Fly Fishing Gunnison, Colorado: Nearby Rivers, Seasons and Local Pros
Location Details / Colorado / Towns / Gunnison
Fly Fishing Gunnison, Colorado: Nearby Rivers, Seasons and Local Pros
The Gunnison River forms at Almont, north of town, where the Taylor and East rivers meet. From there to the US 50 bridge it is Gold Medal water, flies and lures only, with every rainbow released. The Taylor River below Taylor Park Reservoir is a Gold Medal mysis tailwater. Fly into Gunnison (GUC).
Gunnison sits at the top of one of Colorado's great river systems. Within a short drive you have a Gold Medal freestone, a mysis tailwater famous for huge trout, a smaller river below a hatchery, and Blue Mesa Reservoir downstream.
This page covers the water within reach of Gunnison, the seasonal rules that matter, and what our guests told us about the Taylor and the Gunnison on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. For the rest of the state, start with the Colorado hub.
Top species
Brown and rainbow trout; kokanee salmon in fall
Best months
The Taylor tailwater year-round; the Gunnison and East River after runoff into fall
Top nearby waters
Gunnison River, Taylor River, East River, Blue Mesa Reservoir
Drive times
The Gold Medal Gunnison runs from Almont down through town
License and regs
CPW fishing license plus Habitat Stamp; water rules in the Colorado Fishing Brochure
Nearest airport
Gunnison (GUC)
Rivers and Lakes Near Gunnison
- Gunnison River, Almont to US 50: Gold Medal water from Almont to the US 50 bridge. Colorado Parks and Wildlife rules make it flies and lures only, with a two-fish, 16-inch minimum for brown trout and every rainbow released. From the Almont confluence down to Blue Mesa Reservoir, taking kokanee is prohibited from August 1 through October 31, and snagging is allowed November 1 through December 31.
- Taylor River: Gold Medal from Taylor Park Reservoir dam down to Almont. The first 325 yards below the dam are closed as posted, and from there to the lower boundary of the Taylor State Wildlife Area (about 0.4 miles) it is flies and lures only and catch and release. Colton McLaren named the Taylor as one of Colorado's mysis tailwaters, where shrimp from the reservoir grow very big trout.
- East River: from the upstream boundary of the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery down to the Taylor confluence, it is flies and lures only, with a two-trout limit and a 12-inch maximum size, and kokanee may not be taken. The section from the hatchery outlet to the property boundary closes August 15 through October 31.
- Blue Mesa Reservoir: the big reservoir below town on the Gunnison, with kokanee rules on the river above it. Downstream, the Gunnison Gorge is covered on our Montrose page.
When to Fish Near Gunnison
Runoff decides spring on the Gunnison and East River, while the Taylor tailwater holds steady. The kokanee rules shape late summer and fall, so check dates before you fish near the reservoir.
| Season | What fishes near town |
|---|---|
| Winter | The Taylor tailwater with mysis and midges; the high valley is cold and quiet |
| Spring | Blue-winged olives; the Gunnison and East River rise with runoff |
| Summer | The Gunnison and East River after runoff; dry-dropper fishing on the freestone |
| Fall | Browns turn aggressive; kokanee rules apply from August 1 above Blue Mesa |
What Our Guests Say About the Upper Gunnison
Colton McLaren and his longtime fishing partner made what he called a couple of crazy trips to the Taylor before either of them guided. On Guiding Fly Fishing and Gliding Through Life, he grouped it with the Blue and the Fryingpan as Colorado's mysis tailwaters, and his mysis rule carries straight over: white marabou patterns imitate live shrimp right below the dam, and clear epoxy patterns imitate dead shrimp farther downstream. Read Colorado Guide Colton McLaren.
Buena Vista guide Tanner Barbeau spent years fishing southwestern Colorado, the Gunnison among it, before he settled across the Divide; read his story. For the Gunnison below the reservoirs, Matt McCannel's stealth tactics on Guided EP #12 apply to any big, wary tailwater trout.
Hire a Local Pro in Gunnison
No FFIP Certified guide is listed in Gunnison yet. A guide helps most on the pressured Taylor and for floating the Gunnison. Find a Pro lists every vetted guide, lodge and outfitter.
Tips from Podcast Guests
-
Ditch the tapered leader for a stealthy mono nymph rig
A long hard-mono butt, a free-sliding yarn indicator and a micro swivel sink flies faster and keep thick leader out of a wary trout's window.
Matt McCannel, Gunnison Gorge tailwater guide, on Guided EP #12 "The Stealthy Trout Hunter"
Nearby Fly Fishing Towns
Gunnison Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
Where can you fly fish near Gunnison?
The Gunnison River from Almont to the US 50 bridge is Gold Medal, flies and lures only, with rainbows released. The Taylor River below Taylor Park Reservoir is a Gold Medal mysis tailwater with a short catch-and-release stretch below the dam. The East River and Blue Mesa Reservoir round it out.
When is the best time to fly fish near Gunnison?
The Taylor tailwater fishes year-round. The Gunnison and East River are best after runoff, from summer into fall. Kokanee rules apply on the river above Blue Mesa from August 1, and part of the East River closes August 15 through October 31.
Do you need a guide to fly fish near Gunnison?
Not for wading the Gunnison or the East River, which have clear rules and public stretches. On the Taylor, a guide helps with technical mysis fishing to big, pressured trout, and a guide with a boat is the easy way to float the Gunnison.
Is Gunnison or Crested Butte a better base?
Gunnison is closer to the Gold Medal Gunnison, the Taylor, Blue Mesa and the airport. Crested Butte is farther up the East River valley and better if you want a ski-town base with high country nearby. For most fishing trips, Gunnison is the more central choice.
Sources: Regulations: CPW Chapter W-1 (November 2025). Gold Medal list: Colorado fishing regulations. Guest material: Colton McLaren, Tanner Barbeau and Matt McCannel on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.
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By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed November 2026.
Seasons, flows, regulations, access and license rules change without notice. Regulations here come from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife rules in force at the time of writing. Confirm current rules with CPW, and trip pricing and availability with your Frontiers specialist, before you book.