Wade · Best fit65/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
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Fly fishing report · West
Uncompahgre River
An Uncompahgre report for the Ridgway Reservoir tailwater, Pa-Co-Chu-Puk access, RiverReports/USGS flow checks, hatches, flies, and source-checked regulations.
Check flow & weatherToday's fishing decisionMost live data available
65
Use caution
Uncompahgre River is a cautious call right now.
Current USGS flow is 107 cfs and has been stable for about 6 hours. Today's flow is unusually low for this date and below the usual low-water marker near 208 cfs. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Best supported approachWade
Watch nextFlow: Current USGS flow is 107 cfs and has been stable for about 6 hours. Today's flow is unusually low for this date and below the usual low-water marker near 208 cfs.
Updated Aug 3, 1:24 AM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes
Best supported approachWade
Compare wading, bank fishing, and floating before choosing how you will fish.
Bank / edgeNeed data
This report does not describe this as a primary mode. Verify legal access, depth, launches, and retreat options before planning around it.
Float65/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Check before you drive
Current flow and weather.
Look at whether the river is rising or falling, then check wind, rain, and storms. These can change both safety and fishing.
Loading current flow and weather.
Before you rely on this report
How current is this report?
Conditions can change quickly. Check these dates before you decide to fish, and open the official source when safety or rules matter.
- River conditions
- Checked Aug 2, 2026, 9:24 PM
- Fishing guidance
- Reviewed May 31, 2026
- Public access
- No reviewed map pin available
- Rules and closures
- Official rule links checked
High confidence in the current score inputs.
7 sources are listed below for you to open.
3 public access records are listed. Private spots are never shown.
Source checked Jul 30, 2026
Plan your access
Know where you can enter.
These are public parking, launch, trail, or recreation areas—not secret fishing spots. We never show an angler's private pins, notes, or photos here.
- 0
- Shown on map
- 3
- No map pin
Location checkedDescription only
01No map pin
Public land
Pa-Co-Chu-Puk at Ridgway State Park
The key public tailwater access with state park rules, fees, and managed fishing water.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
Ridgway State Park access can require a parks pass or fee.
No boating or tubing should be assumed in the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk fishing reach.
02No map pin
Area description
Below Ridgway Reservoir gauge reach
The main flow reference and tailwater planning area for this report.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
Ridgway State Park access can require a parks pass or fee.
No boating or tubing should be assumed in the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk fishing reach.
03No map pin
Area description
Billy Creek SWA
A CPW access point in the broader Uncompahgre corridor with land-specific rules.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
Ridgway State Park access can require a parks pass or fee.
No boating or tubing should be assumed in the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk fishing reach.
How to fish it
Use tailwater rules and release checks before fishing.
The Uncompahgre below Ridgway Reservoir is a small, technical tailwater with important state park and CPW rule details. Check the below-dam flow, Pa-Co-Chu-Puk rules, and access notes before choosing flies.
- Use the below-Ridgway flow chart for the tailwater reach.
- Pa-Co-Chu-Puk has regulation details that should be checked directly with CPW.
- Expect small flies, careful drifts, and clear-water presentations.
- Plan around park access, private land, and possible release changes.
Why the score looks this way
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 107 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. Today's flow is unusually low for this date and below the usual low-water marker near 208 cfs. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
HeatUse caution
The NWS forecast is near 86F. Fish early and verify water temperature where trout stress is possible.
Best mode nowUse caution
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
SeasonHelps score
Summer: PMDs, caddis, and terrestrial edges can matter, especially during lower-light periods.
Public alertsHelps score
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Read the water
What changes the plan.
The Uncompahgre is best when releases are stable and water is clear enough for careful nymphing or dry-fly work. If flows change quickly or the state park reach is crowded, use a backup western Colorado plan.
Low clear release
Use small flies, long leaders, and careful approaches to avoid lining fish.
Stable medium release
Nymph rigs and dry-droppers can cover riffles, seams, and deeper buckets.
Sudden release change
Step back, reassess wading, and avoid low banks or mid-channel positions.
Hot valley weather
Tailwater temperatures may stay cooler, but still check handling conditions before fishing hard.
Your trip plan
Know when to go—and when to skip it.
