Colorado
Snowpack & runoff
Snow-water equivalent by basin and the seasonal runoff outlook for Colorado's rivers, translated into what it means for fishing: early or late runoff, high or low summer flows, how well reservoirs fill, and which waters hold up best. Updated daily through the snow season.
Colorado is sitting on serious snowpack, 293% of normal statewide. Expect a late, drawn-out runoff and the kind of summer flows that keep the major tailwaters and freestones fishing well into September.
Big years reward patience. Runoff will drag into July on the high rivers; tailwaters and the bottom thirds of regulated rivers carry the early season. The upside: late-summer fishing should stay strong into September on most water we cover.
| River | Region | Basin snowpack | SWE now / normal | Median melt-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison River | Western Slope | 700% | 0.7" / 0.1" | ~May 27 |
| South Platte River | Front Range | 600% | 1.2" / 0.2" | ~Jun 6 |
| Arkansas River | Arkansas Valley | 400% | 0.4" / 0.1" | ~Jun 5 |
| Lake Fork of the Gunnison River | Western Slope | 360% | 1.8" / 0.5" | ~May 27 |
| Roaring Fork River | Western Slope | 300% | 0.3" / 0.1" | ~Jun 10 |
| Colorado River | Western Slope | 200% | 0.4" / 0.2" | ~Jun 23 |
| Yampa River | Western Slope | 200% | 0.4" / 0.2" | ~Jun 27 |
| Frying Pan River | Western Slope | 100% | 0.1" / 0.1" | ~May 30 |
| Blue River | Western Slope | 50% | 0.1" / 0.2" | ~Jun 5 |
| Cache la Poudre River | Front Range | 20% | 0.1" / 0.5" | ~Jun 18 |
| Animas River | San Juan | — | 1.1" / 0.0" | ~May 29 |
| Conejos River | San Luis Valley | — | 0.3" / 0.0" | ~May 25 |
| Crystal River | Western Slope | — | 0.4" / 0.0" | ~Jun 10 |
| Eagle River | Western Slope | — | 0.1" / 0.0" | ~Jun 1 |
| East River | Western Slope | — | 0.1" / 0.0" | ~May 21 |
| Rio Grande | San Luis Valley | — | 2.0" / 0.0" | ~May 29 |
| Taylor River | Western Slope | — | 0.1" / 0.0" | ~May 21 |