Fly fishing report · West

Bear Creek

A Jefferson County Bear Creek report for Morrison-area access, low-flow planning, trout rules, small-stream tactics, and public-land cautions.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Poor

Best option: Float.

A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.

Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes

Recommended approachFloat

Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.

Wade5/100

Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.

Bank / edgeCheck

This report does not describe this as a primary mode. Verify legal access, depth, launches, and retreat options before planning around it.

Float · Best fit31/100

A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.

Confirm before you leave

Flow and weather right now.

Use the flow trend to confirm the score before you leave. Weather can change the safest and most productive fishing window.

River strategy

This page covers the fishable Jefferson County Bear Creek.

Bear Creek is a small foothills trout stream, so the right plan depends on exact reach, flow, temperature, and public access. This report is scoped to the Morrison and Bear Creek Lake Park corridor, not the closed El Paso County Bear Creek greenback reach.

Flow note: the live score now reads USGS 06710605 above Bear Creek Lake near Morrison as the official backstop for the Jefferson County Bear Creek corridor.
Use the Morrison gauge before committing to a short small-stream session.
Fish light rigs, short casts, and cautious approaches in low clear water.
Check CPW rules because rainbow and cutbow handling rules can differ from other trout.
Do not confuse this page with protected Bear Creek water near Colorado Springs.

Why this score moved

HeatLowers score

The NWS forecast is near 97F. Without live water temperature, heat risk needs a conservative check.

Best mode nowLowers score

Float: A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.

FlowUse caution

USGS shows 6 cfs with a rising about 15% over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1986-2025, 38 readings) puts normal around 34 cfs and the lower quartile near 12 cfs; today's flow is below normal for the date. This is below normal, so edge depth, temperature, and pressure matter.

Public alertUse caution

An Air Quality Alert is active near this forecast point, so the score is capped below great until smoke and access conditions are checked. NWS alert: Air Quality Alert issued July 13 at 4:10PM MDT by NWS Denver CO.

SeasonHelps score

Summer: Early dry-dropper sessions can be useful when water is cool enough.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

Bear Creek is best when flows are cool and stable. If the creek is very low, warm, muddy, or crowded, treat it as a scouting day or choose a larger nearby river.

Low and clear

Use stealth, small dries, light droppers, and avoid walking through holding water.

Cool stable flow

Dry-dropper rigs and small nymphs can pick apart pocket water and plunge pools.

Muddy after storms

Wait for clarity or use a larger nearby river with safer visibility.

Warm summer water

Fish early, carry a thermometer, and stop targeting trout if temperatures are stressful.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Use the Morrison gauge trend as a small-water warning tool. Stable clear flows are the better fit for pocket water and soft edges, while storm spikes, mud, or very thin warm water should end the trout plan quickly.

When to skip

Skip Bear Creek when thunderstorms stain the creek, when low warm water makes trout handling poor, when park or trail pressure is heavy, or when you cannot confirm the special-regulation reach language for your exact section.

Local plan

Choose one short public section and fish it carefully. Bear Creek works best when you slow down, cover shaded pockets and undercut edges, and leave room for other park users instead of hopping every visible pullout.

Backup water

If Bear Creek is too warm, crowded, or off-color, pivot to Clear Creek for another close Front Range option or to Boulder Creek when a different small-stream plan fits the weather better.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

WinterMidgesZebra midge, Griffith's gnat, small black midge

Reviewed pattern · report says “Zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed pattern · report says “Griffith's gnat”Griffith's GnatLook for a peacock-herl body wrapped end to end with grizzly hackle and finished with a compact thread head. The classic has no separate tail, wing, upright post, bead, or trailing shuck. A high-visibility post, parachute build, or Antron shuck is a separate labeled variation or pattern—not the photographed classic.See photos & how to fish it + 1 more reviewed guide in the Fly Box

SpringBWOs, small stones, caddisBWO, hare's ear, pheasant tail, elk hair caddis

Reviewed family · report says “BWO”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide

Reviewed pattern · report says “hare's ear”Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear NymphStart with the material architecture, not brown color alone: a short fibrous tail, tapered rough-dubbed abdomen, open metallic rib, fuller buggy thorax, and dark wing case. A bead, flashback panel, hot spot, soft-hackle collar, jig hook, or dry-fly treatment changes the form and must stay named. The two photographed artificials are bead-head variations; the reviewed Fly Fishers International tying guide below is an unweighted Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear.See photos & how to fish it + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

SummerCaddis, PMDs, ants, beetles, hoppersElk hair caddis, PMD, ant, beetle, small hopper

Reviewed pattern · report says “Elk hair caddis”Elk Hair CaddisLook for a tented elk- or deer-hair wing, clipped hair head, dubbed body, rib, and hackle palmered along the body. The body color should be labeled because tiers often match different natural caddis colors.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “PMD”Pale Morning Dun PatternsPMD names an insect group, not one fly. Pale nymphs, trailing-shuck emergers, upright or low-riding duns, cripples, and spent-wing spinners stay visibly separate.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

FallBWOs, midges, terrestrialsBWO emerger, zebra midge, parachute Adams, bugger

Reviewed family · report says “BWO emerger”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide

Reviewed pattern · report says “zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Decide which Bear Creek you are fishing before applying advice or regulations.

Use short casts and fish from downstream when the creek is clear.

Probe the first good pocket before stepping into the channel.

Keep fish wet and release quickly on warm days.

Move if park crowds or dogs make the water unfishable.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

CPW lists Jefferson County Bear Creek special regulations from Evergreen Lake Dam to Bear Creek Reservoir. Verify current reach language, artificial-only rules, and rainbow/cutbow release rules before fishing.

Morrison corridor

Use the Morrison gauge and watch posted property around bridge and town access.

Bear Creek Lake Park

Lakewood manages recreation and fishing access in the park area; check current park rules before entering.

Lair o' the Bear context

Jefferson County park access is useful for walking the creek corridor where fishing is allowed and posted.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-07-06

flowRiverReports: Bear Creek at Morrison flowUSGS monitoring location: Bear Creek above Bear Creek Lake near Morrison regulationColorado fishing special regulations accessLakewood Bear Creek Lake Park activities accessRecreation.gov Bear Creek Lake safetyNational Weather Service forecast point near Morrison

Common questions

Before you leave.

Which Bear Creek does this page cover?+

It covers Jefferson County Bear Creek near Morrison and Bear Creek Lake Park, not the protected El Paso County Bear Creek.

Is Bear Creek good for beginners?+

It can be, but it is small and pressured, so beginners should focus on short casts, stealth, and low-impact handling.

What gauge should I check?+

Use RiverReports for the Bear Creek visual chart and USGS 06710605 Bear Creek above Bear Creek Lake near Morrison as the readable official backstop for the score. This is a better current-data match than the old Morrison station used before the July 6 review.

When should I skip Bear Creek?+