Fishing Report
May 5th, 2025
Welcome to the North Park Anglers’ fishing report! We are officially open for the season!
Spring is here in North Park! The North Platte and Meadow Streams are all open and fishable, although the conditions are day to day and river to river with snowmelt and irrigation. The Buttes, Lake John, and all our lakes have all been iced off for a couple weeks and are fishing great. We have many good options for anglers in May this year. We hope to see you soon!
Please read further for more detailed info on our fisheries.
If you have any questions, please call the shop at 970-723-4215!
Fly Shop Spring Hours: 7 AM- 5 PM Daily
Meadow Streams:
The meadow streams are fishing good currently. Conditions are day to day with weather and irrigation changing the flows and clarity on the streams, but over all we are in a great window on them right now. Water temps are colder in the mornings and reaching the upper 40’s and even low 50’s on warmer days. Fishing has been best from mid-morning through the afternoon. On calm days, we’ve seen fish eating BWO’s and midges on the surface, but the main game is nymphing with stoneflies, worms, caddis nymphs, baetis nymphs, and some egg patterns. Streamer fishing has been good in the afternoon as the water temps come up as well.
Meadow Stream Flows: Michigan and Illinois River flows
North Platte
(Canyon Section)
The canyon is at a great level, and fishing is pretty good. The water temps have been cool in the mornings but perfect in the afternoon. Look for little black stoneflies, BWO, and midges. You can drive in and access Routt, Stateline, and at 6-mile gap. We expect the river to stay low and clear until warmer weather moves in. The fish are still hunkered down in their wintering holes, so look for deep, slow-moving water to hold fish. Nymphing with a stonefly, worm, and various attractor nymphs is the main game this time of year, and slowly bumping a streamer along the bottom can bring out some large fish as well!
North Platte River Flows: North Platte River Flows at North Gate Canyon
The Platte in the valley is at a great level, and fishing is good. Water temps have been cold in the mornings but perfect in the afternoon. The best fishing window will be from noon til dark. Streamer fishing has been best but look for rising fish in the afternoon. There have been lots of BWOs, little black stones, and midges coming off every afternoon. There isn’t much snow in the valley currently, so we should see a good window through April and into early May.
Note* The valley section is upstream of where the North Fork of the North Platte, Michigan, and Illinois Rivers dump into the Platte. The gauge we watch at North Gate, where we report flows from, will always be slightly more significant than what the valley section reads.
FYI: North Platte Flows in North Gate Canyon (Routt Access to Pickeroon)
0-750 CFS Good Wade fishing level
500-4000 Good Float/ Fishing Level
4000 and above is best for Whitewater
North Platte River Flows: North Platte River Flows at North Gate Canyon
Delaney Buttes, Lake John, and Cowdrey Lake
The Delaney lakes and Lake John are fully open and have been ice free for a couple weeks. The smaller lakes like Cowdrey, Seymour, and most of the other lakes around the valley are fully open as well. Nymphing with leeches and chironomids is the main game during the day, and stripping buggers, leeches, crayfish, and boatmen in the early and late hours of the day is always a good bet as well.
High Country Lakes and Streams
Joe Wright, Chambers, and Big Creek are all frozen, but we anticipate them to start icing off in the middle of May. The smaller alpine lakes should start opening up later in May or in early June.
