Fly Fishing The Gunnison River: Upper Water And Canyon Trips

I’ve been fly fishing for more than a decade, and I spend much of my fishing time chasing brook trout in Virginia’s mountain streams. For a Gunnison trip, I’d choose the stretch before filling a fly box. The upper river, Black Canyon, and Gunnison Gorge each need their own plan.

Fishing update, checked October 7, 2026: CPW reports that its Southwest Region voluntary fishing closures have been lifted.

The 2026 rules still prohibit taking kokanee from the East and Taylor confluence downstream to the Blue Mesa Reservoir standing-water line through October 31. Check CPW’s current closure list and current water conditions before fishing.

The upper Gunnison has riffles and deep pools, with rainbow and brown trout among the fish present. A Gorge trip brings a different access decision, including the hike along Chukar Trail for the boating put-in. Decide which outing you want before choosing dates around a hatch.

Our Colorado fly fishing guide will help you compare the Gunnison with other rivers on your route. For a river-by-river choice, see the Colorado River Directory. For trips beyond Colorado, our U.S. fly fishing rivers guide brings the state guides together. For this river, I would give one area enough time instead of trying to fit an upper-river visit and a canyon trip into the same day.

Other Rivers In Colorado

• Fly Fishing The Arkansas River
• Fly Fishing The Animas River
• Fly Fishing The Rio Grande In Colorado
• Frying Pan River
• Eagle River
• Taylor River
• Roaring Fork River
• Yampa River
• Cache La Poudre River

Choose Between The Upper River And The Canyons

For a first visit, the upper river would be my starting choice. It begins at Almont, where the East and Taylor rivers meet, and continues to Blue Mesa Reservoir. Those endpoints give you a defined area to plan around when choosing an access point or arranging a fishing day.

Rainbow and brown trout are both present in the upper river, which has riffles and deep pools. I would spend a morning working through one stretch of public water, giving myself time to fish both features.

For East Portal, check the park’s current road conditions and confirm access directly before making it part of your Black Canyon trip.

Black Canyon also has fishing rules that deserve attention before you choose a spot. Within the park and East Portal fishing reach, fishing is prohibited for 200 yards below Crystal Dam. Beyond that closure, use artificial flies or lures and release rainbow trout. The NPS fishing page gives the park boundaries and requirements.

Keep those rules attached to that reach. The upper river from Almont to Blue Mesa is a separate planning area, and the Colorado fishing regulations describe water-specific boundaries farther downstream. A rule for one part of the Gunnison should never become a river-wide assumption.

For Gunnison Gorge, Chukar Trail is a named access route to the boating put-in. A float trip here includes a hike to reach the river, so the approach belongs in the plan from the beginning. The BLM Gunnison Gorge page is the place to work through road access, permits, and the requirements for your trip.

I would treat a Gorge outing as its own trip, with time allowed for getting gear to the river and finishing at the intended takeout. If you’re booking a guided float, settle those arrangements before packing. That leaves you choosing gear for a known route instead of carrying equipment you won’t use.

For a walk-and-wade outing, compare the options in our fly fishing waders guide. The Frogg Toggs Canyon II stockingfoot waders are one option to compare. Try the fit with the clothing you intend to wear underneath, including the movement you’ll need while walking and fishing.

Make Room For The Gunnison Hatches

I’d take caddis, stonefly, and mayfly imitations for the upper Gunnison. All three hatch on the upper river, so I’d carry imitations of each rather than pack only for one hatch. Leave the individual pattern choice until you know what is present on the stretch you’re fishing.

The Gorge’s large stonefly hatch gives June a specific appeal. I’d consider June for a salmonfly trip, then narrow down the dates as the hatch develops. A fishing day later in the season needs its own fly selection instead of relying on the June event.

Separate the flies so you can find the pattern you want without emptying the box beside the water. The SF Slim Fly Box is a compact option covered in our fly box guide. Give larger patterns enough room, and keep smaller imitations easy to distinguish.

I would leave room for both the upper river’s mayflies and the Gorge’s larger stonefly imitations, then adjust the selection for the trip. An adult mayfly and a Water Walker Salmonfly pattern are shown below.

Carry spare tippet along with the flies you select. The SF fluorocarbon tippet combo is one option for replenishing a kit. Choose the tippet for the flies and setup you intend to fish. Our leaders and tippet guide explains how those pieces fit together.

For rod selection, our trout fly rod guide compares the options. Start with the fishing you have chosen and the rod you already own. There is little value in buying another outfit before deciding which stretch you want to fish and how you will reach it.

Read These Two Gunnison Flow Records

I’d keep the upper-river and below-tunnel flow records separate from the start. USGS station 09114500 is Near Gunnison, while 09128000 is Below Gunnison Tunnel. The chart uses a separate panel for each, with the same vertical scale so their plotted values can be compared directly.

For an upper-river visit, open the Near Gunnison gauge. For the below-tunnel record, use Below Gunnison Tunnel. Keep the station name with any discharge figure you use; a reading for the upper river does not describe every canyon reach.

Each plotted point is the median of that calendar month’s recorded mean flows. June is the highest point in both panels: 2,183 cfs Near Gunnison and 2,891 cfs Below Gunnison Tunnel. The unit cfs means cubic feet per second, a measure of how much water passes the gauge.

The records cover different years and include gaps. Near Gunnison has 1,189 recorded months, ending in November 2025; Below Gunnison Tunnel has 1,385, ending in February 2026. Each panel shows its month-specific coverage so the two records aren’t mistaken for matching sets of years.

Use the historical curves to understand the recorded seasonal pattern, then use the station pages for current measurements. Neither a monthly median nor a past June peak sets a safe wading level. The chart also cannot tell you which day a hatch will begin or whether a float should launch.

Questions Before A Gunnison Fishing Trip

The upper river’s mix of hatch families and the Gorge’s June stonefly event make the intended reach part of the timing decision. I would settle that choice before comparing dates for a trip. The same applies to access: an upper-river visit and a Chukar approach require different arrangements.

A June Gorge trip is the seasonal option that would most interest me. I would make the hatch part of the discussion when arranging a visit, alongside the Chukar approach and the time available for fishing.

Spend Your Day On One Reach

With one day on the Gunnison, I’d start with the upper river and give myself time to fish its riffles and pools. The Almont-to-Blue Mesa stretch offers a clear area to plan around, with caddis, stonefly, and mayfly imitations to carry. I would save a Gorge outing for a trip where the approach and takeout have already been arranged.

That leaves more of the day for the fishing you came to do. Choose the water that interests you, pack for that visit, and give it your attention. The Gunnison has enough distinct fishing areas to justify returning without trying to cover each one on the first trip.

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