Eagle 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 Stream
Species
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Brook Trout
(Wild)
Size
Medium
Location
Central/Western Colorado
Nearest Towns
Minturn
Avon
Eagle
Season
Year-round
Access:
Fair
Non-Resident License
State of Colorado
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Hatch Chart
Eagle River Hatch Chart
USGS Stream Flow Data: Avon
USGS Stream Flow Data: Wolcott
USGS Stream Flow Data: Gypsu
Seasons:
A year-round season allows you the
opportunity for fly fishing the Eagle River any day of the year.
Winter:
Although you can fish during the winter, fishing is generally tough and limited.
Spring:
Spring is probably the best time to fish the Eagle River because of the hatches. Summer:
Except for the runoff, which occurs from mid June to Mid July, the fishing is excellent.
Fall:
Fall provides great opportunities to catch some large spawning brown trout. It may be the best all around time to fish the 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 On The Eagle River In Colorado
The Eagle River starts out at the Tennessee Pass near the little mining town of Leadville. In its headwaters, access it difficult, if at all possible. The first access in near Camp Hale near the pass where the stream flows though alpine meadows. Below that the Eagle flows through private property. It can be accessed again near Minturn. Below Minturn there is about fifty miles of the stream prior to its convergence with the Colorado River. The stream flows though the little towns of Avon, Edwards, Wolcott, Eagle and Gypsum.
The stream runs along highway #6 for most of its length. From the point Gore Creek, one of its many tributary streams, enters the river, it turns westward and flows parallel with I-70. There are several public areas you can fish along this stretch but most of it runs through private property.
Several leases provide some excellent access areas where you can fish the Eagle River. In many cases, floating the river provides the best opportunities.
The headwaters provide mostly small stream, alpine meadow fishing for small trout. The Eagle is one of the few remaining large freestone streams in the State of Colorado. Its water is very diversified, ranging from a small alpine stream to fast pocket water, to a larger river with long runs, riffles and deep pools. It takes a variety of different techniques and strategies to fish the river successfully depending on the time of year and particular place you are fishing.
Fly Fishing Guide to the Eagle River:
Being a freestone river, the Eagle is subject to the conditions Mother Nature provides. It can be low, with clear shallow water that is difficult to fish in areas, or raging with high water impossible to fish, all depending on the amount melting snow and rainfall. The best way to describe how you should go about fishing the Eagle River, is to say that you always need to go with the flow. Different water levels demand different techniques.
All in all, the river is a far better nymph streams than a dry fly stream. There are some good hatches that you will want to take advantage of, but many days you will find a “no hatch to match” situation. Nymphs and imitations of midge and caddis larvae work during this time.
The Eagle River runs smack through the middle of the Vail Valley on its seventy-seven mile long journey from near Tennessee pass to past Edwards Colorado. The stream drops an amazing half mile of vertical distance in it’s first twenty-five miles. It then settles down to flow another forty-seven miles through the valleys to its confluence with the Colorado River.
Because of all the other fine trout streams in the area, the Eagle River is often overlooked. It is a very good brown trout fishery. It can be waded almost anywhere in its upper sections and offers pocket water fishing as good as it gets.
Below Edwards, both floating and wading options are available for fly fishing the Eagle River. Rainbows and browns are common. The lower Eagle is more popular and heavily fished at times. It offers plenty of good public access.
Getting stream flow data is very important unless you want to waste a trip to the river every once in a while. Melting snow and rain upstream far away from where you plan on fishing may put the Eagle River in a less than desirable condition. Links to three USGS stations are on your left.
In the upper sections of the river you can find access to the water on BLM land but it will be mixed within private property. It consist of very fast runs and pocket water. It isn’t easy to wade if there’s much water, so again, getting the stream flow data is important even if your wading.
Fish in an upstream direction making lots of short cast as opposed to long cast. Getting a drag free drift isn’t exactly easy due to its conflicting currents.
The best way to cover a lot of water and find some feeding trout is to fish the Eagle from a drift boat. That will also allow you to fish water you otherwise cannot fish from the banks or by wading because of the private property. Nymphs fished below strike indicators, double or tandem rigs and streamers are popular setups to use from the drift boats. Of course the particular rig you use depends on the season and the weather and water conditions. There is not such a thing as a best setup or fishing method to use.
Eagle River Hatches and Trout Flies:
Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Eagle River and in all
stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.
The Eagle Rivers first important hatch of the year is the Blue-winged Olives. They hatch starting in April and last to the middle of May. These are bi-brooded insects that hatch again from the middle of August through September.
The Green Drakes and Red Quills start hatching around the middle of June and last through the month of July. There are also some PMDs, or Pale Morning Duns. These mayflies are found in the moderate sections of the river. They start hatching in July and last on into the first week or two of August.
Golden Stoneflies hatch from about the middle of June through July. Yellow Sallies, or Little Yellow Stoneflies, start hatching about the first of June and last on into August.
One of the most abundant caddisfly species are the Brachycentrus species. These caddisflies start hatching in late April and last until about to the first week of May.
From June to September you will find the Spotted Sedges. They are the most plentiful species of caddisflies on the river. There will also be a hatch of Little Sister Caddisflies during July. You will find some Little Short-horned Sedges that hatch in late May and early June. There are also some Green Caddisflies, or Green Sedges, as some anglers call them. The larvae of these caddisflies are called Green Rock Worms. Imitations of them are very effective year-round. There are a few other species of caddisflies present on the river, but none that hatch
in large quantities.
Terrestrial insects become important during the summer months from about the middle of June through September. Imitations of grasshopper, ants and beetles are effective.
The Eagle River has a lot of sculpin, some minnows and baitfish. Streamers are very effective when the brown trout start to spawn in the fall. They also work anytime the river is a little off color from rain as well as early in the morning and late in the afternoons.
If you haven’t already done so, be sure to try our “Perfect Fly” trout flies. They are the most realistic and effective flies you can purchase. We have imitations available for everything that hatches in the Eagle River as well as all of the generic trout flies.