Wade · Best fit27/100
Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
All Colorado reports
Fly fishing report · West
Dolores River
Is Dolores River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Colorado before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Jeffrey Beall Opens in a new tab. · CC BY 4.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Caution
Maybe. Read the cautions first.
47
Best option: Wade. Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callHighCurrent flow, weather, alerts, and trip-critical signals support this decision.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 10:45 PM MDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best access methodWade
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Bank / edgeNot recommended
This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Your plan
Today's Dolores River plan.
The Dolores below McPhee can be a valuable trout fishery, but it is strongly shaped by reservoir releases and remote access. Check the current flow, CPW rules, and access sources before treating it like a normal freestone day.
- Check first
- Use the below-McPhee RiverReports chart first, then check official gauge context.
- Try
- Check McPhee release context before choosing a reach.
- Leave when
- Skip the trip when McPhee releases leave the trout water too thin or warm, when access into the canyon becomes more of a travel problem than a fishing opportunity, or when the river you want is really the lower warm-water Dolores instead of the tailwater area.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 3.83 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.Water 70.7°F · 24h high 78.4°F · USGS provisional
- Air now
- 68°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 85.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 8%
For this forecast period
Latest stored weather check
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
- Wind
- 5 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Dolores River below McPhee forecast point
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Dolores River below McPhee Reservoir
Water 70.7°F · provisional · 24h high 78.4°F provisionalWater observed · high observed
How to fish it
How to fish Dolores River today.
The Dolores is best when releases provide enough cool, clear water for ethical trout fishing. Very low flows, warm water, or remote travel risk should push you to a backup plan.
Low release
Use stealth, small flies, and avoid stressing trout in thin warm water.
Stable release
Nymphs, dry-droppers, caddis, and small streamers can all be useful.
High release
Treat wading and canyon travel conservatively. Use bank water and safe access.
Warm lower canyon
Check temperature and avoid trout-focused fishing when handling risk is high.
Fishing words used on this page
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
- Pale morning dun (PMD)
- Pale morning duns, or PMDs, are light-colored mayflies that often hatch in warmer months.
- Streamer
- A streamer is a fly that looks like a small fish, leech, or other swimming food.
- Tailwater
- A tailwater is a river below a dam, where releases can change the flow quickly.
- Terrestrial
- Terrestrials are land insects, such as ants, beetles, and grasshoppers.
Why this call
Why this score
Best mode nowHurts
Wade: Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 4 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1985-2025, 41 readings) show a median near 58 cfs and a low-water marker near 25 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Target choiceUse caution
Coldwater targets are a poor choice in this heat window, but warmwater targets may still be reasonable where legal and ethical.
Water temperatureUse caution
USGS water temperature is about 70.7F. USGS marks the temperature data provisional and may revise it. Do not pressure trout or salmonids in warm water.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Early and late sessions can work if releases keep water cool enough.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use the release trend first and the Bedrock gauge as broader downstream context. Stable cold releases are the best fit for trout fishing. Abrupt changes, very low water, or warm lower-river conditions should end the idea quickly.
Skip the trip when McPhee releases leave the trout water too thin or warm, when access into the canyon becomes more of a travel problem than a fishing opportunity, or when the river you want is really the lower warm-water Dolores instead of the tailwater area.
Choose the mission before you drive: below-McPhee public trout water if you want the clearest release-driven plan, or a different drainage if the lower canyon is the only realistic option that day. Match flies and timing to the release trend instead of to a generic freestone idea.
If the Dolores is too low, too warm, or too release-sensitive, pivot to the Taylor River for a more controlled tailwater day or to the San Miguel when you want a freestone-style southwest Colorado backup.
What to try
Dolores River flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
Winter
What to look forMidges, small baetis
Spring
What to look forBWOs, caddis, small stones
SummerCurrent
What to look forCaddis, PMDs, yellow sallies, terrestrials
Fall
What to look forBWOs, midges, October caddis
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Dolores River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. CPW identifies Dolores River special fishing rules and Dolores River SWA access information. Verify current artificial-only language, reach boundaries, and any emergency guidance before fishing.
Dolores River below McPhee
Release-dependent tailwater planning near the dam and Dolores area.
Dolores River SWA
CPW access with current property and rule context.
Dolores River SRMA
BLM canyon and public-land planning for broader river access.
McPhee releases can change the fishing more than the calendar.
Remote canyon sections need more planning than roadside tailwater water.
Check SWA rules and pass/license requirements before entering CPW property.
Low warm water should change or cancel a trout plan.
River sources
Official Dolores River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This Dolores River report is maintained from current Colorado regulation, McPhee-access, BLM corridor, flow, and weather checks so anglers can plan release-driven trout water without overstating lower-canyon certainty.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 7 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
Quick answers
Quick Dolores River answers.
What reach does this Dolores report cover?
It focuses on the below-McPhee trout plan and includes lower canyon context where flow and access differ.
Why are releases so important?
McPhee Reservoir controls much of the below-dam fishability, so flow, temperature, and access can change sharply.
What flies should I carry?
Carry midges, BWOs, caddis, PMDs, terrestrials, dry-droppers, and a few small streamers.
When should I avoid fishing?
Avoid very low warm water, unsafe high releases, storm risk, and remote canyon trips without a clear access plan.