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Cutthroat Anglers Colorado Fly Fishing Shop and Guide Service

River & Lake Information

Williams Fork River

The upper stretch of the Williams Fork River is a small mountain stream. This stream has decent fishing for small rainbows and brook trout even though the catch-and-keep crowd took its toll on the fish population. This is still a good choice for an angler looking to escape the crowds. The small water and little fish offer a perfect training ground for novice anglers looking to improve their skills.

Current Fishing Conditions

View the current fishing report for the Williams Fork River.

The Williams Fork Valley was once one of the most picturesque valleys in the state. The recent onslaught by the pine beetle has ravaged the valley and killed a majority of the trees. The valley can hardly be classified as alive. While the flora in the area may be suffering, the fishery is still top notch.

The Tail Water

The Williams Fork River is most famed for the tail water stretch below the reservoir. The tail water became public over a decade ago and was mistakenly left off the state’s Gold Medal Water list. The Kemp State Wildlife Area is one of the best state land fisheries. The tailwater of the Williams Fork tumbles through grassy meadows and towering aspen groves on its way to its confluence with the Colorado River at the town of Parshall.

Due to the drought, the Williams Fork has suffered extremely minimal flows. During sufficient flows, the Williams Fork holds a good stock of large rainbows and browns that grow to large sizes and fight hard.

The tail water is either accessed from the Kemp Unit parking lot or the Upper Breeze Unit lot (on the Colorado River). Both accesses require a twenty-minute hike to reach the river, so anglers need to be prepared by packing in ample drinking water and gear to be comfortable on the river.