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Ridgway Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Under the Sneffels Range: Ridgway holds trout and kokanee in a state park with the best backdrop in Colorado.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
137 cfs
Air / High
81 / 82 F
Wind
WSW 14 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09147025, 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Ridgway Reservoir is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 137 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind WSW around 14 mph, rising pressure near 1006 hPa and a high of 82. 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 82 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 Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09147025.

148169189137 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low82 / 57 F
WindWSW 14-18 mph
Pressure1006.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain1% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:43 / 19:36
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 82/57 F, wind 16 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 16 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Ridgway Reservoir: 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 Ridgway Reservoir 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 Ridgway Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 82 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 16 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 75 F, wind to 14 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

Colorado license plus state park pass. Trout and kokanee limits per current CPW regulations.

Access

Ridgway State Park ramps, campgrounds and shoreline; Uncompahgre River access below the dam.

About this water

A 1,000-acre state park reservoir on the Uncompahgre River, Ouray County, Colorado, beneath the Sneffels Range.

Fishing Ridgway Reservoir: the full guide

A state park with a view

Ridgway State Park surrounds a 1,000-acre reservoir on the Uncompahgre River between Montrose and Ouray, with the Sneffels Range rising behind it. It is a well-run park lake: stocked rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon and yellow perch, with easy access, good facilities and one of the more photogenic settings in a state full of them.

Trout and kokanee

Rainbow trout are stocked regularly and cruise the shorelines and drop-offs, taking bait, spinners and flies from bank and boat. Brown trout hold deeper structure and near the inflow, best in fall. Kokanee school through the summer at 30-60 feet and take small dodger-hoochie rigs trolled slowly: the fall run concentrates them near the inlet.

Season and the tailwater

Ice-out through June and again in September and October are the best windows, when fish are shallow and active. Summer pushes trout deeper and brings recreational traffic. Below the dam, the Uncompahgre River runs as a small tailwater with trout in the cold releases: a bonus fishery accessible from the park and the highway pullouts downstream.

Park logistics

Ridgway State Park operates ramps, campgrounds, showers and a marina, making it one of Colorado’s most family-friendly fishing destinations. US 550 runs alongside, with Ouray twenty minutes south and Montrose twenty minutes north. Afternoon wind funnels down the valley: mornings are calmer for small boats and float tubes.

Common questions

Is it good for families?

One of Colorado’s best: full facilities, easy shoreline access, reliable stocking and a spectacular setting.

When do kokanee run?

Late summer into fall, when they concentrate near the inlet before spawning: trolling deep finds them through the summer.

What about the river below?

A small tailwater with trout in the cold releases, accessible from the park and pullouts downstream.

Is fishing good at Ridgway Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Uncompahgre River8 miSan Miguel River21 miBlue Mesa Reservoir34 miTaylor River58 miVallecito Reservoir59 miGunnison River73 mi
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