St. Vrain Angler

Yampa River

River: Yampa River; starts above Steamboat Springs; flows to confluence with Green River in Dinosaur National Monument in north western Colorado. The Yampa flows through two impoundments above Steamboat – Stagecoach Reservoir and Lake Catamount.

Fish: Brookies and Cutthroat live in the headwaters, while browns and rainbows are in the lower reaches. There are sizeable fish below Stagecoach. Pike inhabit the lower river from Steamboat to the Hayden area, and there are good populations of small mouth bass as you get further down stream.

Bugs: good hatches of caddis, mayflies and stoneflies; great early season fishing below Stagecoach with midges and BWO’s.

Flies: Tail water flies below Stagecoach, including small midges, RSII, brassie, etc.; attractor dries work well in upper river; standard selection of nymphs and dries for lower river; pike flies in sloughs and backwaters as well as poppers and streamers for smallies.

Techniques: Indicator nymphing; good dry fly fishing with longer leaders; dry and dropper fishing can be very effective. Pike flies such as bunny flies methodically retrieved through slower areas will produce strikes.

Seasons: good early season fishing below Stagecoach; good fishing for pike during runoff and as river is dropping in early summer. Good post-runoff fishing through summer with lots of insect activity. Late season and winter fishing variable with weather affecting midge hatches which can be heavy.

Rating: long season; lots of variety; a great place to spend a few days fishing and perhaps skiing.

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