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Taylor River Fishing Information
Tailwater Section - near Almont, CO
Some of the biggest fish in the state can be found in the Taylor river catch and release waters. This is by far the most popular section yet not all that the Taylor has to offer. In the lower sections, the river has some of the highest fish counts in the state and above the reservoir there is pristine and beautiful trout waters to enjoy including several tributaries that create the reservoir. Below the reservoir, you can catch browns, rainbows, cutthroat and cutbows of all different sizes. Above you can catch bows, browns and brookies in the upper sections. The best part about this area is if the fishing isn’t good on the Taylor, you have dozens of other rivers and creeks to fish. This makes it a premier destination to fish and explore.
Tips for the Tailwater
Mysis shrimp on the tailwater are available to fish but only for about 1/2 mile below the reservoir. Other than that, the standard hatches in Colorado like stoneflies, mayflies, caddis and midges exist on the Taylor depending on the time of year. There are often spinner falls that happen in the pm that require a delicate presentation. It’s best to come prepared with a variety of sizes and colors if you’re gonna dry fly fish. Nymphing consists primarily of midges and mysis though several other flies work during the right time of year. The more natural you can make your drift the better and taking off the strike indicator is a good idea to get down deep and get a natural drift. The pros catch the big fish this way, and with some practice you can too.
Lower Section Access
You can float the lower river if the flows are high enough and hiring a guide can make for an excellent day. Most of the lower river is private but there is some public access that is clearly marked along the river if you explore up to the dam.
Tailwater Access
There is plenty of parking in the tailwater section but it can get crowded and for good reason. Access is right below the dam and you can’t miss it if you travel there.
Upper Access
There is plenty of national forest fishing access above the res and plenty of the creeks have fishable areas and trout in them. Explore and find some privacy and seclusion up in this area!
Fish: Many Large-Sized Fish
Popularity: High
Difficulty: Hard
Accessibility: Easy
Best Techniques: Nymphs
Best Seasons: Year Round
River Type: Medium Tailwater
Fish Types:
Rainbow Trout, Cutbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout
Dog Friendly: Yes but Leashed
Located in the Gunnison River Basin near Almont, CO
Exploration Images
Exploration Images
Hatch Charts
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
Trico Mayflies: Mid July to Mid September
Colors: Black, White, Grey
Sizes: #18 - #26
Mahogany Dun: September to October
Colors: Red, Brown
Sizes: #10 - #16
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
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 Taylor 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.
Taylor 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.
