Services

private water

With over 5 miles of private water within an hour of Denver, you can be guaranteed to have a great day of fly fishing. Whether you're brand new or simply looking for your next fishing adventure, our guides will provide a one of a kind experience that cannot be beat.

At the base of the Continental Divide lies the Espy Ranch. The ranch is located just upstream of the historic town of Rollinsville, where settlers met and prepared to cross the divide through Rollins Pass. The ranch was homesteaded more than 100 years ago and is a true mountain meadow stream, loaded with various species of terrestrial insects throughtout the summer months. The ranch is full of large and opportunistic trout, just waiting beside the bank for a big grasshopper or beetle to fall into the stream!

Deadwood Placer sits on the upper section of the Lincoln Hills property on South Boulder Creek. A convenient 50 minute drive from Denver, Colorado, it is a sublime escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Deadwood Placer is comprised of three beats of water each measuring 1/3 mile. This section of South Boulder Creek is characterized to contain some of the longest runs of our South Boulder portfolio.

Fast moving pocket water, canyon walls, and big riffles make up Freese Placer. This is the place for the angler who loves fishing big western dries with droppers. Dry fly takes are fast and furious on this section of the creek. Fish run the full spectrum from colorful native rainbows, browns, and brook trout to large trophy sized trout. Big brown and rainbow trout thrive in the creek’s fast oxygenated water. The abundant bug life, crystal clear water, steep canyon walls and breath taking scenery make for an angling experience that will not be forgotten.

Our very own meadow section of South Boulder Creek, long riffles and runs characterize this property. For those that like to sight fish, this is your water as large trout are usually visible in the crystal clear water. The riffles provide for some outstanding dry fly fishing and views of the mountains are stunning. The local wildlife thrives in the mountain meadows. Bald eagles, wild turkeys, elk and moose are frequently spotted. Yacht Club is the perfect place for all levels of anglers.

public water

Our public waters offer great fishing, spectacular scenery and a variety of different water types. Since our guides are very familiar with these waters and the current conditions, we can pick the location where the fly fishing is best.

Bear Creek is located just a short drive from Denver, Colorado. The fly fishing on Bear Creek is an experience that you will not soon forget. The creek is great for fly fishing with small fly fishing rods and dry flies. The creek is teaming with healthy populations of wild brown and rainbow trout. The creek tends to maintain a good flow for fly fishing even when other Colorado rivers and streams are running high.

The fresh mountain air is a nice change of pace from Denver and the creek is only a short way out of town. Our guides prefer to fish this stream with light tackle and dry flies. Watching colorful and native trout sip flies off the surface is a site that never gets old. Due to the lower flows and abundance of fish, Bear Creek is a wonderful place to introduce someone new to the sport. Plus the creek is easy to wade and is a perfect spot for children to spend time on the water. The creek will fish well throughout the year but is one of our go to spots during the higher water months. Our guides would love to show you and your friends a great day on Bear Creek.

Boulder Creek runs through Boulder Canyon just a short and scenic drive from the city of Boulder. The creek originates from two main tributaries rising along the Continental Divide, North and Middle Boulder Creek. From the junction of the two forks, Boulder Creek flows east through the towns of Eldora and Nederland into Barker Meadow Reservoir, a water supply for the city of Boulder before joining North Boulder Creek to form the main stem of Boulder Creek. The creek then flows through downtown Boulder. On the east edge of the city, the creek receives South Boulder Creek. After leaving the city, Boulder Creek flows northeast into Weld County, where it joins St. Vrain Creek and ultimately flows into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The creek is a dry fly angler’s paradise, with brown, rainbow, brook and even the occasional cut throat trout scatted throughout the drainage.

