River: Gunnison River begins where the East River and Taylor River
join near the town of Almont, which is North of Gunnison, Colorado. From its
source here, it is a sizeable river with two distinct sections. The upper
section runs from Almont to Blue Mesa Reservoir and is about 20 miles in length.
The lower river is below Blue Mesa Dam in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. All
of the river is floatable.
Water:
This is a classic, western river. Long riffles and runs are sometimes scattered
with deep pools. Before the advent of the dam, the Gunnison was famous
throughout the world for its great “willow fly” hatches – the large salmon
flies that are now sought after on other western rivers such as the Big Hole and
Madison in Montana. Many areas of the river are waded, depending on the season,
but great care is necessary. Deep holes are always just beyond the next rock.
Access:
The upper river is accessible through much of its stretch via the highway that
parallels it. Launch sites are clearly marked, as are private stretches. The
lower river is accessible in it’s upper reaches by hiking into the Black
Canyon: this is a tough hike that will take three times as long coming out as
going in! Below the canyon there is access in a variety of areas as well.
Outfitters offer a variety of trips in the lower river via jet boat or rafts and
overnight trips in the Canyon are not uncommon.
Fish:
A good mix of browns and rainbows, with runs of Kokanee Salmon in the fall
months on the upper river through Almont. The average trout is 12-16
inches, but larger fish are not uncommon.
Bugs: Substantial populations of stoneflies, caddis and mayflies. The
Gunnison has excellent hatches of PMD’s, Green Drakes and yellow sallies
during summer months. The legendary stonefly hatch still occurs but with less
volume than pre-dam days.
Flies: General nymphs such as prince nymphs, pheasant tails and
stoneflies work well. Large attractor dries and imitation of the above hatch
bugs work well. This is a large, heavy river, so high floating flies are
recommended! Streamers can also be very effective for the large browns that
inhabit many stretches of the Gunnison.
Techniques: In addition to standard nymphing and dry fly fishing
techniques, swinging wet flies are very effective during summer months. The fish
are aggressive and a moving fly can be productive. Fish the banks and the shade
during summer months, as well.
Seasons: winter fishing is slow due to very cold water temperatures. The
Gunnison valley is one of the coldest areas in America during winter months.
Summer and fall are by far the best times to fish the Gunnison. The Kokanee
salmon run is fun to fish during the fall months while many visitors to the area
are concentrating their attention on big game fishing.
Rating: Excellent during summer and fall months!
Back to
Fishing Reports
