Best Fishing Times in Colorado This Week
Near Gunnison, Granby and Pueblo: today on a 24 hour timeline and the next seven days rated Fair to Best.
Working out the moon and the sun for Gunnison, CO, and reading the forecast.
Fishing somewhere else? Enter any ZIP for your own spot
Photo: “Fall fishing on the Madison River at sunrise”, Jacob W. Frank, Yellowstone National Park (NPS), Public domain
Colorado at a glance
Solunar windows plus the agency calendarWhen fish bite in Colorado
Colorado's fishing year turns on trout: lake trout in the shallows at ice out, Arkansas River hatches from late March to late May, kokanee snagging September to December, and ice by mid December.
Each entry below is from Colorado Parks and Wildlife or its published guides, quoted word for word and linked. Line the season up with the week above: a run in its prime and a Great day with a window at first light is the morning to take off.
- Ice out to early or mid June
Lake trout
At ice out, lake trout move into the shallows along shore for a few weeks, giving bank anglers a short window that usually ends by early to mid June.
“At ice-out, these leviathans of the deep move into the shallows along the shoreline, giving bank anglers a rare chance to score big. This window of opportunity is short-lived, lasting only a few weeks before the fish retreat to deeper water—typically by early- to mid-June at most locations based on water temperatures.”
Ice-Out Trout: Springtime Fishing in Colorado, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (Colorado Outdoors), read October 9, 2026 - Late March to late May
Trout
On the Arkansas River, blue winged olive hatches bring some of Colorado's first dry fly fishing from late March until runoff begins in late May.
“Beginning in late March, the baetis or blue-wing olive mayfly nymphs swim to the surface on cloudy afternoons to complete their metamorphosis, mate, and then lay their fertilized eggs in the river. The resulting dry fly fishing is some of the first in Colorado and continues river-wide until spring runoff begins in late May.”
Anglers Celebrate Spring Hatches and Improved Fishing on Arkansas River, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (Colorado Outdoors), read October 9, 2026 - September 1 to December 31
Kokanee salmon
At Taylor Park Reservoir, kokanee snagging is allowed from September 1 to December 31.
“Kokanee snagging is permitted from September 1 to December 31.”
Colorado’s Quality Waters: Taylor Park Reservoir, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (Colorado Outdoors), read October 9, 2026 - By mid December
Trout
Ice fishing on the mountain park reservoirs, known for large trout, starts earlier than at lower elevations and may begin by mid December.
“Some of the more popular destinations include the mountain park reservoirs, where the trout grow large and ice fishing begins earlier than at lower elevations. Ice fishing may get underway up here by mid-December.”
Ice Fishing – Where to go for trout, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (Colorado Outdoors), read October 9, 2026
Reading the Colorado timeline
Each day has two major solunar periods of about two hours, centered on the moon overhead and underfoot, and two minor periods of about an hour at moonrise and moonset. A window within an hour of sunrise or sunset is marked in gold. The rating adds the moon phase, the gold windows and a capped nudge from the National Weather Service forecast for each town. Every factor and its points.
Dawn and dusk are the reliable part; the moon windows are the old angler’s rule.
