Colorado Fishing Reports ยท Colorado Basin
Below Aspen the Roaring Fork is a small, clear freestone with wild browns and rainbows and a catch-and-release, flies-only stretch.
Looking for the latest Roaring Fork River Aspen 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 Roaring Fork River โ Aspen.
Current flows
Wind forecast
Aspen fishing report
Updated November 7, 2026.
Flows are about 35 cfs near Aspen, low, clear and stable. Fish small nymphs in the deeper, faster runs, and watch for fish rising to BWOs and midges at midday.
Load your fly box
Before you head to Aspen, bring: Prince Nymph #14-18, Rainbow Warrior #20-22, RS2 Emerger #20-22, Parachute Adams #18-22, Zebra Midge #18-22, JuJu Baetis #18-22, Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-20, Black Beauty #20-24, Egg #14-16.
Flies working right now
The flies above that we have in stock right now.
Aspen river details
| Access | The Rio Grande Trail and Highway 82 pull-offs below town. |
|---|---|
| Elevation | About 7,900 ft |
| Drive from AvidMax | About 171 miles, roughly 4 hours 22 minutes from our Centennial shop |
| Best season | Summer and fall |
| Fish | Wild brown and rainbow trout |
| Regulations | Catch and release, flies only from Maroon Creek downstream to the upper Woody Creek bridge. Check Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the current rules. A Colorado fishing license is required. |
| Leaders and tippet | 9 ft leaders, 5X to 6X tippet |
| Camping | National forest campgrounds up Highway 82 and Maroon Creek (mostly summer only) |
| Kids | Yes. Small, wadeable water, though the fish are wary. |
| Good to know | Winter flows get very low and icy. |
Fishing by season
Winter
Low, icy and midges.
Spring
BWOs before runoff.
Summer
Caddis, PMDs and hopper-dropper.
Fall
BWOs and very low, clear water.
How to get there
Park at Rio Grande Trail access points below Aspen.