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Fly Fishing the Gunnison River

Below the towering walls of the Black Canyon, the Gunnison carves through a billion-year-old gorge as one of Colorado's premier Gold Medal tailwaters, its cold, dam-regulated flows nurturing wild brown and rainbow trout to trophy size. The gorge float (a multi-day wilderness raft trip through dramatic Precambrian canyon walls) is widely considered the marquee fly-fishing float trip in the state.

  • 10 shops nearby
  • tailwater
  • Year-round (prime: May–October
  • Colorado
  • 6 key hatches
See fly shops ↓

The best time to fly fish the Gunnison River is Year-round (prime: May–October. Key hatches include Salmonfly, Golden Stonefly, Pale Morning Dun, Caddis. 10 fly shops near the Gunnison River can outfit your trip.

Fly shops near the Gunnison River

Shops and guides that fish the Gunnison River. See all 122 Colorado shops →

High Mountain DriftersGunnison River Fly Shop - Full service fly shop and professional guide serviceAEI Fly FishingGunnison Fly Fishing OutfittersCrested Butte Angler: Fly Fishing Guides for the Gunnison River Drainage, Fly Shop, & Outdoor StoreDragonfly AnglersEd's Fly ShopRIGS Fly Shop & Guide ServiceTelluride OutsideThe Next Eddy
10 fly shops shown

Species on this water

RedfishSalmonStriperTrout

Nearby towns

GunnisonCrested ButteMontrose

Rivers nearby

Crystal RiverRoaring Fork RiverFrying Pan RiverArkansas River
Hatches & seasons

When & what to fish on the Gunnison River

River typetailwater
Best seasonYear-round (prime: May–October; salmonfly hatch late May–June)
AccessThe Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area is accessed via four unmaintained 4WD trailheads (Chukar, Bobcat, Duncan, and Ute) off Peach Valley Road north of Montrose; each involves a steep hike to the river. Multi-day float permits are required for the gorge. The East Portal road inside Black Canyon NPS provides limited walk-in wade access to the upper section.
Key hatches
  • Salmonfly (late May–June)
  • Golden Stonefly (June–July)
  • Pale Morning Dun (summer)
  • Caddis (summer evenings)
  • Trico (late summer)
  • Blue-winged Olive / Baetis (Sept–Nov)
From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Gunnison River

Step-by-step tying recipes & videos for these patterns.

Browse all 880+ patterns at The Fly Bench
Gear up

Gear up on the Gunnison River

Everything you need before the next trip — rods, lines, leaders, and fly-tying materials.

Shop the gear Flies that work

The flies that work on the Gunnison River

Find the most effective patterns for where you're fishing — and learn to tie them yourself, step by step.

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Updated June 2026