gunnison

Gunnison River is a river in Colorado.

It ranks #5 among the 17 waters of Colorado in the registry, and is of national prominence.

Also called the Gunny and upper Gunny.

Fished for trout (inferred from the species listed).

Species: brown trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout.

USGS GNIS record: 201748.

Stretches: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Gunnison Gorge, Lower Gunnison and Upper Gunnison.

Access points: Chukar Trail and Ute Park.

Confluences: Smith Fork confluence.

Features: T-Dyke.

Gunnison River Pleasure Park (access). Rod fee required — book with the owner.

East Portal (access). It is fishable. Only drive-to access in the canyon; seasonally closed (Orvis). Orvis noted the campground closed.

It is on the stretch Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Gunnison Forks Day-Use Recreation Site (access). It is launchable. Take-out at river mile 13.5 (BLM).

It is on the stretch Gunnison Gorge.

Almont (confluence). It is fishable. The Taylor River and the East River form the Gunnison here; also recorded on the Taylor River.

It is on the stretch Upper Gunnison.

Ute Trail (access). It is fishable. One of the four hike-in trails (Orvis names Chukar and Ute).

It is on the stretch Gunnison Gorge.

Blue Mesa Reservoir (feature). Lower limit of the upper river.

It is on the stretch Upper Gunnison.

Entrada Wall (feature). It is fishable. Single source (Fly Fisherman).

It is on the stretch Gunnison Gorge.

Highway 65 bridge (access). It is fishable and launchable. Downstream end of Orvis' lower Gunnison stretch.

It is on the stretch Lower Gunnison.

North Fork confluence (confluence). Named on the BLM Gunnison Gorge map; position not asserted.

It is on the stretch Gunnison Gorge.

Roaring Judy (feature). It is fishable. Hatchery named on Orvis' upper Gunnison page.

It is on the stretch Upper Gunnison.

Float: Gunnison Gorge, from Chukar Trail to Gunnison Forks Day-Use Recreation Site, 13.5 miles.

Sourced from 3 independent fly sites.

Sources: azflyshop.com, Bureau of Land Management, coloradofishing.net, drakemag.com, edits.nationalmap.gov, fishingreports.orvis.com, fishingreports.orvis.com (2), fishingreports.orvis.com (3) and flyfisherman.com.

Hatches

Western March Brown

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr hatching
May hatching
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

April 1 to the first week or two of May.

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

Golden Stonefly

Stage: adult. Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun hatching
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Jun, Jul, Aug, per perfectflystore.com
Jun, Jul, per edsflyshop.com

Reported windows differ: one shop gives late June through July into early August; another lists June (with salmonflies) and again in July.

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

Green Drake

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

About July 1 to near mid-August; some areas only; runoff affects the freestone section.

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

Trico

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Sources: edsflyshop.com

Yellow Sally

Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun hatching
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Jul, Aug, per perfectflystore.com
Jun, Jul, per edsflyshop.com

Reported windows differ: one shop gives mid-July through most of August, another lists June and July.

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

Midge

Stage: larva, pupa, adult. Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

Jan hatching
Feb hatching
Mar hatching
Apr hatching
May hatching
Jun hatching
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep hatching
Oct hatching
Nov hatching
Dec hatching

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, per perfectflystore.com
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec, per edsflyshop.com

Reported windows differ: one shop says year-round, another's chart lists January-April and October-December.

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

Pale Morning Dun

Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun hatching
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep hatching
Oct
Nov
Dec

Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, per perfectflystore.com
Jun, Jul, per edsflyshop.com

Reported starts differ slightly: last week of June per one shop, June per another. One shop has them lasting into the first week or two of September.

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

Brachycentrus caddis (American Grannom)

Well sourced. Sources give different windows; this shows the range.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr hatching
May hatching
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Apr, May, per perfectflystore.com
May, per edsflyshop.com

Reported starts differ: mid-April lasting about a month per one shop, May per another.

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

Short-horned Sedge (Glossosoma)

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May hatching
Jun hatching
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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

Salmonfly

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

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May hatching
Jun hatching
Jul hatching
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Jun, Jul, per perfectflystore.com
Jun, per edsflyshop.com
May, Jun, per The Fly Fishing Place

Reported windows differ: one shop gives about June 1 into the first one to two weeks of July, another calls June the main event, and a templated third-party chart (not used for months) puts the canyon hatch in late May to early June. Canyon section especially. The hatch moves quickly and each stretch fishes for only a few days.

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

Red Quill

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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

Great Gray Spotted Wing Sedge

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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

Little Green Stonefly

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Near the end of July through August.

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

Grasshoppers, ants, beetles

Stage: adult. Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep hatching
Oct
Nov
Dec

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

Blue-Winged Olive

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

Jan
Feb
Mar hatching
Apr hatching
May hatching
Jun
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep hatching
Oct hatching
Nov hatching
Dec hatching

Apr, May, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, per perfectflystore.com
Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, per edsflyshop.com

Reported windows differ: one shop gives a first hatch from mid-April to mid-May and a second from mid-July through October; another's chart lists March-May, then September-October, with small BWOs on warm days in November-December.

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

Spotted Sedge

Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun hatching
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep hatching
Oct
Nov
Dec

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

Caddis (general)

Stage: emerger, adult. Well sourced.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May hatching
Jun hatching
Jul hatching
Aug hatching
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Sources: edsflyshop.com

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