Drought has wreaked havoc on summer fishing in Colorado where river flows have decreased to near-historic levels and led to many fishing closures, both voluntary and mandatory, on popular waterways. But there are still opportunities to make a few casts in what one website recently called the best “under-the-radar” fishing spot in the country.
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The Upper Conejos River in southern Colorado was named the top fishing destination that’s still something of a secret by Rightboat, an online marketplace for boats. The website ranked 10 places in the U.S. based on online search data, TripAdvisor reviews, publicly available tourism data, wildlife information, and geological data to determine which waterways offer plentiful natural beauty and few crowds. The less Google-searched and the less publicized on social media, the better.
Described as “a brilliant trout fishing destination in Colorado’s southern San Juan Mountains,” it took the top spot because it is so remote and requires a hike to reach the upper part of the river, which has several additional forks. Other anglers online tend to agree, with one fly retailer boasting, “there are places to hike in and not see a soul for weeks.”
“You’ll find wild rainbow, brown, and brook trout in cold, fast-moving mountain water here, with the dramatic San Juan peaks rising above 14,000 feet on the horizon and elk grazing the meadows below,” Rightboat said.
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Since July, the river has been under voluntary afternoon fishing closures. People are discouraged from fishing between noon and midnight, when the water is at its warmest and fish become stressed, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Anglers should use a handheld thermometer to test water conditions and move to cooler, higher-elevation waters once temperatures approach 71 degrees, the agency advises.
CPW maintains a spreadsheet of all of Colorado’s fishing closures so locals can stay up to date with the latest conditions. If you’re itching to drop a line elsewhere in the U.S., Rightboat’s top five includes the Conasauga River in Georgia, the Big Bend region of Florida, the Cranberry River in West Virginia, and the Eleven Point River in Missouri.
See the full list here.
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