Creek · Boulder
Boulder Creek (Boulder Canyon)
Seasonal notes
Boulder Creek near Orodell sits at the upper end of Boulder Canyon, about four miles west of town, where the creek is still a true mountain freestone rather than the urban corridor it becomes further downstream. Wild brown trout are the primary resident, with fish growing slowly in the cold, moderately fertile water. Runoff here peaks later than metro streams — expect blown conditions from late April through mid-June in most years, with the best dry-fly fishing in July through September. Blue-winged olives come off on cloudy afternoons from early spring through fall; caddis are a close second in June and July. The canyon is steep-walled and the creek is boulder-choked, so short-rod, high-stick nymphing and careful roll-casts are the standard technique. Orodell itself is a cluster of houses near a Forest Service trailhead — park there and fish upstream or down.
What’s hatching
Blue-winged OliveGoodSpring through fallCloud cover
Best: cloudy afternoons
TerrestrialsFairJul–SepIn season — nothing pushing it either way
Best: warm afternoons
Confidence is graded from live National Weather Service conditions and gage flow as of Sep 15, 5:35 AM MDT. Time of day is left to you — check the “Best” line above.
What changed this week
No new stocking, closures, or condition changes in the past week.
Current conditions
Discharge
31cfs
Gage height
4.60ft
Water temp
—
below normal for Sep 15 (39 yrs of record)
Last reading Sep 15, 5:15 AM MDT. Source: U.S. Geological Survey gage 06730200.
Nearest active gage is Boulder Creek at N 75th St, downstream of town. Canyon flows run lower.
Weather
Air temp
55°F
Wind
5mph
Precip
16%
1025 mb ↑ · Slight Chance Rain Showers
Latest Stocking
No stocking recorded this season.
Special regulations
Wild-trout-only section of Boulder Canyon — artificials only, catch-and-release for all brown trout 15 inches and over in the canyon segments. Check the current CPW fishing brochure because Boulder Creek's regulations have changed in recent seasons as CPW works to recover the wild brown population. The canyon is accessible via US-119 pull-offs; some private land is interspersed, so watch for posted signs.
Quick ref: Boulder Canyon freestone; wild brown + stocked rainbow
Location
Nearby waters
Nearby fly shops
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