In this report
107 CFS and Holding: November’s Stable-Water Window is Here
The gauge is sitting at 107 CFS this week—right in the wheelhouse for early winter on the Pueblo tailwater. This is the kind of flow that defines why this stretch fishes so well November through March: stable enough to hold, cold enough that trout don’t bolt, and gin-clear without being punishingly spooky. For a tailwater below the dam that swings from 42 to 177 CFS inside a couple of weeks in other seasons, 107 feels like a gift. Water temperature at 59°F means the trout are locked into feeding windows, but they’re actively holding and eating. This is not summer’s thin-water problem—this is winter’s real advantage taking shape.
That said: check the live flow chart before you drive down. This water moves on dam release, and what reads 107 today might be 75 or 140 by the time you’re rigging at the car. The predictability of winter flows on this tailwater is relative. Plan your day around the assumption that flows will stay in the stable 70–150 range, but verify the current reading so you’re not caught wading water that’s suddenly risen or dropped since the forecast.
Midges Rule; BWOs Are Backup
November on the Pueblo tailwater belongs to midges. These are your bread and butter—#20–24 emergers, larvae, and adults cycling through whenever the sun softens the water or you hit a midday warm spell. Black Beauty, Mercury Midge, Zebra Midge, and RS2 emergers in those sizes are the flies you should tie fresh and have in quantity. The hatch isn’t explosive; it’s a steady, all-day presence that rewards patient nymphing more than dry-fly heroics. Occasional BWOs (#18–20) will show on the warmest, most overcast afternoons, but don’t plan the day around them—treat them as a bonus if conditions align.
The midge hatch here doesn’t follow the spring migration rhythm of freestone water upstream. It runs on dam-influenced schedule and water temperature. Cold, stable water like we’re seeing now keeps midges trickling through with real consistency. Trout that would shut down completely on a freestone in November stay engaged here because the dam moderates both flow and temperature.
The Rig and the Depth Strategy
Fish a two-fly nymph rig. Lead with a heavier Barr’s-style midge or small anchor fly—a Barr Emerger or tungsten Zebra Midge in #22, weighted to get you down quickly. Drop a #20–22 RS2 emerger or Mercury Midge 18 to 24 inches below on 5X or 6X tippet. At 107 CFS and 59°F, the water is cold and fish are holding tight to the bottom and the inside of bends; you need weight to reach them without spending the day suspended in the column.
Split shot is your friend here. Pinch one split shot about 12 inches above the point fly, with the dropper tag tied between the shot and the anchor. This lets you tick bottom in the deep slots where trout stack during low-winter flows—the inside seams of runs, the undercut banks below the fast water, the drop-offs where the channel deepens. You’re not trying to be delicate; you’re trying to be where the fish are.
Indicator or tight-line? At this flow and with this cold water, a small yarn indicator—pencil-thin, placed 5 to 6 feet up the leader—lets you detect the subtle takes midges get. You’ll feel and see half-inch twitches that tight-line misses. Set gently; these are small flies in cold water and 5X tippet doesn’t forgive a hard strip.
Water Types Worth Your Time
The deep, slow inside seams of the main channel are carrying the weight of the fish right now. Look for the water that appears dark and slow behind the faster tongue—that’s where trout stack at 107 CFS. Drift your rig so the point fly is ticking the bottom of these slots. Don’t waste time on the thin, bright flats; at this flow and water temp, those are holding nothing.
Undercut banks and root wads that offer overhead cover are gold. The fish won’t be far off the bank; they’re not chasing; they’re sitting and feeding on what drifts to them. Angle your casts so the flies reach the shadow line and drop naturally into the slow water at the bank’s edge.
The water immediately below any structure—a submerged log, a large rock, a drop in elevation—creates a low-pressure zone. These are rest areas and feeding stations in one. A good drift through the tail-out of such a spot can produce multiple takes.
One Cold-Water Edge
At 59°F, water temperature is not the limiting factor this week—it’s actually ideal. But it’s still early winter, and stability is fragile. If Pueblo Dam opens up for a release midweek and flow jumps, water temp will drop further (usually a good thing) but the increased silt and turbidity from fast-rising water can shut trout down for 24–48 hours. Don’t blame the bugs; blame the dam operation. If the flow chart spikes, give it a day or two to settle. The midges will be there when it does.
Fish dawn and dusk on this water whenever you can—the warmest water of the day still sits in that 59–62°F range, which is peak feeding window for early winter. Midday isn’t dead, but it’s slower. Early and late is where the numbers live.