Roaring Fork River Report 3-21-23

Posted on 21 March 2023

March 21, 2023

UPPER ROARING FORK- ASPEN DOWNSTREAM TO BASALT

FLOW: 64 CFS

WATER CLARITY: Clean and low, significant ice in the shaded zones

OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10 (Conditions are vastly improved on the upper river)

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Midges, Sculpins

THE LOWDOWN: River access along the banks was pretty tough a few weeks ago, but we've seen the edge ice decrease significantly this week with the warm up in temperatures. Snow is deep but once you get to the river, access is easy.

Don't write off the upper reaches of the Roaring Fork in winter, but choose your battles as well. Deeper, shadier sections are pretty tough to access, but others are packed down treail-wise and there is much less ice on the banks. The easiest access is in Jaffe Park, which offers multiple miles of public access.

It pays to fish with a friend on the Fork in winter. Ice jam releases can occur without notice, especially on a warm day after a cold snap. Keep an eye upstream, and let someone know where you are if you can't convince them to join you.

The bug menu is super-simplified, all you need are some midges and baetis imitations to fool a few fish. Stealth is the name of the game, use small flies, light tippets, tiny weights and indicators to stay successful. There hasn't been a ton of surface activity, but if you see risers, tie on your favorite small and black midge emerger or adult.

HATCHES: Midges 18-24

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
DRIES: Massacre Midge 22-24, Mole Midge 20-22, HOH Hanging Midge 20-22, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, Sprout Midge 20-24, Skittering Z-Lon Midge 20-22

NYMPHS: BTS Baetis 20-22, Sparklewing RS2 20-22, Freestone Emerger 20, BH Polywing Emerger 20, Kingrey's Cap'n Hook 20-22, Bead Wing Midge 20-22, Rojo Midge 20-22

STREAMERS: Autumn Splendor 6, Carlton Banks sz 4, Cousin It Sculpin sz 6, Grease Monkey sz 4, Beldar Lemon Drop sz 8

HINTS: Fish the soft water where your flies have time to get down in front of the fish.

MIDDLE ROARING FORK- BASALT DOWNSTREAM TO CARBONDALE

FLOW: 210 CFS in Basalt

WATER CONDITIONS: Low and clear

OVERALL RATING: 6 out of 10

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Midges, Sculpins

THE LOWDOWN: The dry fly fishing is heating up! Excellent midge hatches are a daily occurrence now that we are warming up. It will be a week or two before we see BWOs, but it won't be long. Midges can range from a plump 16 down to as small as you care to tie on.

The middle Fork has a decent midge hatch mid-day, but most of the time we are nymphing and throwing small streamers. There's not a lot of public access mid-river, but local favorites are Catherine Store, behind Crown Mountain Park, and the section along Two Rivers Road here in Basalt.

Like the upper river, it pays to fish with a friend on the Fork in winter. Ice jam releases can occur without notice, especially on a warm day after a cold snap. Keep an eye upstream, and let someone know where you are if you can't convince them to join you.

HATCHES: Midges 18-24

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS
NYMPHS: Freestone Emerger 20, BH Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Sparklewing RS2 20-22, Imposter 20-22, Lil Foamy 18-20, Neon Nightmare 20-22

DRIES: Bill's Midge Emerger 20-22, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Hatching Midge 20-22, Morgan's Para Midge 20-22, Massacre Midge 22-24, Roy's Special Emerger 20-22

STREAMERS: Tungsten Double Mint sz 4-8, Hansen's Meal Ticket sz 4, Baby Gonga Black sz 8, Home Invader sz 2

HINTS: Find some deep water where you can and keep an eye out for risers too

LOWER ROARING FORK- CARBONDALE DOWNSTREAM TO GLENWOOD

FLOW: 374 CFS in Glenwood Springs

WATER CONDITIONS: Low and clear

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10 (dry fly fishing is heating up!)

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: BWOs, Midges, Sculpins

THE LOW DOWN: Change is here, and the dry fly fishing is getting pretty awesome. We've seen a handful of spring blue winged olives starting to hatch, which will intensify in the coming weeks. We're happy that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, we could use a few more weeks of winter to aid our summertime stream flows.

For now, its just midges and baetis nymphs with a few random BWOs, but March and April bring real change in the forms of renewed blue winged olive and caddis hatches, which are starting right now!

Streamers are usually effective on the lower Fork, we'd suggest smaller flies and natural colors for the most part. Keys tarpon eat size 8 flies, so don't feel like you have to throw a 3/0 double articulated fly to be "streamer fishing."

Like the upper and middle Roaring Fork, it pays to fish with a friend in winter. Ice jam releases can occur without notice, especially on a warm day after a cold snap. Keep an eye upstream, and let someone know where you are if you can't convince them to join you.

Keep in mind the annual spawning closures are coming soon on 3 and 4 Mile Creeks from March 15th to May 31st. (See Below)

HATCHES: Blue Winged Olives 18-22, Midges 18-26

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS:
NYMPHS: Copper John 14-16, BLMs 18-20, Freestone Emerger 22, RS2s 20-22, Polywing Emerger 18-20, Biot Baetis 18-20, Soft Hackle BWO 20-22, Imposters 20-22, TC Poxy Biot Baetis 22, Jerome Baetis 20-22, RIP Midge 22

DRIES: Roy's Special Emerger 20, TC Sparkledun BWO 18-22, Perfect Baetis 20-22, Hatching Midge 20-22, HOH CDC Spent Midge 22-24, HOH CDC Midge Adult 24, Morgans Midge 18-20, Sprout Midge 18-20, Griffiths Gnat 20

STREAMERS: Beldar Lemon Drop sz 2, Grease Monkey sz 4, Slumpbuster 6-8, Devourer of Souls 6, Tim's Splendor 6-8

HINTS: Generally, cloudy days tend to produce the best hatches and action