small beadhead nymph covers most days. Fish every pocket behind a rock. A 7.5 to 8.5-foot 3 or 4-weight is plenty.
Questions anglers ask
- Are there trout in Boulder Creek in town?
- Yes. There are hundreds of wild trout per mile, mostly brown trout, even right by Eben G. Fine Park.
- Where do you park to fish Boulder Canyon?
- Any of the pull-offs along CO-119. The lot at the end of the Fourmile Canyon bike path is a popular one.
Read next
Fishing Clear Creek in Golden
Fishing Clear Creek in Golden and Clear Creek Canyon: where the trout are, how big they get, the best time of day in winter and simple rigs.
4 min readFishing St. Vrain Creek in Lyons
Fly fishing St. Vrain Creek in Lyons: catch-and-release, flies-and-lures-only rules in town, public access, flows and the best flies by season.
2 min read