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Arkansas River Fishing Information
Middle Section - near Salida, CO
The middle section of the Arkansas river goes from Buena Vista downstream to Salida. There is more fishable water here than you could cover in a month. It is one of the healthiest rivers in Colorado in terms of insect life and there is always a variety of hatches going on from spring to fall with great fishing opportunities anywhere you find access. Browns and rainbows are the majority of the fish you will catch and though some are small, most are the perfect size ranging from 12” – 18”. There are a lot of fish in this section and it is Colorado’s newest and longest Gold Medal Water which means this river is in the top 10% of all fishable rivers in Colorado for size and quantity of fish. Nymphing, dry fly fishing and streamers all produce fish in this river so get out on the river with some friends and mix it up a bit, you’ll likely find fish no matter what you technique you use.
Fly Fishing Tips
Know Your Bugs – The beauty of the Arkansas is the plethora of insects the fish eat year round. This can often pose a problem for the novice angler however, because if you can’t identify what the fish are eating and the fly to match to their feeding patterns, this river can be frustrating. Check out our Online Entomology Course to learn what you need to know on matching the hatch both above and below the waters surface.
Spend Time Dialing it In Early – For this kind of river, fish are in every hole, so if you aren’t catching fish, it’s likely your fly selection, depth, presentation etc. All of these take time to adjust and dial in so spend time in the first hole you fish to adjust your depth, add or remove split shot and change flies until you find success. Doing this will save you time and catch you more fish through the rest of the day and you’ll be better off for it.
Fish: Some Medium-Sized Fish
Popularity: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
Accessibility: Easy
Best Techniques: Dries & Nymphs
Best Seasons: Spring - Fall
River Type: Large Freestone
Fish Types: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
Dog Friendly: Yes
Located in the Arkansas River Basin near Salida, CO
Fishable Seasons & Current Weather
The best seasons to fish this river are Spring - Fall. See the current weather reports for the next 5-6 days listed below for the nearest city.
Knowing what flies to use is only have the battle. You have to know when the insects are active on the water and when it's likely the trout are feeding on them. Refer to our hatch charts below to understand when the insect categories and some of the possible hatches on the river.
Midge Hatches
Midges hatch year round, but their importance is from September through winter into April. During the warmer months, the trout often focus on larger insects as they are more active on the water like mayflies, caddis and stoneflies.
Aside from Blue wing olives, mayflies are active most commonly from May to August in Colorado. There are many different mayfly hatches found on most rivers and the most common are listed below.
Blue Wing Olive: September throut winter to April
Colors: Green/Olive
Sizes: #16-24
Pale Morning Dun: June to Mid September
Colors: White, Yellow
Sizes: #14 - #20
Caddis Hatches
Caddis hatch starting early in May and continue to the end of October.
Colors: Olive, Green, Yellow, Tan, Orange, Brown and Black.
Sizes: #10 - #20
Stonefly Hatches
We have some great stonefly hatches in Colorado and while not all rivers carry all species of salmonflies, you can often fish stonefly adult patterns with confidence from May to September. Start off in bigger sizes and get smaller till September hits (size 8 - 16)
Golden Stone: June to August
Colors: Yellow, Tan
Sizes: #8 - #14
Yellow Sally Stonefly: Mid June to August
Colors: Yellow, Tan
Sizes: #12 - #18
Salmonfly: Mid May to Mid July
Colors: Orange, Red, Brown
Sizes: #6 - #14
Terrestrial Activity
Terrestrials don't hatch since they are out of the water, but they can have importance starting in Mid April and ending in September.
These are the the top flies we sell for this river. Use the hatch chart above to know what flies you will want to have in your fly box during your adventure on the river and then select the flies here 30 days before your trip to get them at a great price. All of our flies are hand tied to each order to ensure quality and to keep our prices low for you.
Click on a fly below to select a size and color for purchase.
Our fly assortments make fly selection easy. We take our entomology knowledge and years of fly fishing experience on these rivers to bring you the right fly patterns, including the correct colors, sizes and quantities to set you up for success. A good selection of flies will prepare you properly for anything the trout may be eating on the river and our fly assortments are specifically curated to maximize your success. Take a look at the assortments we provide below and add one to your box today. Use coupon code AST50 for $50 off and free shipping on these as well, just to help make fly fishing a little more affordable!
Click on any of the pictures to see what flies, colors and sizes we recommend in each assortment.
View our access map for the Arkansas River and learn public and private access points as well as other notable features around fly fishing this river. We include headwater and confluence data and in an effort to not "hotspot" river access points that are better than others, we list every access point available. This serves two purposes. First, it keeps us from hotspotting, which is just showing the best spots and bringing unwanted and harmful attention to the specific access point. The second reason is while we want to help you catch fish and find great places to explore, we don't want to spell it all out for you. If you get it all spelled out, we're doing the exploring, not you. Missing out on the journey of exploring places to fly fish is one of the more enjoyable aspects of fly fishing. While not everyone has time to go explore everything in person, we provide some of the top level data to help you know if something is worth your time, then pass it off to you to explore and find your own adventure. Now enjoy the info, if you're on this page then this river is worth exploring! Go out and find some memories.
Arkansas River Tips & Resources
Use these epic resources to get ready for your adventure. Whether you're planning your trip, learning your insects, improving your fishing with expert tips or getting detailed resources from the USGS streamflows or DoW, we got you covered to help you find the river and find the success you want.
