In this report
Flow Is Below Average for June — Fish Early and Fish Tight
We’re sitting at 105 CFS this week, which is solidly in the lower half of Eleven Mile’s typical 50–150 CFS range. For a tailwater that fishes best around 150–250 CFS, this is lean water. That doesn’t mean don’t go — it means the fish are compressed into holding zones, the canyon’s scattered pockets demand precision, and your success hinges on finding the right lies and not spooking them.
Low flow on a canyon this size concentrates trout. The deep slots and eddies behind rocks that scatter fish when flows push 200-plus CFS become magnets now. You’ll see fewer fish working, but the ones you find are often willing — they don’t have the comfort of broken current to hide in. The tradeoff: visibility cuts both ways. Fish see you as easily as you see them. Wade deliberately. Keep your shadow off the water. Don’t false-cast over fish you’ve spotted.
Water temperature this early in June is still reasonable for active feeding, but low flow means less aeration and slower heat transfer. That said, we’re not in crisis yet. Respect the fish anyway — net them quickly if you land one, and consider catch-and-release if you’re fishing midday heat.
Pale Morning Duns Own the Midday Window
June is PMD season on Colorado tailwaters, and Eleven Mile is no exception. Expect a genuine emergence window between late morning and early afternoon — not the all-day midge show of winter, but a real hatch that brings aggressive subsurface and surface feeding.
Fish a #16 or #18 PMD emerger as your primary dun pattern. On low flow, these insects move slower through the water column, and trout have time to inspect them. A slightly undersized emerger (#18) often outfishes a larger dry. If you’re seeing actual duns on the water, a #16 or #18 PMD dry will work, but be ready to switch back to emergers immediately — tailwater fish rarely hammer dries as consistently as the nymphs.
The tactic: fish the emerger as a dropper below a small midge. Tie a #22 or #24 midge (Mercury Midge or RS2 emerger) as your anchor, and hang a #18 PMD emerger on a 12- to 18-inch dropper of 5X tippet. On water this low and clear, the midge is nearly invisible to the angler but absolutely visible to the fish — it becomes your weight and your indicator all at once. Fish tight-line or with a small indicator, depending on depth. In the deeper slots, a tiny yarn indicator 2 feet above the flies lets you detect takes without adding drag.
Weight sparingly. A single small split-shot pinched 8 inches above the midge is often enough at 105 CFS. The goal is to drift the PMD at the level where emergers hang — roughly the middle of the water column in shallow runs, tight to the bottom in deeper pockets. Low flow means shallower water overall; don’t assume the deep slots are actually deep here.
Caddis in the Evenings, Midges All Day
Caddis (#14–16) will start sporadically late in the afternoons and into early evening as June progresses, but they’re not yet the dominant evening hatch. Fish them if you see them — a #16 tan or olive caddis dry or emergent pattern — but don’t plan your day around them. They’ll show more consistently as the month deepens.
Midges, by contrast, are always in play. A #20–24 black midge or zebra midge fished subsurface throughout the day will catch fish even outside the PMD window. Many anglers overlook the middle of the day if there’s no visible emerger activity, but on a tailwater, that’s a mistake. Fish a midge dropper off a larger attractor or off the bend of a small nymph, and you’ll stay connected.
Where to Fish This Flow
At 105 CFS, don’t waste time on the thin, broken water that fishes so well when flows push 200 CFS. Look instead for the deepest slots — the narrow funnel-like zones where current compresses between rocks — and the quiet eddies immediately below them. These are your high-percentage water.
The pocket water that makes Eleven Mile distinctive — those shallow, riffly sections scattered along the 3.8-mile Quality Waters stretch — becomes trickier at low flow. Fish still hold there, but they’re more easily spooked and less forgiving. If you wade through it, do so carefully and fish it thoroughly. Don’t just prospect blindly; look for the smallest depressions where trout can tuck out of the current.
Fish the deeper runs and pools with confidence. At this flow, depth is your friend. A sustained 6- to 8-foot stretch of even mildly faster current will hold multiple fish. Drift your emerger combination through these zones, and work them methodically.
Access and Stewardship Notes
Remember the $11 per vehicle fee at the entrance station — this is a US Forest Service charge for Pike-San Isabel National Forest, not covered by a state parks pass. The roadside pullout access along the old railway bed means you can fish multiple sections without long hikes, which is perfect for a low-flow week when finding concentrated fish matters more than covering distance.
With water this warm-side-of-cool and flow this constrained, handle fish quickly and avoid stacking too many into any one hole. This canyon gets traffic in June; spread your effort across the 3.8-mile stretch rather than camping in a single pool.