Roaring Fork River Report July 7, 2026

UPPER ROARING FORK - ASPEN DOWNSTREAM TO BASALT

FLOW: 140 CFS below Maroon Creek

WATER CLARITY: Clear

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

We have two wader and boot cleaning stations here at Taylor Creek!  Clean Your Gear | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, Green Drakes, Blue Winged Olives, Golden Stoneflies, Midges

THE LOWDOWN: 

The Fork has been dropping fast and consistently, with only minor bumps coming from rain. Temperatures are nothing to worry about this far up, but expect to see more exposed bank than you’re used to in July.

PMDs and Drakes have both made it onto the upper Fork, with the best hatches occurring in the evenings (Drakes especially at twilight). While the sun is high. effective nymphs range in size from #22 midge emergers to #12 twenty-inchers, but typically the smaller the fly the more frequent the eats. So it tends to be with low and clear water.

HATCHES: Green Drakes 12-14, Pale Morning Duns 14-18, Golden Stones 6-10, Caddis 16-18, Blue Winged Olives 18-22, Midges 18-24

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: DRIES: Chubby Chernobyl 6-10, Cloud 9 Golden Stone 6-8, Stimulator 12-18, Elk Hair Caddis 12-18, Missing Link Caddis 16-18, Missing Link Caddis 16-18, Puterbaugh's Foam Caddis 16-18, High Captive Dun PMD 16-18, TC Sparkledun PMD 16-18. Melon Quill PMD 16-18, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, TC Sparkledun BWO 18-22, Rat-faced McDougal 16-18, Barr's Vis-a-Dun BWO 20-22, Dorsey's Midge Emerger 22, Antonio's Hi-Vis Quill Midge 20, Solitude Hatching Midge Black 22, Bill Fitzsimmons Trailing Shuck Midge 22-26

NYMPHS: Cat Poop Stone 8-12, Prince Nymph 14-18, Griffin's Twenty Incher 12-14, Stott's Raisinette 20, Tungsten Two Bead Nymph 18-20, Jigged Hot Orange Bead CDC Pheasant Tail 18-20, Tungsten Rainbow Warrior 20-22, BTS Baetis 20-22, Sparklewing RS2 20-22, Beadwing Midge Emerger Grey 20-22, Pulsating Midge Emerger 20, Freestone Emerger Olive 22, Tailwater Tiny Midge Red 20-22

STREAMERS: Craven's Swim Coach, Barr's Slump Buster, Carlton Banks, Craven's Baby Gonga, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor

HINTS: Fish tend to be down in the fastest, most oxygenated water they can find right now.

MIDDLE ROARING FORK - BASALT DOWNSTREAM TO CARBONDALE

FLOW: 320 CFS at Basalt

WATER CLARITY: Clear

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10

We have two wader and boot cleaning stations here at Taylor Creek!  Clean Your Gear | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Green Drakes, Pale Morning Duns, Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Midges, Stoneflies, Sculpins THE LOWDOWN: Be a Pain in the A.N.S.! Clean Your Gear | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

It’s super buggy around Basalt! As stated above, what should be blown out and unfishable is just about in perfect shape.

Twilight drakes, midday caddis and PMDs, plus golden stones are prolific. The streamer bite has been decent when overcast or low-light conditions exist, and there’s still enough water to do a two-person float from town down in a light raft.

HATCHES: Green Drakes 10-14, Pale Morning Duns 14-18, Caddis 16-18, Blue Winged Olives 18-22, Midges 18-24

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS NYMPHS: Cat Poop Stone 8-12, Prince Nymph 14-18, Griffin's Twenty Incher 12-16, Jigged Tungsten Red-Tie PT 18-20, Tungsten 2 Bead Nymph Olive 18, Jigged Iron Lotus 18, Jigged Hares Ear 16-18, Stott's Juggernaut 20, Stott's Raisinette 20, Barr's Emerger 18-22, Neon Nightmare 22-24, Bling Midge Charcoal/Tan 20-24

