Williams Fork of the Colorado River 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
Tailwater
Species
Brown Trout (Wild)
Rainbow Trout (Wild)
Size
Small
Location
Central Colorado
Nearest Towns
Parshall
Season
Year-round
Access:
Good but hiking required
Non-Resident License
State of Colorado
Weather
National Weather Service Link
U.S.G.S. Real-time Stream Data:
Below Williams Fork Reservoir
Seasons:
Year Round
Spring:
March into April before the Spring runoff is a good time
to fish the river. Runoff is from late April or early May
until sometime in early June.
Summer:
Summer is a very good time to fish. The water stays cool
due to the releases from Williams Fork Reservoir.
Fall:
Fall is an excellent time because the brown trout spawn
in the Fall.
Winter:
As long as you can get to the tailwater, you can catch
trout. The water doesn’t freeze below the dam.
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 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing the Williams Fork of the Colorado River Colorado
The Williams Fork of the Colorado River joins the main river at Parshall, Colorado. The river begins far above the Williams Fork Reservoir but it’s the mile and a half tailwater that’s famous for its wild brown trout. The tailwater flows into the Colorado River. Fly fishing the Williams Fork requires a little effort to reach but it’s well worth it. This is a sleeper Colorado trout stream that is mostly fished by knowledgeable locals.
There’s lots of brown trout and some rainbows in this stretch of water. Probably the best thing going for it is the hike that’s required to reach the tailwater. Although its only about thirty minutes long, the hike prevents many anglers from testing its water. It is approximately a
mile hike. You can walk along the shoreline in most places so access is fairly easy.
This river begins near the Continental Divide near Berthoud Pass. It runs almost parallel with the Blue River. The Williams Fork is free-flowing for most of its length. You can fish the river through the Arapaho National Forest land. The river is over forty miles long but the gem of the stream is its tailwater section.
The dam is subject to change the water flow. It is run by the Denver Water Board. Special regulations only permit catch and release and you can only use artificial lures and flies.
The freestone and tailwater sections of the Williams Fork both have large populations of aquatic insects, crustaceans and lots of terrestrials. Matching the hatch is often a basic requirement. There are several species of caddisflies, mayflies and stoneflies. Sculpin are very plentiful. Streamers work well at times.
We have taken samples of the larvae at various times and developed a hatch chart for it. Give us a call or send us an email and we can help you with your fly selections.
The browns are not pushovers and neither are the rainbows but if you match the naturals well, you can catch your fair share. That is where Perfect Fly flies have an advantage. The more the fly looks and acts like the real things the trout feed on, the more likely they are to be successful.
Although it is small, this is one of the best tailwater trout fisheries in the state of Colorado. Fly fishing the Williams Fork of the Colorado River can be very rewarding.