Fly fishing report · West

Dolores River

A Dolores River report for McPhee tailwater planning, release-dependent flows, artificial-only regulations, canyon access, hatches, and trip safety.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Caution

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.

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

Recommended approachWade

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

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.

Bank / edgeCheck

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

FloatCheck

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

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

McPhee releases decide the Dolores 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.

Use the below-McPhee RiverReports chart first, then check official gauge context.
Carry small nymphs, caddis, BWOs, terrestrials, and a few streamers.
Check CPW Dolores River and Dolores River SWA pages before fishing.
Separate tailwater planning near McPhee from lower canyon travel near Bedrock.

Why this score moved

Best mode nowLowers score

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 1 cfs with a falling about 43% over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1985-2025, 41 readings) puts normal around 62 cfs and the low-water marker near 12 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 86F. Do not pressure trout or salmonids in warm water.

Short-term weatherUse caution

The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

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.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

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.

When to skip

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 corridor.

Local plan

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.

Backup water

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.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

WinterMidges, small baetisZebra midge, RS2, black beauty, pheasant tail

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 “RS2”RS2Start with the beadless architecture: two dark-dun Microfibett tails separated behind a slim, tightly twisted and visibly segmented dubbed abdomen; a fuller thorax; and saddle-hackle web clipped into a short angled wing bud. Rim Chung's original-style form uses natural beaver dubbing and hackle web. CDC- or Antron-wing ties, beads, curved hooks, flash, and tailless Avatar-style flies must remain labeled variations.See photos & how to fish it + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

SpringBWOs, caddis, small stonesBWO emerger, caddis pupa, hare's ear, stonefly nymph

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 family · report says “caddis pupa”Caddis Pupa PatternsCaddis pupa is a life-stage family. Curved bodies, wing pads, legs, beads, and soft-hackle collars differ among exact patterns and must be labeled.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

SummerCaddis, PMDs, yellow sallies, terrestrialsElk hair caddis, PMD, yellow sally, ant, 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, October caddisBWO dry, zebra midge, October caddis, streamer

Reviewed family · report says “BWO dry”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

Check McPhee release context before choosing a reach.

Use small flies and careful approaches in low release periods.

Do not assume lower canyon flows match the tailwater plan.

Fish early and carry a thermometer in warm weather.

Plan access and exit before entering remote canyon sections.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

CPW identifies Dolores River special regulations 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 regulation context.

Dolores River SRMA

BLM canyon and public-land planning for broader river access.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-05-31

flowRiverReports: Dolores River below McPhee Reservoir flowUSGS monitoring location: Dolores River at Bedrock backgroundColorado Parks and Wildlife Dolores River accessColorado Parks and Wildlife Dolores River SWA accessBLM Dolores River SRMA regulationColorado fishing special regulations safetyNational Weather Service forecast point near McPhee

Common questions

Before you leave.

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.