Colorado Fishing Reports ยท San Juan & Dolores Basin
The San Miguel runs along Highway 145 from Telluride past Placerville, a wild freestone with roadside access.
Looking for the latest San Miguel River Placerville 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 San Miguel River โ Placerville.
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
Placerville fishing report
Updated November 7, 2026.
Two big storms on October 22 to 24 and November 1 to 2 caused major flooding across southwest Colorado. The San Miguel jumped past 1,000 cfs on November 2 and has been falling, to about 340 to 450 cfs. It is dirty but slowly clearing and getting colder.
BWOs are the main bug. Until it clears, fish larger, brighter flies and slow the drift: a Prince or Pheasant Tail with an RS2 behind it. Expect it to fish well once it drops under about 300 cfs and clears. Afternoons are best.
Load your fly box
Before you head to Placerville, bring: RS2 Emerger #18-22, Parachute Adams #16-20, Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-18, Prince Nymph #14-18, Sparkle Pupa #14-18, Zebra Midge #18-22, JuJu Baetis #18-22, Black Beauty #20-24, Egg #14-16, Squirmy Wormie #12-14.
Flies working right now
The flies above that we have in stock right now.
Placerville river details
| Access | Highway 145 runs alongside, with many pull-offs and some posted private land. |
|---|---|
| Elevation | About 7,300 ft |
| Drive from AvidMax | About 324 miles, roughly 7 hours 25 minutes from our Centennial shop |
| Best season | Summer and fall |
| Fish | Wild brown and rainbow trout, plus some cutthroat |
| Regulations | 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, 6X for BWOs |
| Camping | Forest Service and BLM sites toward Telluride (mostly closed by November) |
| Kids | Yes in late summer at low flows. Not at today's flows. |
| Good to know | It colors up quickly after rain and snowmelt. |
Fishing by season
Winter
Cold, low and clear, with midges on warm afternoons.
Spring
BWOs before runoff, then blown out in May and June.
Summer
Caddis, stoneflies and dry-dropper fishing.
Fall
BWOs and active browns.
How to get there
Placerville is on Highway 145 northwest of Telluride.