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
MidgeIn seasonWinterIn season — no live conditions to judge it by
Best: midday
Confidence is graded from live National Weather Service conditions and gage flow as of Nov 1, 8:35 AM MST. Time of day is left to you — check the “Best” line above.
What changed this week
- Conditions approaching closure thresholds — no official CPW closure posted (Nov 1)
- Emergency Closure posted Oct 31
- Conditions approaching closure thresholds — no official CPW closure posted (Oct 31)
- Emergency Closure posted Oct 30
- Conditions approaching closure thresholds — no official CPW closure posted (Oct 30)
- Conditions approaching closure thresholds — no official CPW closure posted (Oct 29)
- Conditions approaching closure thresholds — no official CPW closure posted (Oct 28)
- Conditions approaching closure thresholds — no official CPW closure posted (Oct 26)
Current conditions
Discharge
4.6cfs
Gage height
3.84ft
Water temp
—
much below normal for Nov 1 (40 yrs of record)
Last reading Nov 1, 8:15 AM MST. 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
46°F
Wind
0mph
Precip
15%
1016 mb ↓ · Slight Chance Rain Showers
Active Closures
derived_risk
Elevated closure risk — flow/temp. No official CPW closure posted.
In effect since Oct 29
No official CPW closure posted.
derived_risk
Elevated closure risk — flow/temp. No official CPW closure posted.
In effect since Oct 30
No official CPW closure posted.
derived_risk
Elevated closure risk — flow/temp. No official CPW closure posted.
In effect since Oct 31
No official CPW closure posted.
derived_risk
Elevated closure risk — flow/temp. No official CPW closure posted.
In effect since Nov 1
No official CPW closure posted.
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
Get Boulder Creek (Boulder Canyon) conditions every Thursday
Flow, the go/no-go call, CPW stocking and closure notices for Boulder Creek (Boulder Canyon) — one email, Thursday morning. Sign up and we'll send this week's report right now.