Creek · Boulder
Boulder Creek near Orodell
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
TerrestrialsGoodJul–SepWarm enough for it
Best: warm afternoons
Confidence is graded from live National Weather Service conditions and gage flow as of Aug 1, 1:15 AM MDT. Time of day is left to you — check the “Best” line above.
What changed this week
- Emergency Closure posted Aug 1
Current conditions
Discharge
119cfs
Gage height
5.23ft
Water temp
—
normal for Aug 1 (39 yrs of record)
Last reading Aug 1, 1:15 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
70°F
Wind
0mph
Precip
1%
1027 mb → · Mostly Clear
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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