The Creek is a guide favorite and you can find most of our guides fishing the stream on their day off. This is some of the best fly fishing on the Front Range, offering the angler good dry fly fishing and dry dropper fishing. Brown trout are by far the most prolific species on the creek and can be found in all sizes. The fish are all wild and average 12–14 inches, however we generally see a few trophy sized fish in the 20 inch range caught each fall. The creek is also a wonderful place to catch a grand slam: landing a brown, brook, rainbow and cut throat in a single afternoon. The water is truly dynamic and is a great place to learn the art and science of fly fishing as well as challenge the most seasoned of anglers. Boulder Creek is always an adventure and our guides are extremely passionate about sharing this most magnificent resource with you and your guests.

Clear Creek offers the fly fishing angler fast pocket water teaming with native brown trout. Clear Creek is just outside of Denver and allows for us to get out fishing quick with miles and miles of productive and pristine trout water. There are lots of fish and the action is fun and fast paced.

The dry fly fishing is fantastic as the canyon receives good hatches of stoneflies and caddis. The majority of the fish are wild brown trout that readily take attractor dry flies and will chase micro black streamers when stripped off the bank.

The canyon is a good mixture of pocket water, wide riffles and deep pools offering the fly fisher a little bit of everything. Our guides know this creek like the back of their hand and would be happy to take you and your guests to their favorite “secret spot.”

The South Platte river through the Denver metro (DSP) area is the epidemy of the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Located in the heart of the urban jungle of Denver, this section of the South Platte offers anglers the opportunity to catch multiple species on the fly in the afternoon, and still make the evening game or enjoy a brewery for happy hour. For more than two decades now, the DSP has been undergoing a dramatic clean-up in the form of waste removal, habitat restoration, and proper water management to move towards a more healthy fish and river user environment. Target species include rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, blue catfish and multiple species of carp. No other place in Colorado can you catch a hardy brown trout on one drift, a walleye on the next cast with the same fly, and then head into a local restaurant for lunch. This stretch of the South Platte is a great fishery year-round, providing everything from dry fly opportunities to spot’n’stalk challenges for larger fish.

The South Platte River is one of Colorado’s most famous and iconic rivers and for good reason, each stretch of this majestic tail water is full of brown and rainbow trout in prolific numbers. The river hosts an amazing assortment of bug life and impressive sized trout. Due to its close proximity to Denver, the South Platte receives a good deal of angling pressure, making it one of the most technical trout fisheries in the world. As the saying goes, “If you can catch trout in the South Platte’s Cheesman Canyon, you can catch trout anywhere in the world.” Originating approximately 20 miles west of the town of Lake George the main South Platte is formed from the junction of the South and Middle Forks. From here the river flows through central Denver, eventually joining the North Platte near the town of North Platte, Nebraska. The river itself is a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West.

But popularity can be a curse as the South Platte receives a lot of fishing pressure and rightly so due to trophy sized trout. The fish see lots of flies and that is why we hire guides that tie their own custom patterns to fool these wary trout. To be successful the fish must be sighted and fished too. Our guides have some of the best fish eyes in the business and can see trout in all light conditions.

We do the bulk of our guide training on the South Platte drainage. Our guides know this water better than anyone. The South Platte can be tough so make sure you take one of our professional guides to get you and your guests in to fish right away.

float trips

We are excited to announce the addition of float trips to Colorado Trout Fisher! We are currently operating on the waters in the Glenwood Springs area, but make sure to stay tuned as we get more access soon. With full day, 3/4 day, and half day options, we have a little something for everyone.

The roaring fork River originates up high near the town of Aspen, CO and flows west to meet up with the mighty Colorado river.  It is approximately 70 miles in length from where it starts to where it meets the Colorado river. On its way west the Frying Pan River joins the Fork as well as the crystal river forming a much wider tributary when those three come together. From Basalt down to Glenwood springs, the Roaring Fork has been labeled a gold medal water stretch with an impressive amount of mountain whitefish, brown trout, and rainbow trout. You can also find cuttbows in the river as well.

