Roaring Fork: Below Maroon Creek near Aspen

Roaring Fork: Below Maroon Creek near Aspen — Fishing Report for April 24, 2026

Quick Stats

Flow: 163 CFS | Trend: Stable | Fishability: Good | Weather: Sunny, High 60°F

The Bite

With snowpack sitting at just 19% of normal across the basin and water-year precipitation running well below average, this section is behaving more like early May than late April — flows are elevated at 163 CFS compared to the typical pre-runoff range of 20–60 CFS, but the water is still within a very fishable window and almost certainly running clear. The tradeoff: runoff, when it comes, may arrive earlier and taper off faster than a typical year. Fish this stretch hard now, because the window could close sooner than expected.

At 37°F, water temps are on the cool side — fish metabolism is sluggish in the morning, and you'll want to let the sun do some work before expecting aggressive surface takes. Today's sunny skies are a bit of a mixed bag: they'll warm the water and bring Skwala stoneflies crawling onto streamside rocks by midday, but they'll also suppress the dense BWO hatches that overcast days produce. Don't abandon your dry fly box — Skwalas are legitimately on the menu right now, and a size 8–10 dry fished along cut banks and slower edges could draw aggressive grabs from browns that have been waiting for a big meal.

If surface action is slow, the elevated flows have pushed fish into predictable holding water: seams behind mid-channel boulders, the soft inside edges of bends, and any slack water adjacent to faster runs. Nymphing these zones with a weighted stonefly nymph on point will keep you in contact with fish all day regardless of what's happening on the surface.

What to Fish

• Skwala Dry #8–10 — Fish along cut banks and slower edges from 11 AM onward. Dead-drift with occasional subtle twitches to suggest a struggling adult.
• Pheasant Tail #16–18 — Trailing 14–18" below a Skwala dry as a dropper. The dry-dropper rig covers both the surface and the water column simultaneously.
• Pat's Rubber Legs #10–12 — Point fly for a double-nymph rig in deeper runs. Heavy enough to anchor the setup and get down quickly in 163 CFS.
• Juju Baetis #20 — Trail 12–16" behind the Pat's as a secondary nymph. Baetis nymphs are active subsurface even when surface hatches are sparse.
• Parachute BWO #18–20 — Worth switching to if clouds build in the afternoon and you see fish starting to sip.
• Griffith's Gnat #18–20 — A reliable midge cluster pattern during the midday window, especially in slower tailouts.

Tactics & Rigging

For the dry-dropper approach, tie a Skwala dry on 4X tippet as your surface fly, then drop a Pheasant Tail 16" below on 5X fluorocarbon. This rig is buoyant enough to handle the Skwala's bulk and gives you a realistic subsurface Baetis presentation simultaneously. Focus on the softer water — inside bends, the downstream edges of boulders, and any foam lines where current slows. At 163 CFS, the river has enough push to concentrate fish in predictable lies.

For the nymph-only setup, run a Pat's Rubber Legs on point with a Juju Baetis or RS2 trailing 14" above on a tag off the main leader. Use 4X to the Pat's and step down to 5X or 6X fluorocarbon for the smaller fly. Add enough split shot to tick the bottom — in this flow, you'll need more weight than you think. High-stick through the seams and let the rig ride naturally without drag. If clouds build late in the afternoon ahead of Saturday's weather, be ready to clip off the nymph rig and go straight to a Parachute BWO or Sparkle Dun.

Access & Logistics

Public access below the Maroon Creek confluence is a patchwork of public and private land — know where you're wading and respect posted sections. The Gold Medal stretch carries artificial flies and lures only regulations on certain portions; verify current boundaries and regulations with CPW before you fish. With flows elevated above the typical April range, wading will require more care than usual — felt soles or studs are worth the extra weight today. Crowds should be light for a Friday, though Aspen-area fishing pressure tends to pick up on weekends.

Stop by Aspen Fly Fishing or Taylor Creek Fly Shop for flies, local intel, and to support the shops that keep these fisheries healthy.

Looking Ahead

Saturday looks similar to today — partly sunny and mild — but rain moves in Saturday night and Sunday brings a chance of thunderstorms followed by rain and snow. That moisture could push flows up and add turbidity by early next week, so this weekend may be your last clean shot before conditions shift. If you can get out Sunday morning before the storms build, do it.