DRIES: Double-Hackled Drake 12, HOH Last Chance Cripple Drake 12, TC Custom Sparkledun Drake 12-14, COmparadun PMD 16-18, Film Critic PMD 16-18, Missing Link Caddis 16-18, Puterbaugh's Foam Caddis 16-18, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, TC Sparkledun BWO 18-22, Rat-faced McDougal 16-18, Barr's Vis-a-Dun BWO 20-22, Traditional Adams 20-22, Sprout Midge 20-22, Antonio's Hi-Vis Midge 22-24, McCannel's Massacre Midge 22-24, Dorsey's Midge Emerger 22-24, Collette's BWO 18-22, Purple Haze Parachute Adams 18-20,

STREAMERS: Tungsten Double Mint, Tungsten Thin Mint, Craven's Baby Gonga, Carlton Banks, Circus Peanut, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor

HINTS: Get your flies down -- heavy shot, small flies

LOWER ROARING FORK - CARBONDALE DOWNSTREAM TO GLENWOOD

FLOW: 565 CFS in Glenwood Springs

We have two wader and boot cleaning stations here at Taylor Creek!  Clean Your Gear | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

WATER CLARITY: Clear

OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10 early in the day, water temperatures are getting concerning in the afternoons.

FOOD SOURCES PRESENT: Pale Morning Duns, Yellow Sallies, Craneflies, Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Midges, Stoneflies, Sculpins

THE LOW DOWN: 

We have two wader and boot cleaning stations here at Taylor Creek!  Clean Your Gear | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Most of the action on the lower Fork has gone sub-surface apart from evening Caddis and the occasional morning PMD spinner fall. Generally, we are nymphing the center line with small, shiny nymphs. Think about the places where the trout can stay cool and covered in this low, warm water. Hopper-dropper can be effective and lead to some exciting eats on top when the weather is right, but don’t expect to bring them up in numbers to the hopper.

Water temperatures are bordering on concerning, so we urge you to carry a thermometer and reel up when that water hits 68 degrees. Limit any time the fish spend out of the water, keeping pictures quick or skipping the showmanship altogether. We can’t control the flows or the temperatures, but it’s up to us to act accordingly to protect our precious resources.

HATCHES: Pale Morning Duns, Yellow Sallies, Golden Stones, Craneflies, Caddis, Midges, Blue Winged Olives

APPROPRIATE PATTERNS: NYMPHS: Cat Poop Stonefly 8-12, Rust Murder She Wrote 18-20, Tim Heng's BLM 18-20, Tungsten Two Bead Nymph Black 18-20, Stott's Raisinette 20, Stott's Mercury Bad Carl Grey 20, BMW Foam Top RS2 Black 20-22, Mercury Bead RS2 Grey 22, Pandemic BWO Emerger 20-22, Freestone Emerger Olive 22, Internal Wire Tube Midge Black/Red 20, Desert Storm Midge Fluor. Orange 22, TC Custom Midge Red/Clear 20-22

DRIES: Rogue Foam Golden Stone 8-10, Egg Layer Golden Stone 6-8, Grillos’ Pizza Delivery 6, Mercer’s Stealth Link PMD 16-18, AK’s Melon Quill 16-18, HOH CDC Thorax PMD 16-18, Quasi-No Hackle PMD 16-18, Missing Link Caddis 16-18, Puterbaugh's Foam Caddis 16-18, Harrop's CDC Biot Dun BWO 20-22, TC Sparkledun BWO 18-22, Rat-faced McDougal 16-18, Barr's Vis-a-Dun BWO 20-22, Parachute Adams 18-24, TC Custom Collette's BWO 20-22,

Bill Fitzsimmons' Trailing Shuck Midge Emerger 22-24, Sprout Midge 20-22, Antonio's Hi-Vis Midge 22-24, McCannel's Massacre Midge 22-24, Dorsey's Midge Emerger 22-24

STREAMERS: Craven's Swim Coach, Circus Peanut, Grease Monkey, Barr's Slumpbuster, Devourer of Souls, Hansen's Meal Ticket, Tim Heng's Autumn Splendor,

HINTS: The best hatches should be seen on cloudier, “crappier” days.

Upper Roaring Fork: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/uv/?site_no=09076300&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 Middle Roaring Fork: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09081000 Lower Roaring Fork: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09085000