Colorado Fishing Reports ยท San Juan & Dolores Basin
At Howardsville, high above Silverton, the Animas is a small, cold headwater stream in old mining country.
Looking for the latest Animas River Howardsville river report? This page is updated by the AvidMax fly shop team with live flows, current conditions, hatches and the flies working now on the Animas River โ Howardsville.
Current flows
Heads up: Major flooding hit southwest Colorado on November 1 and 2. Expect high, dirty water and check road conditions before you drive.
Wind forecast
Howardsville fishing report
Updated November 7, 2026.
The November 1 and 2 storms caused major flooding across southwest Colorado. The gauge at Howardsville shows about 120 cfs, high for November. Snow is starting.
The season is over up here. Come back in July.
Load your fly box
Before you head to Howardsville, bring: Elk Hair Caddis #14-16, Parachute Adams #14-18, Royal Wulff #14, Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-18, Zebra Midge #18-22, RS2 Emerger #18-22, JuJu Baetis #18-22, Black Beauty #20-24, Egg #14-16, Squirmy Wormie #12-14, Scud Bomb #14-16.
Flies working right now
The flies above that we have in stock right now.
Howardsville river details
| Access | County Road 2 from Silverton toward Animas Forks. |
|---|---|
| Elevation | About 9,700 ft |
| Drive from AvidMax | About 331 miles, roughly 7 hours 52 minutes from our Centennial shop |
| Best season | Summer |
| Fish | A few brook trout and cutthroat |
| Regulations | Check Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the current rules. A Colorado fishing license is required. |
| Leaders and tippet | 7.5 ft leaders, 5X tippet |
| Camping | Dispersed camping along County Road 2 (seasonal) |
| Kids | Yes in summer. |
| Good to know | Mining legacy water. Fish numbers are low. |
Fishing by season
Winter
Snowed in.
Spring
Late runoff into July.
Summer
Short summer season.
Fall
Over by October.
How to get there
Take US-550 to Silverton, then County Road 2 northeast to Howardsville.