Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River fishing report for Sunday, November 2nd, 2025.

First light hit at 7:33 this morning and sunset’s coming up at 6:02 this evening—so you’ve got a prime late-morning to mid-afternoon window. The bite isn’t all-day, but this time of year, those midday hours are the bullseye when water temps inch up and fish get active.

Weather-wise, according to Durango Weather Guy and the National Weather Service, it’s another mild, dry day, highs swinging into the upper 50s and low 60s near Kremmling, with plenty of sun and barely a breeze. Water temps on the lower stretches have been running in the upper 50s to low 60s—plenty for trout, but cool enough to put them deeper and make them a little lazier. Stable flows and clear water reported by USGS keep conditions technical, so stealth matters out there.

Drought conditions remain pretty darn persistent, says Western Water and the U.S. Drought Monitor, but there’s been enough flow for decent action and some respectable pockets are holding good fish.

As for the fishing—according to recent updates from Rise Beyond Fly Fishing and Fly Fishing Outfitters, November might just be the sneak ace of the year on the upper and middle Colorado. Trout don’t hibernate, they just slow down. Post-spawn browns are hungry and late-season rainbows are eating, especially on midges and blue-winged olives (BWOs). Anglers landing browns and rainbows in the 14-to-20-inch range aren’t rare, with a few big surprises thrown in thanks to the lack of crowds.

Midges, baetis, and the occasional sculpin are what’s for dinner. Your best producers right now: RS2s in gray (#22), Mercury Black Beauties, and WD-40s brown (#22-24). Don’t overlook a CDC Midge or a Parachute BWO if you catch a hatch under cloudy skies. For streamer fans, swing an olive Slumpbuster or go bigger with a gold or black Mini Leech. Nymph rigs with light split shot—let 'em ride the bottom slow. Fish are moving slow but feeding with purpose.

Spin and bait anglers: small inline spinners like Panther Martins in gold or black, and 1/8 oz jigheads tipped with a floating worm or a minnow pattern soft plastic get reliable grabs. In lakes or slower backwaters, a classic nightcrawler floated just off bottom can coax a sluggish brown or cutbow.

Hot spots? Pair your gloves with hand warmers and head to these:

- The “Fraser Confluence” just outside Granby—deep bends and logjams here hold brown trout still recovering from the spawn but feeding steady mid-day.
- Pumphouse-Bond stretch below Kremmling: with clear water and less pressure, swing streamers on the soft inside bends.
- For the fly crowd, don’t ignore side channels and slow tailouts near State Bridge—look for risers when the afternoon sun gets high.

Reports out of the lower river near Grand Junction, from Rise Beyond Fly Fishing, tell of steady but not lights-out nymph action with a consistent mix of rainbows and browns, most caught midday on small midge patterns.

Fishing is mostly technical—expect to earn each strike. The real trophy this time of year is solitude and wild river air. The trick is to be there when the sun warms the water, be deliberate, and stay patient. Trout are feeding, just not chasing.

Stick with tiny flies and thin tippet, watch your shadows, and slow your presentation. Crowds are gone and fish are wary but beatable. With a mild spell stretching through the week, you’ve got a golden window before winter clamps down.

Thanks for tuning in to your Colorado River fishing report. Subscribe for more local insight and stay sharp out there. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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