In this report
Flow’s Up—Tactical Shift This Week
We’re sitting at 33 CFS, which is genuinely solid for a small headwater stream like this. To put it plainly: on a freestone water fed by snowmelt and runoff, this is well above the typical low-water baseline of around 15 CFS that still fishes fine here. You’re looking at water with real push, good oxygenation, and enough volume to hold trout without them hugging every bank in panic mode. The upside is obvious—wading is easier, holding water is more spread out, and fish aren’t as trigger-shy as they get when this creek drops into single digits.
The downside, minimal as it is, is that higher flow concentrates the work. Trout won’t be lounging in every soft seam anymore. They’ll be in the deeper slots, behind what little cover exists in this open meadow, and in the current breaks that a creek this size actually offers. That means you’re not fishing as much water passively; you’re being more deliberate about where the fish actually need to be right now.
Temperature sits at 43°F—reasonable for early October and not a concern for handling or fish welfare during this week. That’s cold enough that trout should be active and feeding without stress.
What’s Hatching: Midges and the Tail End of October BWOs
October on this water means small stuff, and that’s not changing this week. The workhorse is the midge—your standard year-round foundation on any Colorado trout water. Think Black Beauty and Mercury Midge in #20–22, backed up by Zebra Midges and RS2 emergers in the #20–24 range. These are what you fish when nothing obvious is rising, and honestly, on a meadow water like this with overcast October weather, that’s most of the day.
Fall Blue-Winged Olives show up on the gray days—and we’re heading into prime BWO season. When the light flattens and clouds move in, watch for #20–22 dries to matter. The emergence window tends to be soft and extended on this water; there’s no dam to trigger a clean hatch window, so you get a slow, scattered coming off of the water. That means BWO nymphs and emergers are honestly often more productive than the dries. A #22 Barr’s Emerger or a small Mercury Olive in #20 can be deadly on a tight-line rig when the dries aren’t obvious.
Brown trout are moving into pre-spawn mode. That’s not the dominant story this week, but it’s worth knowing: if you’re interested in swinging a #4–6 black or olive streamer—a Woolly Bugger, a black Sculpin, something with some bulk—early morning and late afternoon are when you might connect with something heavier. This is not a streamer-focused creek most of the time, but October changes the equation for brown trout, especially on a freestone where the spawn is tied to the calendar, not a dam release.
How to Fish This Week
With 33 CFS pushing through meadow water, your strike zone is narrower than it is at lower flows. Fish the deeper slots and current seams deliberately.
Primary rig for the meadow: anchor your rig with weight. Use a #18 Barr’s-style nymph or a #18 Pheasant Tail as your point fly—something substantial enough to tell you when you’re getting to the bottom. Tie a #20–22 Mercury Midge or Zebra Midge or RS2 emerger 18 inches above it. That dropper is where the eats often come; it’s smaller, more suggestive, and positioned in the zone where trout feed on drifting emergers. Add split shot 12 inches above the point fly, positioned to tick bottom without hanging constantly. Use 4X tippet on the point fly and 5X on the dropper—the smaller diameter of the dropper matters on water this clear, and the 4X gives you security on the nymph when you’re working it deep and tight.
Fish this rig on a tight-line or euro-nymph approach. Set an indicator only if you’re fishing a deeper pool or a wider, softer seam—and even then, a small yarn indicator works better than a big bobber on a stream this size. Most of the time on Above Spinney, feel is your gauge. Keep the drift short and controlled; the current is pushing, but the water column isn’t deep. A 20- to 25-foot cast and drift is often enough.
Focus on the deeper runs and the scour holes just downstream of the meadow grasses and banks. In open meadow water like this, trout have nowhere to hide but in current breaks and depth. Where the creek bends slightly and cuts in, that’s a prime zone. Where it pools into a soft trough between rises, that’s a holding lie. Hit those deliberately and move on; you’re not going to blind-cast every foot and catch fish.
If you’re seeing rises or surface activity, strip out to a #20 or #22 BWO dry or a small Griffith’s Gnat as a midge imitation. On this water, when trout actually rise, they’re often committed. A dead-drift is the standard; on a meadow stream with limited current complexity, drag is immediately obvious to the fish.
Meadow Water Manners and Flow Sensitivity
This is a State Wildlife Area, and it’s meadow water—meaning you’re sharing it with other anglers and the trout are spookable even at decent flows. At 33 CFS, they’re less paranoid than they would be at 10 CFS, but they’re not sloppy. Wade deliberately. Approach from below and to the side. Keep your false casts behind you and low. Long leaders are not a luxury here; they’re a necessity. Use at least 9 feet of tippet from your leader butt, and don’t skimp.
Remember that seasonal closures apply at points in the year for spawning protection. Early October is generally accessible, but it’s always worth confirming access status for the specific meadow sections before you go—the SWA website will have current info.
Enjoy the week. The flow is cooperative, the temperature is right, and the fishing is small-water precision. That’s what Above Spinney demands, and it’s worth the focus.