Colorado Freestone
Lake Fork of the Gunnison River Fishing Report, Flows and Hatches
A high-country snowmelt freestone out of Lake San Cristobal, with a Gold Medal wild-trout section near Lake City. It blows out for four to six weeks in runoff, then fishes from mid-July through late October, with caddis the standout summer hatch.
Freestone
Colorado
7,830 ft
Gauge 09124500
Right now
Live conditions
An expert read, in your pocket
Rivus knows your river right now. Live conditions, what’s hatching, and what to tie on, the moment you open it.
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The hatch chart
Lake Fork of the Gunnison River hatch chart
The emergences that come off the Lake Fork of the Gunnison by month, straight from the Rivus hatch model.
| Hatch | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Midge Midge, #16-22 | ||||||||||||
Early Black Stonefly Stonefly, #16-18 | ||||||||||||
Blue Winged Olive Mayfly, #16-22 | ||||||||||||
Red Quill Mayfly, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Caddisfly Caddis, #12-18 | ||||||||||||
Flying Ant / Carpenter Ant Ant, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
Terrestrial Beetle Beetle, #12-16 | ||||||||||||
Pale Morning Dun Mayfly, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
Green Drake Mayfly, #8-12 | ||||||||||||
Golden Stonefly Stonefly, #8-12 | ||||||||||||
Little Yellow Sally Stonefly, #12-16 | ||||||||||||
Grasshopper / Terrestrial Hopper, #8-12 |
How it fishes
A Colorado freestone
A freestone river runs free off snowmelt and rain, so it swings hard with the seasons. It blows out and browns up in spring runoff, then drops and warms into summer. The hatches track the water temperature more than the calendar, so you time your trip to the flow and the thermometer.
Flow and gauge
Reading the flows
The Lake Fork of the Gunnison is metered at USGS gauge 09124500. Watch the trend as much as the number: a river that is dropping and clearing fishes very differently from one that is coming up.
Access and regulations
Before you fish
Access and the right to fish are the angler’s responsibility, every time. Public access, private water, and seasonal closures vary along the river, so confirm where you can legally stand and wade before you go. We do not point you to a specific spot.
Read the current rules, license requirements, and any special-regulation water before you go. Regulations change season to season, so check them fresh.
Flow and water temperature from USGS, weather from NWS and NOAA, refreshed hourly. Real-time USGS readings are provisional and subject to revision. The hatch chart and river read are Rivus model output.