Colorado
Eagle River
Solunar · next 7 days
About Eagle River
The Eagle River runs about 75 miles from Tennessee Pass near Leadville through the Vail Valley and on to the Colorado River at Dotsero. The headwater reaches above Minturn are small, technical, and impacted by the historic Eagle Mine Superfund site — water quality is recovering but the fishery above Minturn is limited. From Minturn through Avon, Edwards, and Wolcott the river is a true freestone trout fishery with a strong wild brown trout population. The Wolcott-to-Eagle stretch holds the river's largest fish and fishes hopper-dropper from a drift boat through August-September.
The Eagle is snowmelt-driven and blows out from mid-May through late June. Post-runoff fishing kicks off in early July with caddis, PMDs, and Yellow Sallies. August-September brings hopper-dropper banker fishing along willow banks. September-November is the river's signature window: pre-spawn brown trout streamer fishing through Edwards and below produces 20+ inch wild browns on sink-tip rigs. Winter fishing is largely limited to the lower river below Gypsum on warm afternoons. Hoot-owl-style restrictions can apply on the lower river in hot summers.
Minturn is the upper-river town with shops (Minturn Anglers) and the closest base to the Vail/Beaver Creek resort crowd. Edwards/Eagle/Gypsum serve the mid-to-lower river. I-70 parallels the Eagle for most of its length with multiple pullouts and Eagle County / BLM access points. Drive times: 2 hr from Denver to Vail, 45 min from Vail to Eagle, 3 hr from Aspen to Vail (over Independence Pass when open). Elevation 6,200 ft (Dotsero) to 8,800 ft (Red Cliff). The river is wadable through most stretches; drift boats become practical below Edwards. Eagle County FB-30 ranch easements and BLM access at Hubbard Cabin and Horn Ranch are the standard wade points.
Species
- Brown Trout
- Rainbow Trout
- Mountain Whitefish
- Cutthroat Trout
| Species | Abundance | Best Season | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Trout | Abundant | Sep-Nov | 10-22" |
| Rainbow Trout | Common | Jul-Oct | 10-18" |
| Mountain Whitefish | Common | Year-round | 10-16" |
| Cutthroat Trout | Limited | Jul-Sep | 8-14" |