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Ruedi Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Above the Frying Pan: Ruedi holds lake trout and kokanee, and feeds the tailwater that grows Colorado’s famous mysis rainbows.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
70 cfs
Air / High
76 / 76 F
Wind
WNW 14 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09080400, 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.

Ruedi Reservoir is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 70 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 14 mph, rising pressure near 1006 hPa and a high of 76. 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 77 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 Fryingpan River near Ruedi (below dam).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09080400.

14628843070 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp76 F
High / Low76 / 48 F
WindWNW 14-18 mph
Pressure1005.6 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain23% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset06:38 / 19:33
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, 76/48 F, wind 17 mph, rain 2%

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 Ruedi 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 Ruedi 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 Ruedi Reservoir 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 77 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 72 F, wind to 19 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 70 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

Colorado license. Lake trout and kokanee limits per current CPW rules; the Fryingpan tailwater has its own special regulations.

Access

Ruedi Reservoir ramps and Forest Service campgrounds via Fryingpan Road from Basalt; tailwater access along the road.

About this water

A 1,000-acre reservoir on the Fryingpan River, Eagle County, Colorado, at 7,766 feet above the famous tailwater.

Fishing Ruedi Reservoir: the full guide

A reservoir with a famous outlet

Ruedi Reservoir covers about 1,000 acres on the Fryingpan River east of Basalt, in the mountains above the Roaring Fork valley. The lake itself holds lake trout, rainbow and brown trout and a kokanee population, but its greatest fame is what flows out of it: the Fryingpan tailwater below the dam, where mysis shrimp flushed from the reservoir grow rainbow trout to sizes that draw anglers from around the world.

Fishing the reservoir

Lake trout hold in the deeper water and take trolled spoons and jigged tubes, with spring after ice-out and fall the best windows for shallower fish. Kokanee school through the summer and take small dodger rigs. Rainbows and browns cruise the shorelines and inlet area, catchable from the bank in spring and fall. The setting at 7,700 feet is spectacular and the pressure is modest.

The Frying Pan below

The tailwater is the main event for most visitors: fourteen miles of cold, clear river holding rainbow trout that feed on mysis shrimp escaping the dam, producing fish of extraordinary size in the upper mile. It is technical fishing with small flies and fine tippet, heavily fished and worth every bit of the reputation. Both fisheries in one day is the standard plan.

Basalt logistics

Ruedi has ramps and Forest Service campgrounds around the shoreline, reached by the Fryingpan Road from Basalt. That road follows the tailwater the entire way, with pullouts and public access throughout. Basalt supplies fly shops and lodging, with Aspen twenty minutes further. Winter closes the upper road access at times: check conditions.

Common questions

Why is the Frying Pan famous?

Mysis shrimp flushed from Ruedi feed enormous rainbow trout in the upper tailwater: fish of remarkable size in a small river.

Is the lake worth fishing?

Yes: lake trout, kokanee and cruising rainbows, with far less pressure than the river below.

When can I get there?

The road is open year-round to the lower tailwater; upper access can be limited by snow in winter.

Is fishing good at Ruedi 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

Roaring Fork River14 miCrystal River22 miEagle River23 miGore Creek27 miTwin Lakes32 miDillon Reservoir44 mi
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