The Eagle River is our home river and flows right behind our shop in Edwards. It is an excellent freestone river with prolific hatches. It flows from high above Camp Hale south of Redcliff to its confluence with the Colorado River in Dotsero.  It is most famous for the prolific Caddis hatches that come off in the spring and early summer. The Eagle is noted for  its excellent dry fly fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout. The float fishing season is fantastic but short and runs from April-July in most years.  The Eagle can be wade fished year round and there is excellent public access to the river below Wolcott and above Edwards.

Last updated by JP Modderno on 11/30/2025

The Eagle is finally setting into winter mode. With the big drop in temps and snow in the forecast, we are expecting the few remaining fish that are still spread out to move into those main deep, slow, winter runs. Those last few blue wings have stopped showing up and we're firmly in midge season. You can still find the occasional midge hatch with sippers on those warmer sunnier days so keep some small midge dries and emergers on you. Despite the whitefish and brown trout spawn being done now, we are still getting reports of egg patterns working. Make sure to always have some worms on you as well this time of the year. Those days where you can't buy a hit on a real fly are often saved by getting dirty and tossing on a worm. Also some people are still getting them on streamers. Mostly big articulated ones stripped slowly down towards Gypsum and some people are having banger days dead drifting and swinging little leeches.

Keep your rod tip in or close to the surface of the water when stripping your streamer back in.

Focus on warm water discharges and lower elevation areas with good sun exposure for your best chance at catching a hatch.

Adjusting your indicator can be more effective than changing flies throughout the winter. Mess with your depth and weight before you chop off your whole rig in frustartion.

Keep Em Wet: If you must take a photo, leave the fish in the water. It's cold out there!

Midges, midges, midges!

NYMPHS: Zebra Midges in black and red 18-22, egg patterns in cheese and chartreuse, worms in pink and red, red neck midge 20-24, mayhem midge 20-22, Neon Nightmare 18-22, gray remote control 18-20

DRIES: Para Adams 18-24, Sprout midge 20-22, beefus emerger 20-22, Roy's special emerger 18-22

STREAMERS: Thin Mints, Mini Dungeons, Rusty Trombone, and a few people have been crushing on small olive and black leeches