Thread: Floating the Rio Grande / Colorado

Anybody here have a good handle on floatable flows for drift boats on the Rio for Creede / South Fork? I know it's high right now but it's dropping and should be down early. It's hard to get a handle on what levels are good at the gauges (Wagon Wheel Gap, Del Norte, what else should I be looking at?)

I have wade fished it before but want to get the boat up there and figure it out. Information is scarce. I'm too cheap to hire a guide. I have heard from reliable sources that landowners can vary from militant to certifiably insane on protecting their property, even if you scrape a gravel bar, at least up in Creede. I'd prefer not to get in (another) gunfight on the river! My buddy already wants to mount a swivel gun on the Clacka. Any hints from mags in the know? Much of the river is private, and Colorado is no bueno for stream access...

Thanks. I promise not to kiss any fish.

Originally Posted by NMmatt

Anybody here have a good handle on floatable flows for drift boats on the Rio for Creede / South Fork? I know it's high right now but it's dropping and should be down early. It's hard to get a handle on what levels are good at the gauges (Wagon Wheel Gap, Del Norte, what else should I be looking at?)

I have wade fished it before but want to get the boat up there and figure it out. Information is scarce. I'm too cheap to hire a guide. I have heard from reliable sources that landowners can vary from militant to certifiably insane on protecting their property, even if you scrape a gravel bar, at least up in Creede. I'd prefer not to get in (another) gunfight on the river! My buddy already wants to mount a swivel gun on the Clacka. Any hints from mags in the know? Much of the river is private, and Colorado is no bueno for stream access...

Thanks. I promise not to kiss any fish.

i floated the rio grande around South Fork this time last year. i don't recall the flows, but it was ok with my drifty. no big rapids, just some rocks hear and there. i think if it was slightly lower, it would still have been floatable, but not quite as fun. threw streamers for two days and the fish were pounding them. we put in just north of town and took out below town. i don't recall the names of the put ins, but they were really nice. didn't see a single other boat in two days. your best bet would be to call the guys at Wolf Creek Anglers in South Fork. They are super friendly and can recommend a float for you, as well as let you know what the water levels are like and if it's suitable for a drift boat. i didn't have any issues with landowners. i believe the creede area has more hostile landowners than South Fork due to a couple private ranches that have made a lot of stream improvements and don't like people poaching their water. if you go through that area, definitely obey the rules and don't anchor up or get out of the boat. they will be watching.

http://wolfcreekanglers.com/

overall, that's an amazing river system with good fish.

Thanks for the beta. I guess I'm trying to figure out the best flows for the top section (Creede). I will give Wolf Creek Anglers a ring.

I won't anchor or get out on private land - I never do. I guess I find it a bit intense if someone is following the boat down from shore just to see if I run aground or briefly hit the bottom on a sandbar. I think that's overboard. It's not their water- I have every intention of not trespassing on their stream bed, but things don't always go perfectly in a boat.

I got nothing for you but would like to poach off what you learn and would love a trip report. I'm thinking about that area for an early September trip, but this might be the wrong year for that with anticipated water levels. If I know what water levels you have and then can compare to what's there in August, it might help me make the call on whether to go there or elsewhere.

One thing that fishing back home in the midwest was great for was access. As long as you stayed in the water you were all good to wade where you wanted. Used to get in at a public access and wade a good ways through a golf course to the dam upstream to hit steelhead back in the day. Nothing the course could do about it as long as we stayed in the water. The concept of their stream bed still seems strange to me.

Hmmm....I was planning on looking at this area for my bachelor party in late July. Wonder what is going to happen with flows.

I've floated the Rio for a handful of years and love it. Creede is an outstanding little town to stay in for a few nights (Snowshoe Motel being the main lodging option, Tommyknocker the main bar though the other one is worthy too, and not a lot of dinner options past about 8pm so don't dally). We generally aim for mid/late June in hopes of hitting dries. Didn't make it at all this year though.

The oxbows section, a 14 mile float taking out at Rio Grande Campground, is top notch but requires something like 700+ cfs at the 30 Mile Bridge gauge.

I've floated the lower stuff (putting in at Palisades Campground etc) with 530cfs at Wagon Wheel gap and it was great (hit simultaneous drakes caddis and sallies a couple years ago). That was in a raft, though I don't recall any major scrapage that'd be a problem for a hard boat.

As for late July, I'm afraid you'll be wading only. Or maybe floating below South Fork if you're lucky. I think that the usual floating season runs through about the 4th, maybe later, but this year will be done a lot earlier. Could check out the Conejos too, a wading option. Creede would be well worth your bachelor party time.

In addition to Wolf Creek Anglers listed above, I look at the reports from South Fork Anglers. They tend to be slightly pessimistic, but are very helpful.

Floated 5 days 2 weeks ago, nailed it sick - pics & TR coming. I would say its over until fall or lots of rain, for the sake of the fish. Water's already too warm in town, and too low to float higher up. Incredible river!

edited to remove redundant post.

(got caught in waiting-for-mod-approval neverneverland for a while)

edit to remove redundant...

Apologies for the mild cuntage.

Floated Sunday Wagon Wheel Gap to the county road below Palisade CG. I think it was around 700 and we did it in the drift boat. Bony in spots but we did fine. I wouldn't do that stretch any lower in a hard boat unless you want to make some noise. South Fork down I think you could do at lower flows in a drift boat. Trying to get over again this weekend, but will take the inflatable for sure.

Salmonflies and caddis were coming off Sunday. We did great. Boated 16, broke off at least that many, and missed countless others. Mostly brown in the 14-16" range. I think the fish are in general bigger below SF.

Here's an overdue trip report. We bit the bullet and headed up to Palisades campground - somehow we timed it perfectly when they raised the flows back up to floatable levels on the top end for 4 days. We floated the oxbows, wagon wheel gap down through the SWA, and through town for 5 days. Fishing was great - browns to 18", a few rainbows but one 20" hog, and even a 16" Rio Grande native cutthroat. Caught quite a few on big salmon flies, mostly put on to keep my nymphs up in the fast water. Stoneflies nymphs were very productive throughout.




Pictures were sometimes hard to come by, especially in the oxbows section. Two people, no anchoring, low water, good fishing, occasional 50 mph wind blasts and 14 miles made for a busy day!






Here comes the pain - bad weather = good fishing. Violent wind made it hard not to trespass but we managed it. We forgot the anchor this day so no one could accuse us of that.




Not the best picture but he's local.



Oxbows.



Homestretch.



The old one-match fire.








More fishing.







I threw em all back.





It's not a whitewater river but that doesn't mean there isn't a chingaload of rocks!



Sure was pretty!

Ha, I've camped that same spot.

Nice stuff. Gotta get up there.

Excellent work, NMatt. Looks like a solid time. The oxbows sure are fun in high winds...

Do you know what the flows were when you floated the oxbows? I'd like to figure out what the low end is for that stretch it seems like a narrow window between too-high-and-muddy, and too-low-too-float.

Originally Posted by Ignatius

it seems like a narrow window between too-high-and-muddy, and too-low-too-float.

That's for sure. We floated it at four eight five and it was pretty well ideal in my mind, at least with a battleship like the Clacka. I wouldn't go below four myself.