Fly Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

St. Vrain Creek Colorado River Big Thompson River Cache La Poudre River Wild Basin Outfitters Estes Park Lodging Fishing Report Visitor Information

Located roughly 65 northwest of Denver, the Park sees over 3 million visitors each year. Of course, some of those numbers are locals that live close enough to visit several times a week, but the Park receives visitors from all over the world each year.

Rocky Mountain National Park also has the highest paved highway in the United States; Trail Ridge Road. Cresting over 12,183 feet, this road is only open from Memorial Day through late September. When the heavy snows begin to make it too difficult to keep open, this easy access to the Western Slope of the Continental Divide is closed. From the eastern portal near Estes Park to the western portal near Grand Lake is approximately 45 miles.

Sitting high above the surrounding areas, the Park hosts the headwaters to the Colorado River, the Big Thompson River, the Cache La Poudre River and the St. Vrain Creek. There are a myriad of lakes and small streams that feed these drainages, and most hold fish. In fact, within the boundaries of the Park you can catch:

• Colorado River Cutthroat Trout
• Greenback Cutthroat Trout
• Brown Trout
• Brook Trout
• Rainbow Trout

The one trout you may not recognize on that list is the Greenback Cutthroat Trout. By 1937, this fish was on the verge of following its cousin, the yellowfin cutthroat trout, into extinction. However, two small populations were discovered in the South Fork of the Poudre River and in Como Creek, which provided brood stocks for hatcheries.

Through the combined efforts of the BLM, Colorado State University, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Greenback Cutthroat can now be found in streams throughout the Park and Northern Colorado.

Equipment for the Park can range from a 0-wt to a 5-wt, and tippets from 3x to 7x. Overall, an experienced fly fisherman can do well with a short (7 1/2 to 8 1/2 foot), 3 or 4 weight rod, and 5x tippets. The fish will run from 5 to 15 inches, with an occasional surprise from a 20+ inch trout. Flies are best between #14-22. You can wet wade many of the streams during July and August, and some of the smaller streams you can easily fish from one bank or the other, hopping across to free a fly that is caught in a downed log.