Fly Fishing Silverthorne, Colorado: Blue River, Seasons and Local Pros
Location Details / Colorado / Towns / Silverthorne
Fly Fishing Silverthorne, Colorado: Blue River, Seasons and Local Pros
Silverthorne sits on the Blue River directly below Dillon Reservoir, a Gold Medal tailwater where mysis shrimp grow rainbows into the high 20s of inches. From Dillon Dam to the north town limits it is flies and lures only and catch and release. The Blue below Green Mountain Reservoir and the Colorado River are close by.
Few Colorado towns put a trophy tailwater this close to the parking lot. The Blue River comes out of the bottom of Dillon Reservoir and runs right past the outlet mall, which is why locals call this stretch the "troutlets." The fish are big, visible and heavily pressured.
This page covers the water within reach of Silverthorne, when it fishes, and what two Summit County guides told us on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. For the rest of the state, start with the Colorado hub.
Top species
Rainbow and brown trout; kokanee run up the lower Blue in fall
Best months
The tailwater fishes year-round; the Blue above Dillon and Tenmile Creek close September 15 to December 1
Top nearby waters
Blue River below Dillon Dam, Blue River above Dillon, Tenmile Creek, Blue River below Green Mountain, Colorado River
Drive times
The Gold Medal tailwater runs through town
License and regs
CPW fishing license plus Habitat Stamp; water rules in the Colorado Fishing Brochure
Nearest airports
Denver International (DEN); Eagle (EGE)
Rivers and Lakes Near Silverthorne
- Blue River below Dillon Dam: Gold Medal water from Dillon Reservoir dam to the Hamilton Creek Road bridge. From the dam to the north town limits of Silverthorne, Colorado Parks and Wildlife rules make it flies and lures only, with every trout released; from the north town limits to the Colo 9 bridge at Blue River State Wildlife Area, it is flies and lures with a two-trout, 16-inch minimum. Colton McLaren, who lives in Silverthorne, says rainbows of 27 to 28 inches are not unusual near the dam.
- Blue River above Dillon Reservoir: from Summit County Road 3 (Coyne Valley Road, about three miles north of Breckenridge) down to the reservoir, it is flies and lures only, brown trout over 14 inches go back, and the stretch is closed September 15 to December 1.
- Tenmile Creek: from the West Tenmile confluence near Copper Mountain down to Dillon Reservoir, brown trout over 14 inches go back and fishing is closed September 15 to December 1.
- Blue River below Green Mountain Reservoir: downstream of town, the Blue is Gold Medal again from Green Mountain Reservoir dam to the Colorado River, flies and lures only and catch and release.
- Colorado River: the big float river the Blue feeds. Summit County guide Zeke Hersh has floated it for more than 20 years and says most anglers crowd the upper stretches. See Fly Fishing Grand Lake for the upper river.
When to Fish Near Silverthorne
A tailwater like the Blue keeps fishing when the freestones blow out, so Silverthorne works in every season. The closures on the Blue above Dillon and Tenmile Creek are the dates to plan around.
| Season | What fishes near town |
|---|---|
| Winter | The tailwater below Dillon Dam with mysis and midge rigs; dry flies ice up on the freestones |
| Spring | Blue-winged olives; runoff raises the freestones while the tailwater holds |
| Summer | Dry-dropper fishing on the Colorado and the lower Blue; crowds on the town stretch |
| Fall | Blue-winged olives return; the Blue above Dillon and Tenmile Creek close September 15 |
Colton McLaren on the "Troutlets"
Colton McLaren lives a few minutes from the dam. On Guiding Fly Fishing and Gliding Through Life he explained why the Blue grows such big rainbows: Dillon Reservoir pushes mysis shrimp out of the bottom of the dam, a constant protein source. His key insight is that the two common mysis patterns imitate different things. White marabou mysis look like live shrimp and belong right below the dam; clear epoxy or UV-resin mysis look like dead shrimp and belong farther downstream.
His tailwater rig puts a mysis on point as the attractor with midges or a baetis below it, and his best days come with no indicator at all: a standard fly line and nine-foot leader held tight, old-school style, so the fly ticks right past the nose of a fish that barely opens its mouth to eat. Read Colorado Guide Colton McLaren: Triple Nymph Rigs, Mysis Tailwaters and Big Freestones.
Hire a Local Pro in Silverthorne
No FFIP Certified guide is listed in Silverthorne yet. The town stretch is technical sight fishing to pressured fish, and a guide who fishes it weekly saves hours. Find a Pro lists every vetted guide, lodge and outfitter.
Tips from Podcast Guests
-
Rig a chubby dry with a two-fly dropper for shallow water
A big attractor dry, three to four feet down to a heavy stonefly, then about 16 inches to a Prince Nymph or San Juan Worm.
Zeke Hersh, Colorado River drift-boat guide, on How You Fish the Colorado from a Boat?
Nearby Fly Fishing Towns
- Fly fishing Denver
- Fly fishing Grand Lake
- Fly fishing Vail
- Fly fishing Basalt
- Every Colorado fly fishing town
Silverthorne Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
Where can you fly fish near Silverthorne?
The Blue River below Dillon Dam runs through town and is Gold Medal water, catch and release from the dam to the north town limits. Upstream, the Blue above Dillon and Tenmile Creek feed the reservoir. Downstream, the Blue below Green Mountain Reservoir is catch and release again, and the Colorado River is the float trip.
When is the best time to fly fish near Silverthorne?
Any month on the tailwater below Dillon Dam, which keeps fishing through winter and runoff. Spring and fall bring blue-winged olives. Remember that the Blue above Dillon and Tenmile Creek are closed from September 15 to December 1, and that summer weekends on the town stretch get crowded.
Do you need a guide to fly fish near Silverthorne?
No. The town stretch is public and easy to reach. It is also some of the most pressured water in Colorado, so a guide helps if you are new to sight fishing or mysis rigs.
Is Silverthorne or Basalt a better base for a mysis tailwater?
Both towns sit on mysis tailwaters. Silverthorne puts the Blue River in town and the Colorado River nearby. Basalt puts the Fryingpan in town, with about 14 miles of tailwater up to Ruedi Dam, plus the Roaring Fork. Choose Silverthorne for convenience from Denver and Basalt for more tailwater miles.
Sources: Regulations: CPW Chapter W-1 (November 2025). Gold Medal list: Colorado fishing regulations. Guest material: Colton McLaren and Zeke Hersh 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.