The Mighty Gunnison begins at the merging of the East and Taylor Rivers near Almont. This incredible river then flows down thru the city of Gunnison until it dumps into the Blue Mesa Reservoir.
April 28, 2025
The Upper Gunnison River above Blue Mesa Reservoir has been fishing well! Recent inconsistent weather patterns has kept this stretch seeing solid flows and good clarity. A solid BWO hatch has been happening around 11AM, although fish are not keying in on the adults actively you can find a few looking up in the soft water. Nymphing a multi fly rig is the route to go and has consistenly been putting fish in the net. Fish have been feeding actively on larger "junk" bugs such as worms, eggs, and stoneflies. With water temps still in the low to mid 40s fish are concentrating in the tail outs and inside the fast water.
Keep an eye out on flows as we begin to see warmer overnight temps!
HOT FLIES: #10 San Juan Worm, #14 Egg - Chart., #10 Rubberlegs, #14 Walts Worm, #14 BH Mop, #16 Spanish Bullet - Olive
The genesis of the famed Gunnison River is in Almont where the East and Taylor Rivers merge. Lazily snaking through cottonwood-lined ranchland for 20 miles, the upper "Gunny" is dammed to form Blue Mesa Reservoir, the Centennial State's largest body of water. After being dammed two more times forming Morrow Point and Crystal Reservoirs, the lower Gunnison River escapes Crystal Dam and carves through one of the most breathtaking and wild chasms on earth, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and its more mellow downstream neighbor the Gunnison Gorge, before slogging toward a rendezvous with the Colorado River in Grand Junction.
The Gunny is a big fish river in the truest sense of the words, as the entire upper Gunnison and the lower Gunnison downstream to the Smith Fork meets Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s criteria for Gold Medal status. Wild brown trout and a mix of wild and stocked rainbow trout, along with a few cutbows (mainly in the upper river), inhabit the Gunnison River. While there are ample opportunities for a walk and wading angler throughout the entire length of the Gunnison, both the upper Gunnison and the Gunnison Gorge are tremendous float-fishing destinations with the Gunny Gorge easily rating as Colorado’s marquee fly float trip. Ample public access, robust aquatic insect hatches, excellent numbers of trout, and big fish potential all make the Gunnison one of the Centennial State’s best fisheries and a must-visit destination for your fly fishing trip to western Colorado.
