Fly Fishing the Arkansas River. Taylor Edrington

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      Arkansas River (South -Central Colorado)

       Location: The Arkansas River below Pueblo Reservoir is approximately 100 miles south of Denver. About an hour’s drive from Colorado Springs, it is easily accessible via Interstate 25, which runs from Fort Collins to Trinidad. The closest airport is the Pueblo Memorial Airport, about 20 minutes from the water. From I-25 in Pueblo, take the W. 4th St. Exit, which turns into Thatcher Ave. Thatcher Ave. headed West turns into CO-96, which follows the river to Pueblo Reservoir.

      When most anglers envision the Arkansas River, they think of a large and high-gradient freestone river that runs through a gauntlet of rugged canyons and Colorado’s High Desert. Truth be told, the Upper Arkansas drainage, which starts high in the Collegiate Range near Leadville, overshadowed the Arkansas Tailwater fishery until recently. In 2005-2006, a major structural renovation of the first 8 miles of river below the dam was completed, as part of a long-term effort to increase trout survival habitat. A multimillion-dollar

      development, The Arkansas River Legacy Project will continue its work with additional renovation. Because throughout its history the Arkansas River has been a major artery for agricultural use, not only in southern Colorado but also throughout the Great Plains, release demands have often displaced fish during the summer months. With the addition of the new structure, fish survival rates during high flows have dramatically increased, along with aquatic insect growth and subsequent size growth in the trout population. Since 2008, studies show per-mile trout population and average size to be higher

      than ever. Additionally, the structural work offers anglers a much easier fishery when it comes to reading water. The Arkansas Tailwater offers a much different look than its freestone counterpart upstream, with meandering bends, deep holes, and large cottonwood groves. However, do not be fooled by the difference at first sight, as this section offers the angler just as many fish as the upper river, and shots at trophies.

      This tailwater stretch fishes best between September and March, when flows are maintained in the 75- to 300-cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) range. During an average water year,