Fishing Report
May 29, 2026
Welcome to the North Park Anglers’ fishing report!
We’ve received some much-needed rain and snow in the last couple of weeks, and the fish have been loving it! The rivers are still on the low side for this time of year, but they’ve bumped up slightly with the snowmelt, and the fishing has been great! The chironomids are stating to come off heavy on the lakes, and the fishing has been good on them as well! As water temperatures gradually rise, we anticipate excellent fishing to continue. Although this year has been unusual and summer conditions remain uncertain, the current fishing conditions are fantastic, so take advantage while you can.
For more detailed information about our fisheries, please read further. If you have any questions, feel free to call the shop at 970-723-4215.
Meadow Streams:
The tributaries have bumped up slightly in the last couple of days with the recent snow, but are still on the low side for this time of year. The ranchers have been turning on irrigation over the last month or two, so river conditions have been day-to-day and river-to-river. Overall, the rivers are still low for this time of year, and fishing is best in the afternoons. Running a dry dropper with Leeches, Stoneflies, worms, and caddis nymphs has been the go to, and streamer fishing has been putting some solid fish in the net as well. On calm days, we’ve seen fish sporadically eating BWOs and Caddis on the surface, as well as some terrestrials as well.
Meadow Stream Flows: Michigan and Illinois River flows
North Platte
(Canyon Section)
The Platte in the canyon has dropped since the recent bump in flows and is running around 322 cfs. Fishing is pretty good right now and getting better by the day. Stoneflies are the name of the game right now, with the Salmon fly hatch nearing. Dry/dropper rigs with Salmon flies, or big Chubby terrestrials trailing a black stonefly 2-3 feet below have been best. Streamers are also working well. There have also been good hatches of Caddis and Hendrickson mayflies in the early afternoons and evenings. We expect the flows to continue to drop until the weather warms and starts to melt more snow.
North Platte River Flows: North Platte River Flows at North Gate Canyon
(Valley Section)
The Platte in the valley is lower than the canyon, but still fishing well around Verner SWA. Fishing is best in the afternoons as water temperatures warm. With low flows, running a dry dropper with Leeches, Stoneflies, worms, and caddis has been the most productive, and streamer fishing has been producing some solid fish as well. Fish have also been eating Caddis, Hendricksons, and some stones on the surface when the wind isn’t blowing.
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 monitor at North Gate, from which we report flows, will always be slightly higher than the reading at the valley section.
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 Chironomiid hatch is in full swing on the lakes! Nymphing is the name of the game right now, mostly fishing chironomids in 6-16 feet of water. We’ve seen fish still eating leeches and baitfish under the bobber as well, and stripping Crayfish patterns early and late has been producing some nice fish as well. Look for fish cruising tight to the shorelines early and late in the day, and moving out into deeper water mid morning.
High Country Lakes and Streams
Currently, all the larger high-country lakes, such as Big Creek, Chambers, and Joe Wright, are open. Fishing is generally pretty good early in the season.
NPA Fly Shop Hours 2026
May – September 2026
7 am-5 pm Daily