The Roaring Fork is a year round fishery that offers options to both walk/wade and float fisherman. A typical day on the roaring fork can be broken down into 4, 6, and 8 hour trips as there are multiple boat ramps with different mileage between each. In the late winter into early spring you can expect most fish to be feeding subsurface on midges, baetis and BWOs so nymphing will be your best approach. As summer approaches we start seeing Caddis, stoneflies, and mayflies. The dry fly fishing can be phenomenal during post runoff months leading into late fall. The fork is one of the best float fisheries In the state and you can expect a great day on the water with Colorado Trout Fisher when you are on this body of water.

The Eagle River originates west of the town of Minturn, CO and flows west for approximately 60 miles. Gore creek meets up with it just down stream of Vail and the continue westward to the mighty Colorado river in Dotsero, CO.

The Eagle River offers both great opportunities for walk/wade and float fisherman. The float season can be short on the eagle depending on the snowpack we receive over the winter months. This river is also fishable all year round and there is a plethora of rainbows and brown trout. The insect life is prolific all months of the year and our guided trips will help you find success on the Eagle river.

The Frying Pan is a tributary of the roaring fork river. It’s a tailwater that comes out of Reudi Reservoir near the town of Meredith, CO. It’s overall length is 42 miles. The river was named, according to legend, for a fryingpan left in a tree to mark the spot of a fallen comrade in a fight with Indians. This area hosts legends of mining and the frontier of early Colorado, and current legends of growth and wealth. But this river seems to have escaped most of the recent insanity near Aspen, and hopefully much of it will be preserved forever.

The Pan is a much smaller tributary than the fork and eagle river. But it boasts an ample amount of insects and trout. The average trout is 4-8 inches with trout upwards of 24”. This is a more technical casting fishery as it can be overgrown with willows and shrubs near the river. It offers great euro nymphing, tenkara, and dry fly fishing during the spring, summer and fall months. These trout are spunky and a blast to catch. Next time you’re in Glenwood area, give us a call and give the Pan a try.
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F.A.Q.

Be prepared for your Colorado fly fishing experience.

Absolutely! Our experienced fly fishing guides are exceptionally prepared to teach you the basics and get you comfortable on the river. For a classroom experience, you can reach out to our partner, Angling University, for more in depth learning.

You are welcome to bring your own gear if you have it, but it is never required. Our guides are fully equipped with everything you will need for a great day on the water.

We get it, it’s Colorado. The weather here can be slightly unpredictable. Although we will always do our best to get you on the water for your scheduled day, we understand that certain weather conditions are not ideal for fishing. Our guides watch the weather very carefully and can either help you move trip locations, move fishing dates, or cancel your trip if they feel the weather makes for an unfishable day.

Each of our guides are able to handle a group of 3 anglers – for every 3 anglers on your trip, you will be assigned an additional guide. For groups larger than 12, we ask that you call our reservation line to discuss details and ensure that we have enough guides and water available for your event.

Our recommended packing list:

  • Layers of clothes – it’s Colorado and the weather can change in an instant
  • Rain jacket
  • Warm socks
  • Sunscreen
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Fishing License

Your guide will have:

  • Waders
  • Rods
  • Flies
  • Drinks
  • First aid kit
Yes! You will need to purchase your Colorado fishing license ahead of your trip. You can do so at many local retailers, including Walmarts and most sporting goods stores, or you can purchase online here.
We do offer guided trips all year. There are times where certain waters will be unavailable because of ice and freezing conditions. For instance, our private water trips are only available between April 15 and November 15 each year. Float trips are subject to water levels. We do our best to keep our booking system updated with available options, but if you ever have any questions, feel free to call us ahead of your booking.

Your guide will be in touch ahead of your reservation date to discuss which river is best for your trip – they take into consideration weather, flows, hatches, and your location. On that call, they will let you know exactly where to meet them for the day by either sending you a map pin or an exact address. 

We do offer transportation options for anyone staying in Denver or the metro area with a nominal fee to cover additional time and expenses of your guide.

Your trip cost includes everything you need for the day aside from guide gratuity. Industry average is 15-20% of your trip cost.