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Arkansas River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Colorado’s Gold Medal river: the Arkansas runs brown trout through 100 miles of mountain canyon.

1/5

Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Water temp

~54 F est.

Air / High

79 / 79 F

Wind

SSW 15 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07093700, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view

Friday

4

September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Arkansas River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 15 mph, rising pressure near 1004 hPa and a high of 79. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutFair

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutFair

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 81 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Arkansas River near Wellsville.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp79 F

High / Low79 / 51 F

WindSSW 15-19 mph

Pressure1004.1 hPa, rising

Sky / Rain0% cloud, 11%

Sunrise / Sunset06:36 / 19:29

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 79/51 F, wind 29 mph, rain 11%

Slow. Wind at 29 mph makes boat control the day's real problem; find protected banks.

Species guide

The species that matter on Arkansas River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Arkansas River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Arkansas River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 83 F, wind to 15 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 21 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 14 mph.

Before you go

License

Colorado requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Colorado license plus state parks pass at recreation area sites. Gold Medal and special regulation reaches have specific rules: check current CPW regulations.

Access

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area sites from Leadville through Buena Vista and Salida to Cañon City.

About this water

A Gold Medal trout river through central Colorado, Chaffee and Fremont counties, from Leadville to the Royal Gorge.

Fishing Arkansas River: the full guide

America’s most-fished trout river

The Arkansas River flows from Leadville through Buena Vista and Salida into the Royal Gorge, and its upper hundred miles carry Gold Medal designation and, by some counts, more angler days than any trout river in the country. Brown trout dominate, with rainbows increasing since whirling disease recovery, in a river that is also Colorado’s busiest whitewater run.

Browns and the caddis hatch

The Mother’s Day caddis hatch moves up the river in late April and early May, a genuine event that draws anglers to follow it upstream day by day. Beyond it, the river fishes with nymphs year-round, hoppers and attractors through summer, and blue-winged olives in fall. Wade access is exceptional, with public land along most of the corridor.

Flows and rafting

Voluntary flow management balances rafting and fishing: releases raise the river through the summer rafting season, which anglers work around by fishing early, late or in the reaches above the busiest runs. Runoff dominates late May and June. Winter fishing in the lower canyon is genuinely productive and uncrowded.

Arkansas Headwaters logistics

The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area manages access along the corridor with numerous sites, parking and boat ramps from Leadville to Cañon City. Salida and Buena Vista are the base towns with shops and guides. Highway 24 and 285 parallel the river, making access as easy as any Gold Medal water in the state.

Common questions

When is the caddis hatch?

Late April into May, moving upstream day by day: anglers follow it up the river as it progresses.

Does rafting affect fishing?

Yes in summer: flows are raised for rafting. Fish early, late, or in reaches above the busy runs.

Is access easy?

Exceptionally: the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area provides sites along the whole corridor.

Is fishing good at Arkansas River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Antero Reservoir34 mi Spinney Mountain Reservoir38 mi Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir40 mi Twin Lakes44 mi Taylor River46 mi Tarryall Reservoir54 mi

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