Overview of current conditions: September 28, 2011

By Mike Oatley

Fishing right now is excellent to incredible. At this point in the season, we always want to see our creeks and streams run as big as they can, and this being the season in which everything has run two to four times above average all season long, we're getting it. All through that big water in June and July, we were waiting for this and now it's here. Flows are perfect and all of the main late summer/early fall emergences -- PMDs, Yellow Sallies, all sorts of caddis, even a few Flavs -- are still going strong and keeping fish looking up. Hoppers are still everywhere, and there have been some great spinner falls in the evenings and perfect water to fish the fall on. On most afternoons lately, wherever we have been, it has seemed like every fish in the river was feeding. High country lakes are off the charts.

This won't last -- do it now!

Big Thompson Canyon (current flow)

Flows have been jumping around a bit down in the canyon lately but have been stable in the upper 70s, an excellent flow for fishing dry flies, for a few days now. Terrestrials and caddis are driving the fishing, and late morning through the afternoon has been the best time of day for hooking up steadily lately.

St. Vrain (current flow)

Excellent throughout the drainage now. There is excellent autumn fishing throughout all three forks of the St. Vrain.

RMNP Streams (NSV @ Wild Basin, Big T @ Moraine Park)

The Park is fishing beautifully. Late PMDs emergences are going strong, Yellow Sallies are still abundant, Flavilinea mayflies are still coming off, and caddis are thick, including some bigger (14s, even 12s) ones.

High Mountain Lakes

Lit up like a Christmas tree. Now is the time for the High Country. The cutts have a serious feedbag on right now. It's still possible to hit a few Gray Drakes up there, and there are some good-sized caddis still coming off, but those high country trout aren't too picky when the nights start to get cold. Our preference for flies is ones with hooks in them.

For additional streamflows across Colorado visit www.dwr.state.co.us/SurfaceWater/