October 7, 2026

We are being treated to a beautiful fall here in Salida. October is bringing us warm days, cool mornings and overnight temps, hatches, and incredible scenery. The colors are popping in full force right now so don’t wait to get out here and catch the yellows and oranges all throughout the valley.

Water flows are sitting comfortably around 240 CFS which is a great level for fly fishing. If you have the right size boat and know the low water lines, float fishing is absolutely possible still. Wading will allow you to work a section much more vigilantly, and with low flows there is ample river bank space to walk.

As the month progresses, weather will inevitably start to decline. We are hoping for more rain, and with that rain water levels and clarity will be affected. If there was a large storm the evening before, anticipate flows to spike a bit and water to potentially be off color.

We have been catching fish on nymphs, streamers, and dries as well. This is why we love October so much in the Arkansas River Valley.

Keep in mind, October is when our Brown Trout population spawns. Please be aware of this and try not to fish to spawning trout. The fish will sit on their Redds, which are cleared off spaces of river bed where they lay their eggs. Redds will looks like sandy patches on the river floor clear of any rocks and debris. Also, please avoid stepping on these Redds.

Sign up for our Fishing Report Newsletter to get the full details on which bugs are working, where fish are sitting in the river, and how we are taking the best advantage of the fall conditions.

The shop is open 7 days and week starting at 9am. We are currently booking wade, float, and high alpine lake fishing trips daily.