Summer Hatches in Colorado

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Even though winter has just arrived, it is never to early to start preparing for the upcoming summer. Whether you are an experienced angler or new to the sport, it is always good to learn the patterns for Fly Fishing in Colorado. These insects hatch close to the same time each summer and provide the greater part of the food for trout. Also keep in mind many of these hatches overlap, so trout may feed on multiple different hatches in a day! It is very important to understand when the big summer hatches in Colorado happen, so here is a list of the top 5 summer hatches in Colorado.

Salmonflies:

These guys are going to be the start of the hatching for the summer, which actually hatch right before summer starts. They are the largest insects ranging from two to three inches in length. You can expect to see these hatching in late May or early June on the upper Colorado River. Remember once the actual hatch occurs the adults are only around a couple days, so make sure you’re prepared!

Caddisfly, Wikimedia

Caddis:

You can start to expect seeing caddisflies right after the runoff begins towards the end of June. They tend to hatch for multiple weeks at a time, with trout feeding heavily on the surface. A couple places where they are heavily populated is on the Eagle and Roaring Fork Rivers.

Terrestrials:

Insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and even ants are starting to be the food source by mid-July through early fall. They are definitely a valuable food source and are really effective as dry flies.

Red Quill:

These rusty colored insects are found hovering in packs over the water. They start to hatch in August and are most common on the Colorado River. Keep in mind two good nymphs would be a pheasant tail or red copper john.

Parachute Adams Fly, Wikimedia

Blue-winged Olive mayflies:

These mayflies begin to hatch in late August/early September when the nights begin to cool down. This is going to be the same insect that hatches during the spring time but just a little bit smaller. Large hatches tend to be on the Colorado River. A good dry fly would be the parachute adams during this hatch.

Now that you are up to date with the top 5 summer hatches, you should be all set up to get on out there this summer. If you are searching for a guided fly fishing tour make sure to check out Fly Fishing Colorado to get your tour booked today!