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Conejos River Fishing Information
Upper Section - near Platoro, CO
The Conejos River Valley is a place an angler could spend an entire season exploring. There is ample public access across the lower, middle, tailwater and upper section including access to the Elk, South, Lake, and Adams Fork if you’re willing to hike. The upper section is a pure freestone as nothing dams it up from it’s headwaters. Anything above Platoro reservoir is considered the upper section which includes the Adams fork, north fork and El Rito Azul river that create and add to the Conejos river. It is a breathtaking place to fish, hike and explore. There is some camping by the lakes, and you can hike and backpack around many areas too. Refer to OnX Maps for the trailheads in the area. Medium sized rainbow and brown trout are found in the lower sections and cutthroat and brook trout are found above in the three forks trailhead hikes.
Standard dry flies and dropper nymphs will produce fish on this section of the river and it is likely the most forgiving and easiest of water to fish on the Conejos. With that said, it can still be challenging as the water can be swift and getting a drag free drift really helps in convincing the fish to eat. For the larger sections of water, a longer leader helps get a solid drift. For the smaller sections, go small on rod and leader length to get around the willows that line this rivers edge. Many flies can be lost without care. Wildlife is dense in this area. Make plenty of noise walking through the willows so you don’t wake or sneak up on a bear or moose. There’s not much you can do if you come across one as far as escape, since the river is tough to walk in and along, so be extra cautious and smart and you should be fine. I recommend bear spray in this area, but a smart head and good preventative actions like making noise will ward off any issues in most cases.
The river, as mentioned before, is swift and a natural freestone yielding downward in traditional runs, riffles and pools. The riffles seem to hold as many fish as the rest of the water, so be sure to cover every section, and don’t be afraid to take your time, sit down, take rests and just enjoy this great water. You likely won’t put up a ton of numbers, but each fish is quality and a memory to catch.
Fly selection should consist mostly of size 10 -16 beadhead nymphs and attractor and high floating dry flies. Pick a few of each category but pack light as there is ample hiking to be had on this section and the less gear means the easier the fishing.
Fish: Some Medium-Sized Fish
Popularity: Low
Difficulty: Medium
Accessibility: Medium
Best Techniques: Dries & Nymphs
Best Seasons: Spring - Fall
River Type: Medium Freestone
Fish Types: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout
Dog Friendly: Yes
Located in the Rio Grande River Basin near Platoro, 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
Green Drakes: June to August
Colors: Olive/Green
Sizes: #8 - #14
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)
Little Black Stone: January to May during warm sunny days.
Colors: Black, Grey
Sizes: #16 - #20
Skwala Stonefly: March - Mid May
Colors: Brown, Red
Sizes: #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.
Fly selection should consist mostly of size 10 -16 beadhead nymphs and attractor and high floating dry flies. Pick a few of each category but pack light as there is ample hiking to be had on this section and the less gear means the easier the fishing.
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 Conejos 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.
Conejos 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.