Colorado Fishing Reports ยท Arkansas Basin
Below Salida the Arkansas enters Bighorn Sheep Canyon along US-50, with many pull-offs, warm canyon walls and one of the densest brown trout populations in Colorado.
Looking for the latest Arkansas River Wellsville 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 Arkansas River โ Wellsville.
Current flows
Wind forecast
Wellsville fishing report
Updated November 7, 2026.
Flows are low but were bumped by recent rain. The upper canyon has 2 feet or more of visibility, and the lower canyon is still colored but improving. Water is in the upper 40s.
BWOs are the main hatch, with midges picking up. Run a dry-dropper or a dry with two droppers through the riffles and pockets, nymph the deeper runs, and swing streamers along the banks and structure.
Fish 10 am to 3 pm. Redds are visible, so do not wade through gravel bars.
Load your fly box
Before you head to Wellsville, bring: JuJu Baetis #18-22, RS2 Emerger #18-22, Zebra Midge #20-22, Pat', s Rubber Legs #10-14, Chubby Chernobyl #10-12, Parachute Adams #18-20, Sparkle Minnow #6-8, Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-20, 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.
Wellsville river details
| Access | Roadside along US-50 with many pull-offs and Arkansas Headwaters access sites such as Big Bend, Rincon, Howard and Coaldale. Floatable when flows allow. |
|---|---|
| Elevation | About 6,300 to 6,900 ft |
| Drive from AvidMax | About 153 miles, roughly 3 hours 23 minutes from our Centennial shop |
| Best season | Spring and fall |
| Fish | Brown trout (very dense population) and rainbows |
| Regulations | Gold Medal Water. From Stockyard Bridge to Badger Creek it is flies and lures only and rainbows must be released. Check Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the current rules. A Colorado fishing license is required. |
| Leaders and tippet | 9 ft leaders, 4X to 5X tippet |
| Camping | Arkansas Headwaters sites at Rincon, Coaldale and Cotopaxi |
| Kids | Yes in spots. Some pull-offs have easy banks, but the current is strong and the highway is close. |
| Good to know | The warmer canyon makes this a good choice in the shoulder seasons and on winter days. |
Fishing by season
Winter
Midday midges and BWO nymphs. Often good.
Spring
Strong BWO and caddis fishing before runoff.
Summer
Runoff, then stoneflies, caddis and hoppers. Busy with rafts.
Fall
BWOs and spawning browns, with fewer people.
How to get there
This stretch follows US-50 east of Salida toward Cotopaxi.