Pueblo Tailwater: Below Pueblo Reservoir

Pueblo Tailwater — Fishing Report for April 27, 2026

Quick Stats

Flow: 207 CFS | Trend: Rising | Fishability: Prime | Weather: Sunny then slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms, High 70°F

The Bite

While every freestone river above Pueblo is muddying up with snowmelt, the dam is doing its job — serving up clear, controlled water at 207 CFS, right in the heart of the ideal range. This is the Pueblo Tailwater's defining moment each spring, and April 27 looks like a textbook example of why Front Range anglers make the drive down here when the mountains go sideways.

BWO activity is the story today. With a warm high of 70°F and cloud cover building into the afternoon, conditions favor a strong hatch window between roughly 1 and 4 PM. Baetis are highly sensitive to light levels — as clouds filter the sun, expect surface feeding to pick up noticeably. Fish should be keying on emergers and cripples just below or in the film before committing to fully-winged dries. This is the window to be on the water. Morning hours will likely fish best on midges and subsurface scud or worm patterns before the BWO action develops.

One note worth keeping in mind: the basin is running on a very thin snowpack — well below normal for this time of year. That means the dam has less to hold back, and flows should remain stable and fishable well into May and possibly June, when tailwaters sometimes see erratic releases. The extended fishable window this year could be a genuine bonus for anyone who plans ahead.

What to Fish

• CDC BWO Emerger #20 — fish this in the surface film during the afternoon hatch; trout will eat it over a fully-dressed dry when they're locked on cripples
• Parachute BWO #18-20 — dry fly anchor for a dry-dropper rig; visible and buoyant enough to support a small nymph dropper
• RS2 (olive) #20-22 — trail 14–18" below the Parachute BWO as a dropper; covers fish that haven't committed to the surface yet
• Griffith's Gnat #18 — effective in the morning midge window and as a searching pattern in slower flats
• Scud (orange/pink) #16 — dead weight option for morning nymphing near weed beds and slower structure
• San Juan Worm (red or wine) #14 — reliable all-day producer along the bottom; especially worth a try if afternoon showers kick up any turbidity

Tactics & Rigging

For the afternoon BWO window, rig a Parachute BWO #18 as your point fly with a CDC BWO Emerger or RS2 trailed 14–18" below on 6X fluorocarbon. The dry rides the surface and acts as your indicator; the emerger fishes just under the film where most fish will be feeding. Long, drag-free presentations on 9–12 feet of tippet are essential — these fish see a lot of pressure and will refuse a fly that's skating even slightly. Approach rising fish from downstream, keep your profile low, and let the fly ride the seam untouched.

In the morning before the hatch, drop down to a single scud or San Juan Worm on 5X with a small split shot, and work the slower water along weed edges and undercut banks. Midges in #20-22 on 6X are worth having ready — a Griffith's Gnat or a simple zebra midge can pick up fish in the flats when nothing else is visibly happening.

Access & Logistics

Parking and trail access at the Pueblo tailwater are generally straightforward, with multiple pull-offs along the river corridor below the dam. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible today — keep an eye on the sky and get off the water if lightning develops. Wading is easy on this low-gradient section, but wet wading is still cold without neoprene or waders given water temps likely in the upper 40s to low 50s range.

Verify current regulations with CPW before fishing — this section carries special gear and bag restrictions that can change.

Stop by Angler's Covey (Colorado Springs) for flies, local intel, and to support the shops that keep these fisheries healthy.

Looking Ahead

Flows should hold steady through the week with only modest variation — Tuesday and Wednesday look similar to today, with afternoon storm chances keeping BWO conditions favorable. With snowpack running well below normal basin-wide, expect an unusually stable and extended spring window on this tailwater through May.