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Cache la Poudre River Fishing Report

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

Colorado’s only Wild and Scenic river: the Poudre runs trout out of Rocky Mountain National Park.

3/5

Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Water temp

~54 F est.

Air / High

84 / 86 F

Wind

ESE 12 mph

Sources: 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Cache la Poudre River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. Today brings cloud cover, wind ESE around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1003 hPa and a high of 86. 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 troutGood

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

Brown troutGood

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

Tomorrow: Similar at 86 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.

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 temp84 F

High / Low86 / 60 F

WindESE 12-17 mph

Pressure1003.0 hPa, rising

Sky / Rain100% cloud, 3%

Sunrise / Sunset06:31 / 19:28

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 · Overcast, 86/60 F, wind 18 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 18 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Cache la Poudre 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 Cache la Poudre 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 Cache la Poudre 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 85 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 23 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 85 F, wind to 23 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 79 F, wind to 16 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. Wild trout and catch-and-release sections apply on parts of the canyon: check current CPW regulations and property boundaries.

Access

Highway 14 pullouts and campgrounds through the canyon; national forest and park access in the headwaters.

About this water

A 125-mile Wild and Scenic river from Rocky Mountain National Park to the South Platte, Larimer County, Colorado.

Fishing Cache la Poudre River: the full guide

A wild and scenic canyon

The Cache la Poudre River rises in Rocky Mountain National Park and runs about 125 miles through a steep canyon to the South Platte at Greeley, carrying Colorado’s only federal Wild and Scenic designation. Brown, rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout hold the river, from small headwater water down through the canyon to the plains.

Trout in the canyon

The canyon along Highway 14 is the heart of the fishery: pocket water, plunge pools and runs holding wild browns and rainbows, with a catch-and-release wild trout section providing the best fishing. Dry-dropper rigs, attractor dries and nymphs all work. Fish average modest with better fish in the deeper pools.

Headwaters and the plains

Above the canyon the river and its tributaries in Rocky Mountain National Park and the Roosevelt National Forest hold cutthroat and brook trout in small, wadable water. Below the canyon the river drops onto the plains, warms, and holds a mixed warm-water fishery through Fort Collins and Greeley.

Larimer County logistics

Access is excellent along Highway 14 through the canyon, with pullouts, campgrounds and marked public reaches, though private land interrupts in places. Fort Collins is twenty minutes from the canyon mouth. Spring runoff blows the river out from May into early July: plan around it.

Common questions

When is runoff?

May into early July: the river is high and off-color. Fish before or after, or head to smaller headwater tributaries.

Is it all public?

No: private land interrupts the canyon in places. Watch the signs and know the boundaries.

What makes it Wild and Scenic?

It carries Colorado’s only federal Wild and Scenic River designation, protecting the canyon corridor.

Is fishing good at Cache la Poudre River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Horsetooth Reservoir13 mi Boyd Lake24 mi Big Thompson River38 mi Lake Granby45 mi Clear Creek (Golden)65 mi Bear Creek70 mi

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