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Roaring Fork River Fishing Report

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

The Gold Medal freestone that keeps pace with its famous neighbors, Aspen to Glenwood.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
134 cfs
Air / High
81 / 82 F
Wind
WSW 15 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09081000, 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.

Roaring Fork River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 134 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind WSW around 15 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 83 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 ROARING FORK RIVER NEAR EMMA, CO.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09081000.

228402576134 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low82 / 52 F
WindWSW 15-19 mph
Pressure1006.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:39 / 19:34
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 · Overcast, 82/52 F, wind 16 mph, rain 1%

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 Roaring Fork 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 Roaring Fork 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).

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 Roaring Fork River 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 81 F, wind to 16 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 77 F, wind to 14 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 71 F, wind to 13 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

Gold Medal from Crystal confluence down: artificials, 2 over 16. Confirm with CPW.

Access

Multiple ramps (Carbondale, Westbank, Two Rivers); wade access at Basalt area easements.

About this water

Gold Medal freestone, Aspen to Glenwood Springs, CO; major tributaries Frying Pan and Crystal.

Fishing Roaring Fork River: the full guide

The Fork

The Roaring Fork runs Gold Medal from Basalt to its Colorado River confluence: big browns and rainbows, a legendary green drake hatch, and float fishing that rivals anywhere in the state. It stays true through winter in the lower valley: streamers and stoneflies year-round.

The float game

Carbondale to Glenwood floats big and forgiving: streamers to the banks, hopper-dropper through the riffle corners, whitefish keeping legitimate counts. The lower Fork absorbs the Crystal and Frying Pan: every confluence adds fish and character.

Green drakes after dark

The Fork's famous drake hatch (late June-July) peaks at dusk: size 10 duns disappearing into slurps you hear more than see. Upper river wade access at Basalt and Old Snowmass serves it best: headlamps for the walk out, grins included.

The valley ladder

The Fork descends a fishing ladder: technical dries on the upper river around Aspen, freight-train riffles and the famous 'toilet-bowl' confluence pockets mid-valley near Basalt (where the Fryingpan doubles the biomass), and big brawling water into Glenwood where streamers move browns past 20 inches. Green drakes marching upstream in July are the signature event: locals follow the hatch like a caravan.

Common questions

Fork or Pan: which should I fish?

Different games: the Pan is technical tailwater pods; the Fork is big-river variety and floats. Mornings on the Pan, afternoons floating the Fork is the valley's classic double.

Is the Roaring Fork wade-friendly?

Mid and upper reaches, yes, with generous public easements; the lower river fishes best by boat. The Basalt-to-Carbondale floats are the time-honored guide day.

Is fishing good at Roaring Fork River 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

Crystal River9 miRuedi Reservoir14 miEagle River20 miGore Creek38 miTwin Lakes44 miTaylor River50 mi
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