In this report
69 CFS Is Tight for Eleven Mile — Fish the Midge Window and Pick Your Water Type
The flow chart shows 69 CFS this week, and that’s meaningfully below the typical 50–150 range for this tailwater. You’re not in crisis, but you’re in the lower quartile, and the real consequence is this: holding water shrinks. The deep slots and pocket seams that usually offer refuge become harder to find, and the fish that are there will be concentrated and consequently more spooky. The 60-degree water temperature is healthy, but low flow always means less oxygen circulation and warmer afternoons—if you’re fishing midday, expect fish to be tucked tight and finicky rather than aggressive.
What this means tactically is you need to abandon any notion of blind-casting across broad runs and instead work the specific water types that still hold fish at this volume. The tight pockets along the canyon walls, the slower glides where the current has room to decelerate, and the tail ends of pools where fish stage without expending energy—those are your only reliable zones. At 69 CFS you’re wading the river without drama, but the fish know every angler’s footstep twice as much as they would at 150 CFS. Move deliberately, stay low, and make your first cast count.
Midges First, Then Fall Baetis in the Afternoon Lull
Midges dominate Eleven Mile year-round, and September is no exception. Start the morning with a two-fly midge rig: a #22 or #24 black Beauty or Mercury Midge on the point, fished tight-line or under a small indicator in the deeper slots immediately below the dam and in the deeper pockets as you work downstream. These fish have seen ten thousand midge patterns, so presentation matters more than fly choice—dead-drift accuracy and a natural, unhurried swing are worth more than pattern innovation.
By late morning and into early afternoon, as cloud cover builds or the light softens, watch for the first fall Baetis (BWO) emergence. These are #20–22 insects, smaller than their spring and early-summer cousins. On low flow, they won’t come off in biblical numbers, but they’ll bring selective fish to the surface for a window of maybe an hour or ninety minutes. Have a few #20 or #22 parachute BWO dries or comparadun-style patterns tied and ready, but don’t chase them hard if the afternoon light stays harsh. If clouds hold, fish the BWO window seriously; if the canyon fills with direct sun, drop back to subsurface work with a #20–22 BWO emerger as your dropper.
The Tricos have tapered for the season, so don’t waste time on spinner falls or spent shucks. Terrestrials—small hoppers, ants, beetles—can still produce in the margins, but they’re a secondary play. The midge-to-Baetis combination is where your confidence should rest.
Rig for Depth and Spookiness
Because the flow is low and fish are concentrated, your midge setup needs precision. Use a tight-line or indicator rig with a substantial anchor fly: a #16 Barr’s Owl or similar weighted pattern on the point, with your #22–24 midge emerger or soft-hackle dropper 16 to 20 inches above it. This gives you the weight to reach the seam bottoms where fish hold, while keeping the smaller fly in the zone where takes will register cleanly.
Split-shot placement matters more than it does on higher flows. Add one small shot 12 inches above the dropper, not directly on the tippet knot. This way you’re ticking the bottom of the deeper pockets without constant snags, and the dropper stays relatively high and alive in the water column. In the shallower glides and tail-outs, you can fish the same rig without shot—just let the weight of the point fly carry you down.
Use 5X tippet on your dropper at this flow and temperature. The water is clear and the fish are shy, but 5X gives you enough backbone to set on a midge take without breaking on the hookset. The smaller flies in September don’t demand 6X or finer.
If you’re fishing an indicator, choose one small enough that you’re not telegraphing your presence across clear water. The Eleven Mile runs low and transparent; a big yarn indicator is a dinner bell. A small foam ball or a pinch of foam on the tippet is all you need.
Water Types That Hold Fish This Week
Focus on three distinct zones:
The pocket water immediately below the dam holds fish that feed on the richest midge densities. These pockets are tight and require short, accurate casts, but the turnover rate is high. Work upstream, casting tight to the canyon wall and letting your rig swing naturally into the seams.
The deeper pools and glide-fed stretches along the mid-canyon sections are where Baetis emergers shine. These are slower water types, and fish here are less aggressive than in the chop. Make longer drifts; set up 20 or 30 feet above where you want to fish and let the rig work through naturally. A take will be subtle.
The tail-out zones where the current slows before dropping into the next run or pool are excellent for Baetis dries on the hatch window, and for emergers the rest of the day. These are shallow and exposed, so approach from below and cast upstream with a long leader.
Avoid the broad, shallow mid-channel runs. At 69 CFS there’s not enough water there to hold feeding fish, only pass-through fish that spook at a shadow.
Access and Stewardship This Week
The $11 day-use fee at the USFS entrance station is standard year-round. The designated catch-and-release, artificial-flies-only segment runs 3.8 miles from the dam downstream to the Wagon Tongue Gulch Road bridge. You have plenty of roadside pullout access along the old Colorado Midland Railway bed—use it. September crowds are lighter than summer, and the road parallels the river closely enough that you can scout from your vehicle before committing to a walk.
Water temperature at 60 degrees is safe for extended play, but don’t abuse it. If you’re handling fish, keep time out of water brief. At low flows, fish are already stressed from lack of oxygen circulation; a careless release can do real damage.
Fish early and late this week when light is low and the canyon is quieter. At 69 CFS and full daylight, the narrow tailwater fishes hardest in the softer hours.