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Homestake Creek — Red Cliff

Freestone · below Homestake Reservoir · Gold Park to the Eagle at Red CliffClass 2Fishing Well
63

● Live flow from USGS · water temp from sample (no temp sensor at this gauge)

10 cfs
Flow
48°F
Water temp
39.473, -106.368
Location · USGS gauge
30–150
Ideal flow · cfs
Conditions · water 44–50°F

Early July — a small, cold tributary creek fishing well as it drops off runoff. Eager brookies and browns on attractor dries and dry-dropper rigs. A fun, low-pressure change of pace near Minturn.

Strategy

Classic small-stream fishing: high-stick a dry-dropper (attractor dry with a beadhead Pheasant Tail or Hare's Ear a foot or two below) through every pocket, plunge pool and seam. The brookies are aggressive and the browns hold in the deeper buckets. Move often, keep a low profile, and cover water. Regulated by Homestake Reservoir so flows stay fishable through summer. A great half-day when the bigger rivers are crowded or off-color.

Detailed report

Small wild-trout tributary off Homestake Road (FR 703) south of Red Cliff — regulated by Homestake Reservoir so it holds fishable flows. Eager brookies/browns; nothing big but nonstop action on dries. Trip tip: pairs perfectly with a morning on the Eagle at Minturn just up the road.

Report: Minturn Anglers · Early July — seasonal outlook (verify current report) · Minturn Anglers

Fly-shop reports

No shops connected for this river yet

Hatchwise doesn't yet have a fly shop linked to Homestake Creek — Red Cliff, so there was nothing to check — this isn't a shop reporting slow water. Live flow and temperature above are real and current.

Live flow and water temperature come from the USGS gauge. Shop reports appear here once a shop is connected to this water.

Fishability Score breakdown

How today's 63 is built. Flow 35% · Water temp 25% · Weather 20% · Hatch 20%.

Flow19/100
Water temp100/100
Weather76/100
Hatch match82/100

Weather & hatch are placeholder factors until wired to live sources.

What to throw — by time of day

Morning
Dawn – 11am

Parachute Adams #14-16, Pheasant Tail #16, Hare's Ear #14

MiddayNOW
11am – 5pm

Elk Hair Caddis #14-16, Stimulator #12-14, Royal Wulff #14

Evening
5pm – dark

Elk Hair Caddis #16, small attractor dries, dry-dropper

Species
Brook · Brown · Cutthroat
USGS gauge 09064500

Seasonal hatch report

In season now

Fall — BWOs & Streamers

Cooling water wakes the fish up. Blue-Winged Olives return on grey afternoons, and pre-spawn browns chase streamers hard.

Morning
Dawn – 11am
Hatching
Midges · BWO nymphs · Trico (early fall)
Flies
Pheasant Tail #18, RS-2 #20, Trico spinner #24
Rig
Nymph deep; streamer the banks early for aggressive browns.
Afternoon
NOW
11am – 5pm
Hatching
Blue-Winged Olives · October caddis (freestone)
Flies
BWO dun #20-22, Parachute Adams #20, October Caddis #10
Rig
Overcast = dry BWOs; otherwise swing/strip streamers for browns.
Evening
5pm – dark
Hatching
BWO spinners · Streamer window
Flies
Sculpin/Woolly Bugger #6-8, RS-2 #20
Rig
Strip big flies through frog water at last light for the biggest fish.
Source: Hatchwise Seasonal Guide · updated Jul 5, 12:00 PM MT. General seasonal patterns — verify against a current local shop report before you go.

Sources & last updated

SourceFeedsMost recent update
USGS 09064500 Homestake Creek — Red CliffSep 30, 11:45 PM MT · flow live
Hatchwise Seasonal GuideHatch & fly guidanceJul 5, 12:00 PM MT · editorial
Fly-shop reportsShop-validated fly recsNo report found — searched

Live flow & water temp come straight from the USGS Instantaneous Values service; timestamps are the gauge's own reading times (Mountain Time).