Tips for navigating Colorado’s hot and dry weather when fishing for trout this summer
This state is home to many of the most knowledgeable outdoor experts in North America, providing me with great resources for my articles and shows. In the fly fishing realm, none has been better than Kirk Deeter.
Deeter is the editor of Angling Trade Magazine, editor-at-large for Field & Stream Magazine and the editor of Trout Magazine, the national publication of Trout Unlimited. He co-authored “The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing” with our dear friend and mentor, the late Charlie Meyers, who was an outdoor writer for the Denver Post for decades.
NPS Photo / Lake Clark National Park and Preserve / Megan Richotte
Deeter joined me on my radio show to discuss the effects the hot, dry weather is having on stream fishing and to discuss some options. The low flows and unseasonable high air temperatures have water temperature in many of our state’s rivers much higher than normal. Even the upper reaches of the Colorado River are seeing water temperatures as high as 70 degrees. This can put tremendous strain on the fish, especially if they are experiencing angling pressure. Our first bit of advice is to fish early in the day while the water is still cool. Carry a thermometer. If the water gets above 65 degrees, look for other options to fish.
