fryingpan

Fryingpan River is a river in Colorado.

It ranks #2 among the 17 waters of Colorado in the registry, and is of national prominence.

Also called the Pan, Frying Pan River and Frying Pan.

Fished for trout (inferred from the species listed).

Species: rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout.

USGS GNIS record: 174854.

Stretches: Lower Fryingpan, Middle Fryingpan and Upper Fryingpan.

Confluences: Basalt confluence with the Roaring Fork.

Holes: Toilet Bowl and The Flats.

Features: Ruedi Dam and Ruedi Reservoir.

Bend Pool (hole). It is fishable. Aspen Daily News writes 'bend pool'.

It is downstream of The Flats.

Rocky Fork Day Use Area (access). It is fishable. Single-source (Guide Recommended).

Strawberry Rock (feature). It is fishable. Named on coloradofishing.net's Fryingpan page; single source.

Sourced from 3 independent fly sites.

Sources: aspendailynews.com, blog.vailvalleyanglers.com (retrieved 2026-10-20), coloradofishing.net, edits.nationalmap.gov, fishingreports.orvis.com, guiderecommended.com and kenlockwood.tu.org.

Hatches

Spotted Sedge

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Depends on species.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Little Yellow Stonefly (Yellow Sally)

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Salmonfly

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Reported windows differ: this shop gives about May 1 for two to three weeks; Colorado River sources give late May to June, and a current local shop report does not list it among the main hatches. Single source for this entry.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Mysis shrimp (not an insect hatch)

Well sourced.

  1. Jan hatching
  2. Feb hatching
  3. Mar hatching
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov hatching
  12. Dec hatching

Washed down from Ruedi Reservoir; more abundant just below the dam. A local report calls them a year-round food.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Grasshoppers, ants, beetles

Stage: adult. Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

From about mid-June.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Midge

Stage: larva, pupa, adult. Well sourced.

  1. Jan hatching
  2. Feb hatching
  3. Mar hatching
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov hatching
  12. Dec hatching

Most important in winter; winter dry-fly midge and BWO fishing is possible at the head of the Bend Pool.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, blog.vailvalleyanglers.com

Little Sister Sedge

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Short hatch.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

October Caddis

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Pale Morning Dun

Stage: dun, spinner. Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

From about July 1; can last to the start of September.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Blue-Winged Olive

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb hatching
  3. Mar hatching
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov hatching
  12. Dec

Two broods: from about February 1 through March, and August into November.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Western Green Drake

Stage: nymph, emerger, dun, spinner. Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching, peak
  7. Jul hatching, peak
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Peak: late June-July

Reported windows differ: one shop starts about July 1 and runs into September; Colorado TU gives June 1 to August 1 (emergence 1-4 pm in cloudy weather); a third shop gives late June through July in the upper reaches of the Pan and Roaring Fork, with some chances in August, and says the Pan hatch runs deep into August.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, blog.vailvalleyanglers.com

Red Quill

Well sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

From about the end of August.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store, The Perfect Fly Store

Also named, timing not yet researched: Green Sedge.

Access, closures and rules change; check with the state agency before you go.