Good Clarity but Still Pretty High

Side channels can be very productive when the water is high.

Overview:

Relatively high water is persisting, but the flows have come down enough to make wade fishing effective anywhere upriver of Buena Vista. The prime float fishing sections below Buena Vista are high enough to make for a very fast float. With that said, the clarity is pretty good throughout the entire river. Keep in mind that my report is fairly general and meant to give the reader an idea of what might be going on over 100 miles of river with a few thousand feet of elevation change at this moment in time. Conditions change fast here so you may encounter something different soon after I write this. Best thing to do is read this to give you a general idea of what you might expect and then get on the water as much as possible.

Weather:

Do not trust your weather app in the mountains! There are so many microclimates around here your weather app’s algorithm may give you a forecast that is completely different at your home than your fishing spot. We are in between the time of year when we will get spring storms and our rainy season in July and August. So, expect predominantly warm air temperatures and sunny skies for the next week or two. As always, it could get very windy. Especially, in the afternoons. Also, the US Drought Monitor has us in moderate drought conditions and we are in neutral position between El Nino and La Nina. So, we might expect a normal monsoon season.

Water Temperatures:

Water temperatures remain pretty cool despite the fact that we are in the middle of the hottest weather of the year. This is due to the fact that most of our flow right now is still snowmelt. Water temperatures upriver of BV are still in the mid-50’s while below Salida will slide into the mid-60’s on sunny afternoons.

Flows:

It’s currently 1750 cfs at the Wellsville gauge. Lake Creek above Twin Lakes is currently at 674 and 733 below the lakes. What this tells you is that the majority of the Arkansas’ flow is still runoff. Most of the snow up high has melted, but our ground water has been in good shape after a couple wet years. So, runoff may persist for a bit longer. With that said, all the tributaries seem to have stabilized or are coming down. So, the river has definitely peaked at this point.

Clarity:

The clarity has stabilized and is very fishable throughout the river. Like always, the water will be clearer the further upriver you go and downstream of tributaries that have reservoirs on them, like Lake Creek and Clear Creek. Experienced anglers know that the clearer the water the more precise your presentation needs to be, but downright muddy water can be unfishable. Trout rely heavily on the sense of sight to feed. Ideally, I would want at least 18 inches to two feet of visibility.

Habitat:

All the fish are really sticking to their velocity shelters at this point. There could be fish plastered to the river bottom, but the water is too fast and high in most places to get at them there. So, look for fish to be in shallower water along the edges. Brown Trout (which comprise at least 80% of our fish) excel at finding structure to shelter them from the velocity of the river. So, if you aren’t casting in proximity to a rock, log, eddy or riverbed contour of some kind then you’re probably not casting in proximity to a fish either.

Food:

We are seeing fish feeding on a variety of insects right now. Midges, mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, and terrestrials are all on the menu. Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies may be particularly abundant at times. Also, look for the fish to find a few Grey Drakes upriver of BV. In my opinion, a Brown Trout would probably eat a Drake over anything else if it had a choice. With such a variety of insects to feed on the fish will be very opportunistic in their feeding. Don't get too preoccupied with hatches. With the high water the trout will also get more aggressive to defend and jockey for the best positions. As a result, they’ll attack and sometimes eat smaller fish that thought they had a safe spot near the shore.

Rigging:

In my opinion, tippet size should always match the size/weight of your fly, and the length of your leader should match the technique you are using or the conditions in which you’re fishing. For example, if you are using a big bushy terrestrial or stonefly imitation in the size 12 or bigger range (like we often do this time of year) then you could use tippet in the 3x or bigger range. If it’s one of our ultra windy afternoons then you could shorten your leader to the 7.5 foot range. You may want to go a bit longer and lighter to your nymphs to get your fly down deeper and faster considering the high fast flows right now. If you want to read more about rigging, click here.

Float Fishing:

We are still in runoff conditions so the floating is fast. It’s hard to not have to deal with big waves and hydraulics so not only is the fishing a challenge for all but the most efficient casters, but the boating should also be left to those who are more experienced at this time. Novice boaters should wait another week or so before getting out on the water. Under 1000 cfs is really an ideal flow to float fish and we're still closer to 2000 cfs. The most common boat you’ll see on the Arkansas is a whitewater raft like the NRS Otter 140 I row. I would not recommend personal fishing boats like a Water Master. The Arkansas is always way too rocky for hard-sided drift boats.

FLOAT fishing Etiquette:

The fish in this river are pretty used to seeing a ton of boat traffic and will quickly go back to feeding after a raft comes through. So, I don’t typically lose much sleep over quietly boating through a wade angler’s water. But I don’t fish that water either. Certain sections of the river will see a ton of whitewater rafting/kayaking traffic right now. Don’t go into Brown’s Canyon on a Saturday and then complain about the rafters hurting your fishing. That would be like complaining that you are having trouble reading a book at a Metallica concert. Please keep to a max of 15 minutes of loading/unloading time on a boat ramp. I typically am in the habit of unstrapping and pumping my boat in the parking lot and then backing my trailer down the ramp and immediately putting my boat in the water and moving it as far up or downriver away from the ramp as possible while I park my truck or do a shuttle. I also NEVER let my dog run off leash around the ramp. The ramp is not the place to practice if you’re new to backing up trailers.

Wade fishing:

Wading deeper into the river is often unnecessary at these flows. Most wade anglers I see on this river are standing in the slower structure-filled water that Brown Trout love and casting to the deeper faster water that they aren’t as often in. The most common wade fishing approach this time of year is making short drifts upstream of your position while moving upstream along the shore. There’s often no need to mess with the deep fast water. There aren’t many safe places to cross the river right now. Also, be careful of rattlesnakes in the canyons below Salida. I often see them this time of year sunning themselves along the river.

Wade fishing Etiquette:

Wade anglers here don’t often post up at a pool for long periods of time this time of year. They’re typically on the move and often look for a couple hundred upstream yards to fish. When in doubt, fish downriver of someone and not upriver. There’s lots of road access and if you come to a pull off that already has a car or two at it you should move on a find an empty pull off. With over 100 miles of Gold Medal Water there should be enough space to never feel like you’re combat fishing.