Top 4 Rivers in the Rockies for Early Season Fly Fishing

If you're itching to get back to trout fishing, the Rockies offer an early-season fly fishing fix like no other.
Spring and Fall are the two best seasons to fly fish the Rockies
Spring and Fall are the two best seasons to fly fish the Rockies / photo by Jasper Taback

When the birds begin to sing, the last of the ski bums ship out, and winter-weary trout anglers return to the rivers, you’ll know Spring has sprung in the Rockies. The year’s first insect hatches bring trout out of their slumber, eager enough to eat that they’ll overlook a little rust in your fly presentation.

In a few more months, wildflowers will begin their bloom, summer crowds will still be at home, and those willing to contend with some high water will experience the buzz of springtime Rocky Mountain fly fishing.

The Top 4 Rivers in the Rockies


Dry fly fishing the South Platte River – Cheesman Canyon, CO

Fair warning – not an easy place to fish. That said, Cheesman Canyon is home to some of the best trout fishing in the region. The South Platte River carves its way through this granite canyon, speckled with car-sized boulders that create holding water for picky rainbow and brown trout. Large nymphs and streamers will do you well here, but don’t rule out dry fly fishing – midges will come off the water regularly, and, if you time it right, a Cheesman Blue Winged Olive hatch is a sight to behold.

Even in the snow, Cheesman Canyon offers excellent trout fishing.
Talk about early season fishing... Christmas day in Cheesman Canyon. / Photo provided by Mark Pickrel

Tailwater trout on the Frying Pan River – Basalt, CO

When spring runoff makes certain rivers unfishable, the Frying Pan River almost always remains in play. Fed by releases from Ruedi Reservoir, this tailwater offers constant flows – even when snowmelt creates high water elsewhere. Healthy rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout populate this 14-mile stretch that leads to Basalt – the Gold Medal section of the river. As a bonus, and often overlooked, the upper Frying Pan (above the dam) is a gem, as long as the flows aren’t too high.   

An angler casts a dry fly to target trophy trout in the Frying Pan River.
Drifting a dry fly for trout in the lower Frying Pan. / Photo by Jasper Taback

Trophy Brown Trout on the Yellowstone River – Livingston, MT

The Yellowstone River is famous for its big brown trout, and spring is the best time to catch them. In the middle of April, rising water temps prompt fish to move from their winter holes to the banks, and a good streamer swing can entice one of these brutes into a quick detour. A few weeks later comes the famed Mother’s Day caddis hatch, when bugs come off the water in astounding numbers. If you time it right, tie on an Elk Hair Caddis and get ready for a bucket-list day of trout fishing. 

Scenic views on the Green River – Flaming Gorge, UT

The Green River is a dry fly angler’s dream. Expect prolific hatches of Blue Winged Olives in April and cicadas in May – and a good number of rising fish. Below the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the Green flows through a scenic, steep-walled canyon, where the release of warm water embolden trout to eat like crazy. The Green offers its best fishing during the early season months, and you’ll get a front row seat without the crowds. 

Add the Rockies to your fly fishing list

There’s no bad place to search for trout in the Rockies this spring. These hotspots are a few jumping off points – places where you’ll get a taste of what early season trout fishing is all about. The water will still be cold, weather will be unpredictable, and most rational folks will want to stay at home – the perfect trout fishing conditions. Now’s the time to pull out waders and search for reels stored in inexplicable places. Springtime in the Rockies offers fly fishing you don’t want to miss. 

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A rainbow trout caught on a Parachute Adams, resting in a net, laying in the water next to a fly rod and reel.
Like gems in the water. / photo by Ken Baldwin

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Seeing fish: A guide is locating fish for his client.
Getting a better angle to see the fish. / photo by Rod Thurley

Published |Modified
Jasper Taback
JASPER TABACK

Jasper Taback began his outdoor career in the mountains of northern Colorado, where a short stint guiding anglers on trout streams evolved into a budding career writing about all things fly fishing. He has published more than forty articles in AnyCreek’s Outdoor Academy, highlighting the top fishing guides and destinations across the globe. An avid angler in the warm months, he spends his winters skiing and hunting waterfowl. Jasper is a graduate of Pomona College in Southern California.