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Taylor River Fishing Report

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

The mysis tailwater where Colorado's heaviest trout sip tiny flies below the dam.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
62 cfs
Air / High
76 / 78 F
Wind
SW 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09112500, 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.

Taylor River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 62 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 78. 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 79 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 EAST RIVER AT ALMONT, CO.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09112500.

57657462 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp76 F
High / Low78 / 46 F
WindSW 10-16 mph
Pressure1005.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain24% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset06:39 / 19:32
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, 78/46 F, wind 12 mph, rain 5%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Taylor 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 Taylor 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 Taylor 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 78 F, wind to 17 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 74 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 74 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

C&R, artificials-only in the trophy section; standard bag below. Confirm with CPW.

Access

Roadside access along CR-742 (Taylor Canyon); the trophy section parks at the dam.

About this water

Tailwater of Taylor Park Reservoir, Gunnison County, CO; joins the East at Almont to form the Gunnison.

Fishing Taylor River: the full guide

Hog trough honesty

The Taylor below Taylor Park Reservoir hosts Colorado's most famous (and most watched) trophy trout: mysis-fed rainbows past ten pounds in a few hundred technical yards. Downstream toward Almont the river relaxes into normal, excellent freestone fishing: attractor dries all summer.

The Hog Trough truth

The C&R stretch below Taylor Park dam is small, public and absurd: mysis-fed rainbows past 10 pounds finning in plain view. They see everything: 6X-7X, size 20-24, drifts without drag or hope. Most visits produce humility; the occasional one produces the fish of a decade.

The rest of the river

Below the trophy water, the Taylor runs 20 canyon miles to Almont as a normal, delightful freestone: attractor dries, pocket water, campgrounds. The contrast is the charm: PhD water above, vacation water below.

Below the dam, above the odds

The Taylor's tailwater below Taylor Park Dam packs outsized trout into a few hundred yards: mysis shrimp wash from the reservoir and build 10-lb rainbows in plain sight. The technical game (6X, tiny mysis patterns, drift discipline) humbles most first visits. Downstream, the canyon relaxes into normal excellent: attractor dries over eager browns all the way to Almont, with pullouts the whole way.

Common questions

Why are Taylor River trout so huge?

Mysis shrimp flushed from the reservoir: the same protein subsidy as the Blue and Frying Pan. Stable flows and full protection do the rest.

Why are Taylor tailwater trout so big?

Mysis shrimp: the reservoir's population washes through the dam as high-calorie drift. A few hundred fish won the location lottery: they sit in the flush and grow to double digits.

Is fishing good at Taylor 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

Blue Mesa Reservoir24 miTwin Lakes39 miArkansas River46 miRuedi Reservoir48 miRoaring Fork River50 miUncompahgre River54 mi
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