It’s your local fishing pro, Artificial Lure, coming at you with today’s fishing report for the Colorado River and its favorite hot spots around Colorado on this fine Thursday, October 23rd, 2025.

Sunrise greeted us at 7:23 AM, with sunset hitting right about 6:18 PM—so there’s a tight window for those magic hours when fish are most active. We’ve moved deep into the fall pattern, with overnight lows in the high 30s and afternoon temps reaching the low 60s. Expect cloudier skies and a chance of passing showers thanks to those lingering monsoon patterns we’ve seen this week. The barometric pressure is settling after some recent fronts, which should help activate those bites, especially during late morning and right before the afternoon weather rolls in.

Water clarity is good, with flows holding steady and a slight chill—great conditions for hungry fall fish. The Colorado River and its impoundments like Corn Lake and Rifle Gap are showing classic cool-season behavior: fish are a bit more deliberate, holding tight to structure and deeper runs, and feeding windows are shorter but intense.

Recent catches have been solid, with reports from local anglers and Snoflo pointing to strong showings of rainbow trout, brown trout, and cutbows making their way up the river for the fall spawn, with several browns pushing over 18 inches. Corn Lake, nestled along the river near Grand Junction, has yielded everything from largemouth bass to nice-sized catfish and even the odd crappie. Most consistent success has been with worms or live minnows, but don’t rule out small jigs and grubs for that panfish bite.

Fly-fishing action is picking up as water temperatures cool. According to the latest from Golden Fly Shop and Rise Beyond Fly Fishing, late October is prime time for nymphing and streamer work. Fish are responding best to natural presentations like Chubby Chernobyls, Elk Hair Caddis, small beatis, and caddis patterns in the mornings, and smaller midge and mayfly imitations as the day warms. Subsurface, go with a Splitback PMD, Jig Duracell, or Lightning Bug under a hopper-dropper rig. For the deep-pocket lurkers, a Mayer’s Mini Leech or San Juan Worm has turned up several chunky rainbows just below feeder creeks.

If hardware’s your game, focus on smaller, subtle lures. Lake Homes and recent angler blogs stress that finesse worms, downsized swimbaits, or compact jigs fished slow are the top bets right now. The fish’s metabolism is down as the water chills, so try a more deliberate retrieve—let those lures pause and linger in eddies and deep runs. Don’t forget about vertical tactics: a jigging spoon or a blade bait right off the bottom around ledges can seal the deal, especially on Bass and those sly post-spawn catfish.

Hot spots for today and the coming weekend:
- **Corn Lake:** Morning and late afternoon bite for largemouth bass and cats, especially near the weed lines and the old river channel; best baits are live worms, cut bait, and small soft plastics.
- **Rifle Gap Reservoir:** Trout and pike are active along the drop-offs by the dam and creek mouths, with spoons, crankbaits, and streamer flies picking up strikes.
- **Below Glenwood Springs:** Brown trout stacking up below riffles and creek mouths; top flies are BWOs, caddis pupae, and rubber-legged nymphs fished deep and slow.

With fall colors still popping in the canyons and crisp air rolling off the river, this is about as good as angling gets in Colorado. Remember, it’s always worth checking local regulations—especially with trout runs in full swing and changing flows.

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