Frying Pan River Fishing Report: March 19, 2026
Location: Basalt (Ruedi Reservoir to the Confluence)
Current Flow: ~41 CFS
Clarity: Gin Clear
While the lower valley is seeing the early effects of spring, the Frying Pan remains its classic, reliable self. The dry fly fishing is solid, offering a more technical alternative to the “Big River” action down in Glenwood. Good hatches of midges are a daily occurrence with increasing numbers of BWOs weekly. The river is very low and it’s a bit of a ‘shooting fish in a barrel’ situation right now. Though certainly not for all, it does offer good fishing for beginner anglers.
Midgezilla and the BWO Preview
As is typical for the Pan, the name of the game is small flies and light tippet, though the fish are feeding aggressively in the upper miles.
Midges: We are seeing heavy concentrations of size 20–22 midges, particularly along the upper river. These sheer number of midges are bringing the river’s browns to the surface even in the morning hours.
BWO Watch: We are still a few days to a couple of weeks out from the heavy, blanket Blue Winged Olive hatches that define springtime on the Pan. However, the nymphs are becoming restless.
Tactics: Sight-fishing is at its peak. Look for fish suspended in the water column intercepting midge pupae. A 6x or 7x fluorocarbon tippet is mandatory to fool these educated fish.
Recommended Patterns
