The river and the hills around Gypsum reward local knowledge. Here is who guides this country, what a guided day looks like, and how to check that an outfitter is licensed before you book.
Fly fishing presented by founding sponsor Colorado River Outfitters
The Eagle runs through Gypsum on its last miles to the Colorado at Dotsero. Brown and rainbow trout hold through town and below, and this lower stretch gets a fraction of the pressure the upper river sees.
Floats put in at the Gypsum Ponds State Wildlife Area, with several take-outs downstream. The last one is Duck Pond Open Space, just west of town.
Colorado River Outfitters counts the Eagle among its favorite shoulder-season rivers, good in spring and fall when plenty of Colorado water sits empty. Early summer brings golden stoneflies and caddis, and late summer is hopper season. Spring runoff can turn the river big and off-color for weeks, so check the gauge before you plan a day.
Live river conditions USGS gaugeA good guide reads the day's flows, hatches, and weather and builds the trip around them. On the lower Eagle, the best of them don't have far to drive.
Several Colorado River Outfitters guides live in Eagle and Gypsum. They guide the lower Eagle often, and it is a river they love.
A float covers miles of river with the guide on the oars. A wade trip works one stretch on foot, which suits families and first-timers.
Boats, rods, reels, and flies are part of the trip. You bring a Colorado fishing license, layers, and sunscreen.
Many of the guides are avid hunters who spend the fall in the hills around town, so they know this country in more than one season.
Brian Hilbert of Colorado River Outfitters posts a fishing report or hatch guide most weeks, covering the Eagle, the Colorado, and the Roaring Fork. The newest posts show up here on their own.
Brian Hilbert, Co-owner
A guide-owned fly fishing outfitter in the Vail Valley, running float and wade trips on the Eagle, the Colorado, the Roaring Fork, and beyond. Brian guided wild steelhead on the Oregon coast and fly-out lodges in western Alaska before moving to Colorado in 2016, and he designs signature flies for Montana Fly Company.
(970) 236-1937 · flyfish@coloradoriveroutfitters.net
Book a trip Read the fishing reportFly fishing content on Gypsum Outside is presented by Colorado River Outfitters, Colorado Outfitter License #493. Sponsorship does not change our coverage of the town.
Gypsum sits in Game Management Unit 44, mule deer and elk country with a national reputation. If you plan to hunt it with an outfitter, check three things before you book.
Colorado requires outfitters who take people hunting or fishing for pay to register with the state. Search any outfitter by name on DORA's license lookup.
Archery and muzzleloader run in September and the four rifle seasons run from mid-October into late November. See this year's dates.
Deer licenses in the unit are limited and drawn, so you need the license in hand first. An outfitter guides the hunt; the license comes from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Gypsum Creek Outfitters guides deer and elk in the unit. Gypsum Creek Outfitters Hunting around Gypsum
Yes, if you are 16 or older. Anglers 15 and under fish free. Ages 16 and 17 need a youth fishing license, and adults need a Colorado fishing license plus the annual Habitat Stamp, required once a year for ages 18 to 64. Guided trips do not include the license, so buy it from Colorado Parks and Wildlife before your trip.
Spring and fall are the favorites. Colorado River Outfitters calls the Eagle one of its best shoulder-season rivers, when many Colorado rivers see fewer anglers. Early summer brings golden stoneflies and caddis, and late summer brings hopper fishing. Spring runoff can make the river big and off-color for weeks, so check the live gauge before you plan a day.
A float trip covers miles of river, with the guide rowing and putting you on water you could not reach on foot. A wade trip slows down and works one stretch carefully, which suits families, first-timers, and anglers who want to improve their technique. Both run on the Eagle near Gypsum.
The in-town put-in is at the Gypsum Ponds State Wildlife Area, with several take-outs downstream of town. The last take-out for floats is Duck Pond Open Space, just west of Gypsum.
Colorado requires outfitters who take people hunting or fishing for pay to register with the state's Office of Outfitters Registration, part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). Search any outfitter by business or owner name on DORA's online license lookup before you book.