Fryingpan River · access
Basalt, Colorado, United States · United States
- Ruedi Dam / the FlatsThe most consistent water on the river and the first thing everyone fishes.
- The Bend PoolA deep, slow pool that holds the largest fish; fished best with a long leader, not weight.
- Basalt town waterWade-in access from the park; a good last hour when the upper river is crowded.
Licence and rules
Licence and rules. Colorado fishing licence required from 16 up. The Frying Pan below Ruedi is artificial-flies-only and catch-and-release for most of its length, with a small harvest section marked near Basalt. The catch-and-release water also bans the use of any weight attached to the line above the fly; split shot must be on the leader, not on the tippet knot.
Season
Fishable every day of the year thanks to constant 4–6°C releases
Flow
50–250 cfs most of the year; brief spikes to 400 cfs during Ruedi releases
Ruedi releases are cold enough that the Frying Pan rarely freezes and rarely warms above 12°C, which is why the shrimp hold on and why the fish keep growing. When the release is very low — 60 cfs or less — the flats above the bridge become spooky and the advantage moves to long leaders and a stealthy approach rather than more weight.