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Clear Creek (Golden) Fishing Report

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

Golden's canyon creek: wild browns within sight of Denver's skyline.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
0 cfs
Air / High
84 / 85 F
Wind
E 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06718550, 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.

Clear Creek (Golden) is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 0 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind E around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1002 hPa and a high of 85. 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 85 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 NORTH CLEAR CREEK ABOVE MOUTH NR BLACK HAWK, CO.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06718550.

38130 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp84 F
High / Low85 / 59 F
WindE 10-16 mph
Pressure1002.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain69% cloud, 8%
Sunrise / Sunset06:32 / 19:27
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 85/59 F, wind 17 mph, rain 8%

Fair or better. A 17 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Clear Creek (Golden): 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 Clear Creek (Golden) 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).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

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 Clear Creek (Golden) 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 84 F, wind to 13 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 79 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 15 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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

Standard 4-trout bag; some special regulation signs in the canyon. Confirm with CPW.

Access

US-6 canyon pullouts; Golden's whitewater park area for town access.

About this water

Front Range freestone from the Continental Divide through Golden, Jefferson County, CO.

Fishing Clear Creek (Golden): the full guide

The closest wild water

Clear Creek tumbles past Golden with a wild brown every few feet: small-fly pocket fishing, walkable access up the canyon, and a beat-the-crowds answer to a Front Range evening. It is not trophy water: it is five-minutes-away water, and that has its own value.

Urban canyon honesty

Clear Creek is Denver's closest moving water: 30 minutes to wild browns in pocket water along US-6. Small rods, small flies, quick sets: the fish run 8-14 inches and fight like the current they live in. Afternoon shadows bring the creek alive even midsummer.

Where to start

The canyon between Golden and Idaho Springs offers continuous pullouts: pick any, walk 200 yards, fish back. Winter slows but never stops: midge pockets in the sun hold sippers year-round.

Urban canyon tactics

Clear Creek is Denver's after-work river: forty minutes from downtown, the canyon along US-6 serves pocket-water browns and rainbows to anyone with two hours and a 3-weight. High-sticking heavy nymphs through the plunge pools is the default; summer evenings bring caddis blizzards that convert the whole canyon to dry flies. The fish run 8-14 inches and fight above their weight in the oxygen-rich current.

Common questions

Is Clear Creek worth it with famous rivers nearby?

For an after-work fix, unbeatable: no drive over the divide, wild fish, empty pockets. Manage expectations on size and it over-delivers on convenience.

When does runoff end on Clear Creek?

The creek typically drops into shape by late June after peaking in early June: July-October is prime. Winter fishing continues in the lower canyon's slow pools on midges: pick sunny afternoons.

Is fishing good at Clear Creek (Golden) 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

Bear Creek7 miEvergreen Lake8 miChatfield Reservoir20 miSouth Platte River (Deckers)34 miAurora Reservoir37 miLake Granby39 mi
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