This is Artificial Lure with your Colorado River fishing report for November 18th, 2025.

Chilly mornings are here, and the clear water is running steady with recent flows hovering around 120 to 130 CFS near the headwaters, making for classic late fall conditions. According to Rise Beyond Fly Fishing, the river is crystal clear from top to bottom with most action heating up between mid-morning and early afternoon. That’s your prime fishing window—no need to arrive before sunrise, which today is at 6:49 AM, with sunset wrapping things up at 4:45 PM. Tides don’t play into these freshwaters, so plan based on light and water temps.

On the weather front, it’s brisk at dawn—temperatures in the upper 20s rising to the mid-40s by early afternoon, under mostly clear skies with a light westerly breeze. Mornings will test your fingertips till the sun gets up, but you’ll find fish stretching into the feeding lanes as the days warm.

For those keeping tabs on aquatic health, Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently reported increased zebra mussel presence from the confluence of the Eagle River down to the Utah border, so cleaning and drying your gear remains absolutely vital.

What’s biting? Trout dominate the scene right now—solid numbers of rainbows and browns are being caught, both wild and recent stockers. The Dream Stream and runs through Glenwood and Rifle have produced rainbows in the 16-22 inch class and browns pushing 24 inches for those willing to put in the time. Anglers using nymph rigs and focusing on slower, deeper runs are reporting the most consistent catches. Recent stockings, per Flylords Mag, help keep the action steady, so don’t hesitate to work those pools just off the main current.

Best lures and flies for this late-November bite revolve around downsized presentations. According to local guides and Golden Fly Shop regulars, tiny midges in black or olive (#22-24), zebra midges, sparkle rs2s, and baetis nymphs are the mainstay. For hardware, Rapala’s smaller ultralights in brown trout or rainbow patterns, along with 1-3 inch minnow baits, have been effective on spinning gear, especially in slightly turbid stretches near inflows about midday.

Live bait isn’t allowed on much of the Colorado but if you’re in a legal bait section, juicy nightcrawlers and mealworms will still tempt late-season browns and rainbows. However, most locals are sticking to artificials given river regulations.

Hot spots today include:
- The Glenwood Canyon stretch, particularly below the Shoshone access, where recent survey crews and anglers have struck rainbows and browns in classic pocket water.
- The section near Rifle, which produced the most recent big-fish sightings and offers slower pools interspersed with riffles.
- For those closer to the headwaters, aim for the runs below Parshall and through Byers Canyon—both producing even as flows recede.

Approach with stealth—clear water means spooky fish. Use fluorocarbon tippets and keep your casts long and drifts natural. And if you get a refusal, don’t hesitate to switch it up with smaller patterns or emergers fished just subsurface.

That’s the word from the river this week. Thanks for tuning in to the Colorado River report with Artificial Lure—don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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