Creek · Denver Metro
Clear Creek at Golden
Seasonal notes
Clear Creek through Golden is one of the most accessible urban trout fisheries on the Front Range — the creek runs directly through the heart of downtown Golden, with parking and pocket water within steps of local breweries. The fishery runs from the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon down through town, and a healthy mix of stocked rainbows and holdover browns occupies the deeper pools behind the larger boulders. Heavy runoff from the high country (typically April through June) turns the creek opaque and unfishable, but by mid-July it drops and clears into prime small-stream dry-fly territory. Attractors like elk-hair caddis and parachute Adams work well; small bead-heads on a tight-line nymphing rig are reliable year-round. The canyon section upstream offers additional pocket water and far less foot traffic.
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, 8:32 AM MST. Time of day is left to you — check the “Best” line above.
What changed this week
- Emergency Closure posted Oct 31
- Emergency Closure posted Oct 30
Current conditions
Discharge
49cfs
Gage height
3.62ft
Water temp
—
below normal for Nov 1 (52 yrs of record)
Last reading Nov 1, 8:45 AM MST. Source: U.S. Geological Survey gage 06719505.
Weather
Air temp
48°F
Wind
3mph
Precip
12%
1017 mb → · Patchy Fog
Latest Stocking
No stocking recorded this season.
Special regulations
Standard Colorado fishing regulations through Golden — bait and lures are permitted. The creek is stocked by CPW in spring; some fish overwinter. Portions of the creek through the City of Golden are open to public fishing as a designated fishing easement. Check current CPW stocking reports — Golden is one of the more frequently stocked urban segments on the Front Range.
Quick ref: Urban-accessible; stocked + wild trout through Golden
Location
Nearby waters
Nearby fly shops
Get Clear Creek at Golden conditions every Thursday
Flow, the go/no-go call, CPW stocking and closure notices for Clear Creek at Golden — one email, Thursday morning. Sign up and we'll send this week's report right now.