freestone river · trout

Big Thompson River (Moraine Park)

Live conditions for Big Thompson River (Moraine Park): the gauge, the water temperature, the trend, and what the water is doing today — read the way a guide reads it.

Right now

10cfs→ lowcaution

Low and skinny at 10 cfs — wadeable, fish the deeper holding water.

Water temp46.8°F

Stage4.09 ft

Engine callOFF 10 cfs outside wade band 12–45

Gauge read 8:20 AM CDT · USGS 402114105350101. Readings refresh every few minutes.

The water

Big Thompson River (Moraine Park) is a freestone river in Denver, fished for trout — brown, brook, rainbow, cutthroat. On free-flowing water the trajectory is the story: falling and clearing after a bump is the window, rising water pushes fish to the banks and brings colour.

troutbrown troutbrook troutrainbow troutcutthroat trout

Wade and float bands in cfs, the safety notes and the 14-day trend are on the signed-in river page.

Access

Fern Lake Trailhead (Big Thompson headwater reach)walk in
Fern Lake Bus Stop / Shuttle Parking Pulloutwalk in
Cub Lake Trailhead Footbridgebridge
Moraine Park Road Meadow Pulloutswalk in
Moraine Park Discovery Center / Museum Overlook Accesswalk in
Moraine Park Campground River Accesswalk in
Bear Lake Road Bridge over Big Thompson Riverbridge

Directions to the put-in or wade access ride on every briefing.

The briefing

Know before you drive to Big Thompson River.

Every morning OUTFISH reads this gauge, the dam schedule, the water temperature, the sky and the tips library, and writes one plain-language call for the waters you track: go or stay home, wade or float, when to be on the water, where to put in, what to tie on — with directions.

Start free — 7 days of Guide

Signed in: the wade and float bands, the full hatch calendar, safety notes, the 14-day trend, shop reports and today's briefing for this water.

This month

Active in October:

012345678

The full calendar by month, with notes, is on the signed-in river page.

Verify it yourself

The same sources the engine reads, straight from the agency:

USGS gauge ↗

More water in Denver

Arkansas River (Cañon City)Cache la Poudre River (Fort Collins)Bear Creek (Evergreen/Morrison)Big Thompson (Estes Tailwater)Boulder Creek (Canyon)Clear Creek (Golden)North Fork South Platte (Bailey)South Platte — Eleven Mile Canyon South Platte (Cheesman Canyon)South Platte (Deckers)South Platte (Denver Urban)South Platte (Dream Stream)South Platte River — Cheesman Canyon (Deckers)St. Vrain Creek (Lyons)