Crystal River Colorado Fly Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Brook Trout
Mountain Whitefish
(Wild and Stocked)
Size
Medium – 35 miles long
Location
Central/Western Colorado
Nearest Towns
Marble
Redstone
Carbondale
Season
Year-round
Access:
Average
Non-Resident License
State of Colorado
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
Although you can fish year-round, fishing is not exactly great throughout the year.
Winter:
It is possible to catch trout during the winter if the water levels and conditions are right.
Spring:
Except for the runoff, the springtime is a good time. Summer:
The fishing can be tough at times and good at times.
Fall:
Autumn is usually a good time for fly
fishing the Crystal River
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Crystal River Colorado
Crystal River flows from an area of alpine meadows above the town of Marble, Colorado, named appropriately for its marble quarries. The river flows through the town of Redstone and down past the town of Carbondale where it joins the Roaring Fork River. Most of the river flows through the White River National Forest. The river is rarely far from highway #133 which
runs parallel with it for much of its length.
The Crystal River will muddy up fairly easy after a heavy rain and won’t tend to be so “crystal” clear. The stream drains some very large basins consisting mostly of shale. The water can get muddy pretty fast. Of course it is almost impossible to fish it during the spring runoff. When you catch the Crystal River in good condition, it can produce some great trout fishing.
During the fall brown trout move up into the river from the Roaring Fork River to spawn. This provides some very good fishing. In the public fishing area between Marble and Redstone, the state stock rainbow and cutthroat. The aquatic insect population in this area is low due and the trout don’t thrive quite as well as they do in other areas of the stream. Trout are not stocked in
the other sections of the river. The uppermost areas are known for their brook trout fishing. The stream’s headwaters are small and the brook trout are plentiful.