Taylor River, Colorado

The Hog Trough below the dam

The first 325 yards below Taylor Park Dam are closed. The next 0.4 miles, inside the Taylor River State Wildlife Area, is the catch-and-release water locals call the Hog Trough, where mysis shrimp flushed from the reservoir grow some of the largest trout in Colorado. It is small, crowded and completely unforgiving: size 16 to 22 mysis and midge patterns on fine tippet to fish you can see.

Taylor Canyon

Below the wildlife area the river runs about three miles through private land before public water returns along Taylor Canyon Road, with Forest Service campgrounds including Lottis Creek giving easy access. Another block of private ranches takes over roughly 13 miles below the dam, then the Five Mile access opens the lower canyon.

Five Mile to Almont

From the Five Mile boat ramp down to Almont there is little private land and plenty of pocket water, and it sits closest to Gunnison and Crested Butte. At Almont the Taylor meets the East River to form the Gunnison. The whole run from the dam to Almont is Gold Medal water.

Rainbow trout

Rainbows are the fish that made the Taylor famous, especially in the mysis water just below the dam. Below the canyon they share the pools with browns and feed on the usual tailwater menu: midges all year, baetis in spring and fall, PMDs, caddis and green drakes in summer and tricos from July into September.

Brown trout

Browns are throughout the canyon and take over as the dominant fish toward Almont. Golden stones in June and July and streamers in September and October before the spawn are their moments. Rafting traffic on the canyon is heavy from May to September, so fish early.

Season and regulations

Bureau of Reclamation releases from Taylor Park Reservoir set the flow. Slackwater, a Crested Butte outfitter, puts optimal wade fishing between 180 and 300 cfs out of the dam, typical of April, May and August through October, with 300 to 400 cfs better for floating and wading getting difficult near the dam above about 250 cfs. This page compares the below-dam gauge to 180 to 300 cfs. The river is open all year; the dam section fishes through winter.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife rules: fishing prohibited from the dam downstream 325 yards as posted; from there to the lower boundary of the Taylor River State Wildlife Area, artificial flies and lures only and all trout returned immediately. Below the wildlife area the statewide bag limit applies. The current CPW fishing brochure has the exact boundaries.