Gunnison River Hatch Chart
We get asked "what's hatching?" more than any other question in the shop, so we put together the hatch chart we actually use. This is not a chart we copied off the internet. It is built from what our guides see on the Gunnison, the Uncompahgre, and the Gorge week to week. Use it to plan a trip and stock your box, then check our current fishing report before you head out, because a hatch can run early or late by a couple weeks depending on the year.
The quick chart
|
Month |
What's hatching |
Go-to flies |
|---|---|---|
|
Jan – Feb |
Midges |
Zebra Midge, RS2, Griffith's Gnat |
|
March |
Midges, first Blue Winged Olives |
RS2, BWO emergers, Pat's Rubber Legs |
|
April |
Blue Winged Olives, midges |
BWO dries and emergers, pheasant tail |
|
May |
Stonefly nymphs staging, caddis start, BWOs |
Pat's Rubber Legs, golden stone nymphs, worms |
|
June |
Salmonfly and golden stone hatch, caddis, PMDs, yellow sallies |
Chubby Chernobyl, big foam salmonflies, Elk Hair Caddis |
|
July |
PMDs, caddis, yellow sallies, first hoppers |
PMD dries, caddis emergers, hopper dropper |
|
August |
Hoppers and terrestrials, caddis, tricos |
Hoppers, ants, beetles, Chubby dropper rigs |
|
September |
Hoppers into early fall, BWOs return, streamers |
Hoppers, BWO dries, Woolly Bugger, Sculpzilla |
|
October |
Blue Winged Olives, midges, aggressive browns |
BWO dries, RS2, streamers for pre-spawn browns |
|
Nov – Dec |
Midges, small BWOs on warm days |
Zebra Midge, RS2, deep nymph rigs |
Spring: midges give way to blue wings and the first big bugs
Through late winter and early spring the river runs low and clear, and midges carry the show. Fish small, fish deep, and watch for Blue Winged Olives to start showing on cloudy April afternoons. By May the big stonefly nymphs are migrating toward the banks in huge numbers, and nymphing a Pat's Rubber Legs along the edges can be some of the most productive fishing of the year, before a single adult ever hatches.
Early summer: the salmonfly hatch
June is the month anglers plan their whole year around. The salmonfly and golden stonefly hatch brings the biggest trout in the river to the surface to eat bugs the size of your thumb. It is loud, chaotic, and unforgettable, and it moves and peaks fast, often only a few days per stretch of river. This is also why our Gunnison Gorge float trips fill first every year. If you want to fish the hatch with us, book early. Caddis and the first PMDs round out the month.
Midsummer: bugs everywhere and hoppers on the bank
July and August are prime. PMDs, caddis, and yellow sallies keep the fish looking up, and as the days heat up the terrestrials take over. Hopper dropper rigs shine, especially along grassy, undercut banks. Early mornings and evenings fish best when it is hot.
Fall: blue wings, streamers, and angry browns
As the water cools, Blue Winged Olives come back on gray days and the brown trout get aggressive ahead of the spawn. This is streamer season. Swing and strip a Woolly Bugger or a Sculpzilla for a shot at the biggest fish of the year, and keep small BWO patterns handy for the surface.
What to always have in your Gunnison box
Stock midges, a few BWO patterns, Pat's Rubber Legs, an Elk Hair Caddis or two, a PMD dry, a hopper, and a streamer, and you can cover almost anything this river throws at you across the season. Stop by the shop in Montrose and we will set you up with the right patterns for current conditions.
Check the current fishing report, or book a guided trip to fish the hatch with us.