Migratory prime time on the Dream Stream happens four times a year: Early April, May through August, October, and late November to early March. Early April is the best time for pursuing large rainbows, cutthroats, and cuttbows, while late November is ideal for trophy browns. But timing your trip for when fish are migrating in large numbers can be tough.

Trout move into the river when the water reaches a desirable temperature and flow. Temperature is important because when flows remain low, the largest trout still enter the system to reside or spawn when it warms to the right degree. Low-flow migration peaks when temperatures reach the low 40s to low 50s in spring. In the fall, temperatures in the high 40s to mid-50s are ideal. Increased water flow also encourages trout to enter the river, supplying cover, oxygen, and abundant amounts of food.

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Landon Mayer is a guide and author of How to Catch the Biggest Trout of Your Life (Wild River Press, Spring 2007). He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This article originally appeared in the May 2007 issue of Fly Fisherman.

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