I took a short walk from work last night and took the photo above overlooking the Yampa River. A beautiful scene. Fishing the Yampa River is a great way to unwind after work and these two gentlemen look to be enjoying the convenience and great fishing found right in downtown Steamboat Springs. Feel free to contact me for more information about great fly fishing in Steamboat Springs.
Fall Fly Fishing in Steamboat Springs from Steamboat Springs on Vimeo.
I was able to get out on the river with my family last weekend and we had a fantastic time enjoying the fall weather, each others company and fishing the Elk River. We were on the river by mid-morning and had the opportunity to fish well through the afternoon, catching a few rainbow trout. It was a great way to enjoy Steamboat with my father-in-law, who is an avid fly fisherman, and spend time with my wife and children. Throughout the morning I filmed a bit and put together the video above. Hope you enjoy it and if you have any questions on the best places to fish Steamboat this fall, feel free to send me an email at JonW@TheSteamboatGroup.com or give me a call at 970.879.0879. I would love the opportunity to help you have the best experience fly fishing in Steamboat.
The Steamboat Pilot reported today on the dramatic shifts that have recently occurred on the Yampa River. ‘The Yampa had been running well above normal flows through late summer, but it began a steep decline Sept. 2 as unusually generous releases from Stagecoach Reservoir were tapered. River flows rocketed upward again Wednesday…The spike in flows Wednesday was a combination of a series of rain showers and the resumption of escalated releases as the reservoir is drawn down to 15 feet below its typical level…Typical flows for Wednesday’s date are 100 cfs. They had bounced back to 120 cfs by 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.’ The oscillation over 24 hours was dramatic, the overall water level shifting from 60 cubic feet per second to 123 cfs.
For more information on the flow of the Yampa River feel free to check out The Current Yampa River Flow Steamboat Springs.
‘Go early, go late, go deep and go high.’ With temperatures in Steamboat reaching into the mid-90s the past week, this is some good advice for the best way to enjoy your time on the river. Not only is this advice good for staying comfortable on hot summer days, but is often better for finding fish. ‘When rivers drop and water temperatures rise, fish seek cooler water, which means deeper runs and holes where cool water pools. Fish early mornings, sleep all day, fish late afternoons and into the dark.’
The Grand Junction Sentinel discussed in a recent article the conditions for fly fishing in some of the best areas in the state. When talking about Steamboat, they mentioned that the cold spring runoff has kept the flow of the Yampa and Elk rivers heavy into the summer. ‘It was just like having a big snow year, we just stepped into the Elk 10 days ago. Our rivers are just getting prime and the water temperatures are perfect. The late spring delayed some of the summer hatches…with the caddis hatch just starting.’