Fly Fishing Bear Creek - Evergreen to Morrison

Overview

Fly fishing Bear Creek, Colorado between Evergreen and Morrison is a study in contrasts: a small Front Range freestone that threads through canyon pocket water, suburban backyards, and county open space, yet still holds trout fishing close to Denver. The creek leaves Evergreen Lake Dam at roughly 7,000 feet, tumbles east through the village of Kittredge, carves the tight Bear Creek Canyon along Highway 74, and finally mellows into the cottonwood flats around Morrison near 5,500 feet. That elevation band — low by Colorado mountain-stream standards — is the single most important thing to understand about this fishery. Bear Creek warms earlier, greens up sooner, and runs its hatches ahead of the high-country streams that sit a couple thousand feet higher.

The canyon reach below Evergreen Lake Dam holds streambred brown trout, supplemented by rainbows in the deeper plunge pools. Deep, shaded pools below boulder gardens hold browns that reward careful presentations. Up in the colder pockets near the dam and the highest tributaries, a scattering of brook trout adds a splash of color to the catch.

This guide focuses on the canyon water between Evergreen and Morrison. Boulders and short runs call for controlled drifts, while slower pool tails reward a quiet approach and finer presentation.

Canyon Tactics

The Kittredge corridor lies in the middle of the section. Here the creek alternates between steep, boulder-choked drops and short, gravelly runs, with short seams that reward accurate casts. Canyon shade can influence feeding activity.

Because Bear Creek sits low and warms quickly, the bug calendar opens early. Midges are the year-round backbone, fishing best throughout winter and spring when little else is moving; size 20 to 24 zebra midges, black beauties, and Griffith's gnats fished in slow winter seams are useful cold-season patterns. Blue-winged olives are the first mayfly to matter, appearing as early as late winter and running through mid-late spring, with a second window from fall into mid-late fall. Overcast afternoons trigger the heaviest BWO activity, and size 18 to 22 emergers and parachutes drifted along foam lines are useful during a hatch. The caddis show is the creek's signature event: hatches run from mid-spring clear through mid-fall, especially during concentrated spring emergences. Carry elk hair caddis, X-caddis, and soft-hackle pupa in sizes 14 to 18.

Summer layers in the larger bugs. Pale morning duns hatch midday from early summer into mid-late summer in the slower glides, while golden stoneflies bring fish to bigger profiles from mid-late spring into summer — there are no salmonflies in this drainage, so a size 10 to 14 golden stone or a Chubby Chernobyl covers the heavy-water need. Yellow sallies flutter along the riffles throughout summer, matched with a size 14 to 16 attractor. As the banks dry out, the creek's grassland and riparian corridor lights up with terrestrials: ants through summer and fall and hoppers from mid-summer into mid-fall, both worth trying when twitched tight to the undercut banks and overhanging willows.

Reading Bear Creek is classic pocket-water work. The productive lies are the cushions in front of boulders, the seams where fast water peels off into slack, the deeper slots beneath bridges, and the tailouts of every plunge pool. A short rod and a tight-line or dry-dropper approach shine here — a buoyant attractor with a beadhead pheasant tail or perdigon dropper covers most situations from runoff's recession through fall. Anglers who fish the bigger Front Range rivers will find Bear Creek a refreshing change of pace: there is no spey-distance casting, just careful wading, accurate short casts, and drag-free drifts in fast, broken currents.

Gear selection should match the scale of the water. A 7- to 8-foot rod in 3- or 4-weight is ideal for the tight canyon casting, where overhanging willows and conifer branches punish a long backcast. Leaders of 7-1/2 to 9 feet tapered to 5X cover most dry-dropper and nymphing situations; drop to 6X only when the slower pools and educated pool-fish demand it. Because the creek is small and clear, stealth pays disproportionate dividends — approach from downstream, keep a low profile against the bankside vegetation, and fish the near water before wading into it. The browns hold tight to structure and will not tolerate a sloppy first cast.

A word on the urban setting: Bear Creek shares its corridor with hikers, dog-walkers, tubers, and, in the lower reaches, heavy weekend recreation traffic. Leave room for other visitors along the trails and creek.

Snowmelt and canyon thunderstorms can change Bear Creek quickly. In higher or discolored current, work reachable seams and sheltered edges with nymphs. In clearer water, approach quietly and keep casts short, especially around the pool tails.

On mild winter days with open water, try small midges and slow drifts in deeper holding water. Dress for the canyon shade and adjust your plans for ice and current conditions.