Colorado is a fly fisherman’s paradise, with hundreds of rivers and streams to explore. With so many options, it can be overwhelming to choose where to cast your line. According to local Colorado fishing reports, here is a list of some of the best fly fishing rivers in Colorado, in no particular order, to help you narrow down your options.

1. Rio Grande

Rio Grande, the second-longest river in the US, is a top pick for fly fishing in Colorado. The river is home to a variety of fish, the brown trout being the most abundant. The Rio Grande is both floatable and wadeable, depending on the season, and offers both public and private access. The private waters are less fished as many of the properties are working cattle farms, but public areas closer to the road receive more pressure.

• Animas River

The Animas, located near Durango, is an excellent fly-fishing river that’s known for its large fish. The river is over one hundred feet wide in some areas, providing plenty of space and food sources for rainbow and brown trout to grow. Both public and private access to the river is available, with the town of Durango offering almost 7 miles of riverbank for fly fishing.

• Dolores River

The Dolores River offers two different fishing experiences. The tailwater fishery between the Dolores Reservoir and Rico features a healthy population of brook, rainbow, and brown trout, and much of the area is publicly accessible. The lower river is mostly private land, but has larger fish thanks to the lower fishing pressure. The Dolores is known for its hatches of midges, caddis, and salmon flies, which the fish gorge on.

• Piedra River

The Piedra River in southwest Colorado is known for its stunning scenery, with deep pools surrounded by cliffs and open meadow streams. Brown and rainbow are the most common fish you can catch here, but cutthroat trout can also be found. The canyon system can be accessed by hike-in only, so you may have the pools to yourself. However, fishing in the early spring runoff is not advised due to the high walls of the canyon.

• Blue River

The Blue River is known for its exceptional tailwater fishing. It lost its Gold Medal designation back in 2016, but the Silverthorne section was later redesignated as Gold Medal Stream in 2017. This change put a focus on better management of the river and improved trout populations. The Blue River flows north through Silverthorne, offering a unique combination of trophy trout fishing and tourist hotspots. Although the trout in this section experience heavy pressure, a productive fishing day with the chance of catching a 20-inch fish is still possible.

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced angler, Colorado is the perfect place to cast your line and enjoy thrill of fly fishing. Whichever of the rivers described above you decide to go fly fishing on, you’re certainly going to have an unforgettable – and productive – adventure.