Best flows
Use the RiverReports Ridgway chart and USGS 09147025 together. Stable releases make the best technical window; sudden changes, thin clear water, or pushy discharge should shift the plan toward edges, lighter pressure, or another nearby river.
When to skip
Skip the reach when special-rule boundaries are unclear, when releases make safe wading unrealistic, when low clear water concentrates pressure, or when winter ice and shelf edges make footing unsafe.
Local plan
Start with Pa-Co-Chu-Puk and Ridgway State Park context, then compare Billy Creek SWA and nearby access only after checking current rules and posted signs. Keep the day focused rather than chasing every visible bend.
Backup water
If the Uncompahgre is crowded, icy, release-sensitive, or too technical for the day, compare the Upper Gunnison, Cimarron River, or Dolores River after checking current flow and access.
Hatches & flies
Bring a flexible box.
TimingWhat to watchUseful flies
WinterMidgesZebra midge, black beauty, Griffith's gnat
Fly pattern · report suggests “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 ↗
Fly pattern · report suggests “black beauty”Black Beauty MidgeA very slim black thread body, fine silver rib, and small dark thorax define the core Black Beauty. Glass-bead Mercury Black Beauty and flash-wing variants must stay labeled separately.See photos & how to fish it ↗+ 1 more reviewed guide in the Fly Box SpringBWOs, midges, caddisRS2, BWO emerger, caddis pupa, pheasant tail
Fly pattern · report suggests “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 ↗
Fly family · report suggests “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 ↗+ 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box SummerPMDs, caddis, terrestrialsPMD emerger, elk hair caddis, ant, small hopper
Fly family · report suggests “PMD emerger”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 ↗
Fly pattern · report suggests “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 ↗+ 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box FallBWOs, midges, October caddisBWO dry, zebra midge, soft hackle, small streamer
Fly family · report suggests “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 ↗Fly pattern · report suggests “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 01
Start with Pa-Co-Chu-Puk and exact CPW rules before expanding the plan.
02
Use small indicators or dry-dropper rigs when water is low and clear.
03
Fish seams, plunge-pool tails, and banks rather than walking through them.
04
Stay ready for release changes below the reservoir.
05
Respect state park and SWA boundaries; public access is not continuous.
Rules & closures
Check the official rules before you go.
Open the agency page to confirm the exact river section, species, season, tackle rules, limits, and emergency closures.
Official links checkedRules for this river or sectionNo special rule found
We did not find a special rule for this river.
We checked the state source but did not find a clearly supported exception for this river. Check the official rules for the exact section you plan to fish.
Rules checkedJul 30, 2026
Report a correction ↗Always follow the official rule
This summary helps with trip planning. The linked agency rule is the one you must follow.
Updates from anglers
What anglers are seeing.
Recent observations from general areas of Uncompahgre River. We review every update before it appears and never publish exact fishing spots, private access details, or photo locations.
Angler updates are not loading right now.
You can still use the river plan above. Check back later for recent observations from other anglers.
Where this report comes from
Open the sources we checked.
Fishing guidance checked: May 31, 2026
Site check: Jul 14, 2026. We regularly test report links, live scores, flow and weather data, and page loading. The content date changes only when the fishing guidance or its sources change.
flowRiverReports: Uncompahgre River below Ridgway ReservoirflowUSGS monitoring location: Uncompahgre River below Ridgway ReservoirbackgroundColorado Parks and Wildlife Uncompahgre River reachaccessColorado Parks and Wildlife Ridgway State ParkaccessColorado Parks and Wildlife Billy Creek SWAregulationColorado fishing special regulationssafetyNational Weather Service forecast point near Ridgway Reservoir
Common questions
Before you leave.
What reach does this Uncompahgre report cover?+
It focuses on the Ridgway Reservoir tailwater and Pa-Co-Chu-Puk access, with broader nearby context.
Is this a good runoff backup?+
Often yes, because it is a tailwater, but release changes and park access still need to be checked.
Which flies should I carry?+
Small midges, BWOs, PMDs, caddis, scuds, worms, and a few small streamers are the core box.
What is the main safety issue?+
Sudden flow changes below Ridgway Reservoir and slick tailwater footing are the big concerns.