Welcome to the Trouts Monthly Frisco/Mountain Forecast!

As we enter the middle of February and the beginning of March inches closer, the excitement of spring is starting to enter my mind. Through the remainder of this month and into the next, I will be looking for some exciting opportunities to break out of our winter pattern.

Blue-winged olive hatches, the first float trip, and rivers breaking free of their ice for the season will start to become a reality. Sure, we still have plenty of winter weather left, but spring warming trends will be a common theme in our forecasts for the weeks to come.

Here are some sections I will be looking to fish this time of year.

The Blue River below Dillon Reservoir and north of Silverthorne:

The tailwater section below Dillon Reservoir has been fishing quite well for the past few months. This is largely due to the higher flows being released from the reservoir. This also means that the river north of town should be clearing of ice if it hasn't already. Ain't nothing wrong with some new water to fish as we plug through the final months of winter.

The Williams Fork below Williams Fork Reservoir:

As we start to talk about spring and some warming temperatures, another favorite river to fish this time of year is the Williams Fork. With warming temperatures trickling into our forecasts, look for blue-winged olives and midges to start to become active. Along with this bug activity, look for Rainbows to start moving for their spring spawn.

Arkansas River - Granite to Salida:

As advertised, I have been making some trips to fish the Arkansas River. The river is open and flows are good downstream of Twin Lakes. The fish are mostly in the deeper holding water but I would expect them to start moving out as we have some warmer days and the blue-winged olives and midges start to move around.

The Colorado below Glenwood Springs:

Another great river to fish in the weeks to come is the Roaring Fork. Float fishing and wade fishing can be quite good. Look for fish to still be in their holding water. But, as we see warmer temperatures creeping in, look for these fish to start to spread out a little more. This can be a lights-out dry fly fishing opportunity, if the conditions are right.

The Blue River below Dillon Reservoir- 85.9 CFS

The Williams Fork below Williams Fork Reservoir- 61.8 CFS

The Colorado at Kremmling- 438 CFS

The Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs- 384 CFS

The Colorado at Glenwood Springs- 1380 CFS

Lake Creek below Twin Lakes- 77 CFS

The Arkansas at Granite- 162 CFS

The Arkansas at Salida- 352 CFS

The Arkansas at Wellsville- 325 CFS

We will be seeing some warmer days in the next few weeks, but the winter storms aren't over - or at least they shouldn't be (fingers crossed). Look for cold temperatures as the storms move through but then followed by warming trends until the next storm system. I love to see warmer temperatures, but I am happy to see the storm systems add to our snowpack.

Stop by our Denver or Frisco locations to see what locations and flies are fishing best!