I know, I know, the lower section of the upper? What is this confusing terminology. Well, the Upper Gunnison is everything above Blue Mesa Reservoir, all the way to up where it begins in Almont. So thats quite a few miles of river and it fishes differently up by Almont than it does down by Cooper’s Ranch access. So here we are, learning why you should fish this section of river. With over 2500 fish per mile and the opportunity to catch some large fish (20″+) it’s a fun place to fish. Fishable year round, with a variety of hatches (including an excellent trico hatch), there’s lots to explore and find on this section.

I fished it a couple years back and ran into a nasty hail/lightning storm and had to lay down in the middle of a field under my bag. Don’t underestimate the storms here, they come in quick and with little warning.

The river is a meandering freestone and dry flies, dry droppers and full nymph rigs will take fish if it isn’t during a spawning time. If you get low enough down in the fall, you can find Kokanee and big browns running up the river from Blue Mesa. Timing is everything for that adventure, but even if you miss it, you’ll have opportunities at 12-18” fish throughout the day. Fish the likely water, but don’t overlook the undercut banks with a streamer or a hopper when the timing is right.

Mostly brown trout, there are a growing number of rainbows, but the vast majority is still browns. This is a good place to take a beginning angler as there are ample fish and it isn’t overly difficult to fish the river here. Make sure you’re matching what the fish are eating and you should find some trout. Enjoy!