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Why Midges Matter
Midges hatch 365 days a year on almost every tailwater in Colorado.
In winter, they make up nearly 80% of a trout’s diet.
If you can’t see what you’re tying on, you’re doing it right.
The Colorado Winter Midge Playbook
1. Fish Small, But Think Big
Size #20–26. Black, red, olive, gray.
Stack two patterns: an attractor up top, a tiny natural below.
Weighted lightly — just enough to tick bottom.
Classic combo: Two Bit Hooker #18 → Black Beauty #24.
2. Drift Like You Mean It
Trout in 40-degree water won’t chase.
Perfect drifts win. Drag loses.
Use the smallest indicator that still floats and set it to the depth of the deepest seam.
3. Sight Is Everything
Clear water = visible trout = visible mistakes.
Watch the fish, not the indicator.
Most winter eats are whispers — a head tilt, a flicker, a pause.
Strike then, not later.
Best Colorado Tailwaters for Midge Season
Dream Stream – South Platte
Crystal water and hungry rainbows post-spawn.
Flies: Black Beauty #22–24, WD-40 #22, Egg #14.
Fish slow flats mid-day; long leaders + 6X tippet.
Cheesman Canyon
Technical and beautiful — where midges make or break you.
Flies: Chocolate Foam Wing #22, Top Secret Midge #24, Griffith’s Gnat #24 (if you’re lucky).
Blue River – Silverthorne
Tailwater perfection under the bridge.
Flies: Mercury Black Beauty #22, Mysis #18, RS2 #20.
Target mid-day seams when sunlight hits the concrete.
Yampa Below Stagecoach
Steady winter flows and sight-fishing heaven.
Flies: Zebra Midge #22, Juju Baetis #20, Foam Wing #22.
Stay low, move slow.
Deckers
Close to Denver, still producing through ice.
Flies: Manhattan Midge #22, Olive WD-40 #22, RS2 #20.
Fish 10 AM–3 PM once frost burns off.
Gear and Tactics
- Tippet: Fluoro 6X–7X
- Indicator: Air-Lock Small or yarn dab
- Leader: 10–12 ft
- Split Shot: Tiny — BB or smaller
- Rod: 3-weight or soft 4-weight for delicate casts
When to Fish
10 AM – 3 PM.
Sunlight warms surface temps just enough to trigger midge activity.
Look for tiny dimples on slick water — that’s your hatch window.
The Mindset
Winter midge fishing isn’t about comfort.
It’s about rhythm — tie, drift, freeze, repeat.
But that slow-motion eat on a size 24 fly?
That’s Colorado therapy.
