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River · Central Colorado Rockies in Eagle County, from Red Cliff and Minturn down through Avon, Edwards, Eagle and Gypsum to the Colorado River · Colorado

Eagle River Fishing Guides

A free-flowing Colorado freestone through the Vail valley with a genuine runoff cycle, dense brown trout numbers and a well-developed float fishery below Edwards.

A freestone river running through a rocky mountain valley in autumn in the Northern Rockies

Map of the Eagle River

30 numbered points: 3 campsites, 2 bait & fly shops, 21 bridges, 3 parks and conservation areas, 1 USGS gauge. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 16, 2026.

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Campsite (3)
Bait, tackle & fly shop (2)
Bridge crossing (21)
Park / conservation area (3)
USGS gauge (1)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Points are curated from OpenStreetMap and state agency sources; confirm access and hours before you go.

Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.

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All 30 points on this map

#	Point	Type	Lat, Lon	Notes
1	Camp Hale Memorial Campground USFS · White River National Forest	Campsite	39.41973, -106.31418	Top of the sheet, on the headwater flats at Camp Hale.
2	Camp Hale National Historic Site USFS · White River National Forest	Park / conservation area	39.43620, -106.32544	The 10th Mountain Division site the upper river runs through.
3	Hornsilver Campground USFS · White River National Forest	Campsite	39.48915, -106.36685	Forest Service campground above Red Cliff.
4	USGS 09063000 — Eagle River at Red Cliff At Red Cliff	USGS gauge	39.50832, -106.36669	The gauge the water page reads for flow.
5	Eagle Street bridge Red Cliff	Bridge crossing	39.50951, -106.36687	In-town crossing at the gauge.
6	Pine Street bridge Red Cliff	Bridge crossing	39.51173, -106.36908	Second Red Cliff crossing.
7	Water Street bridge Red Cliff	Bridge crossing	39.50793, -106.37646	Bottom-of-town crossing below Red Cliff.
8	Cemetery Road bridge Minturn	Bridge crossing	39.58191, -106.42351	Crossing at the top of Minturn.
9	Minturn Anglers Fly shop on Main Street, Minturn	Bait, tackle & fly shop	39.58928, -106.43157	On the bank in Minturn; the shop closest to the upper river.
10	Main Street bridge Minturn	Bridge crossing	39.58938, -106.43141	In-town crossing beside the fly shop.
11	County Road bridge Eagle County · below Minturn	Bridge crossing	39.60557, -106.44221	Crossing between Minturn and the Gore Creek confluence.
12	Post Boulevard bridge Avon	Bridge crossing	39.62486, -106.50437	Crossing at the top of Avon.
13	Stone Bridge Road bridge Avon	Bridge crossing	39.62795, -106.51264	Second Avon crossing.
14	Avon Whitewater Park Town of Avon	Park / conservation area	39.63208, -106.52205	Engineered play features on the river through Avon; scout at high water.
15	Avon Road bridge Avon	Bridge crossing	39.63201, -106.52247	Crossing at the whitewater park.
16	Fly Fishing Outfitters Fly shop, Avon	Bait, tackle & fly shop	39.63557, -106.53755	On the bank at the west end of Avon.
17	Miller Ranch Road bridge Edwards	Bridge crossing	39.63949, -106.57185	Crossing at Miller Ranch.
18	Reserve Road bridge Edwards	Bridge crossing	39.63952, -106.58138	Crossing below Miller Ranch.
19	Edwards Access Road bridge Edwards	Bridge crossing	39.64588, -106.59244	The main Edwards river crossing.
20	Hillcrest Drive bridge Eagle County	Bridge crossing	39.65454, -106.62887	Crossing below Edwards.
21	Aspen Meadows Road bridge Wolcott	Bridge crossing	39.70335, -106.72745	Crossing at Wolcott.
22	Diamond Star Road bridge Eagle County · below Wolcott	Bridge crossing	39.67559, -106.77459	Crossing in the canyon reach below Wolcott.
23	Eagle River Bridge Town of Eagle	Bridge crossing	39.66029, -106.81569	Crossing at the top of the town of Eagle.
24	Eby Creek Road bridge Town of Eagle	Bridge crossing	39.65682, -106.82530	Main Eagle crossing.
25	Eagle Town Park Town of Eagle	Park / conservation area	39.65161, -106.82915	Town park a few hundred metres off the river in Eagle.
26	Eagle River Road bridge Eagle County · below Eagle	Bridge crossing	39.64783, -106.87511	Crossing between Eagle and Gypsum.
27	Trail Gulch Road bridge Gypsum	Bridge crossing	39.65009, -106.95228	Crossing at Gypsum.
28	River View Road bridge Gypsum	Bridge crossing	39.65010, -106.95776	Second Gypsum crossing.
29	Price Lane bridge Eagle County · below Gypsum	Bridge crossing	39.65224, -106.96562	Crossing below Gypsum, at the USGS Price Lane station.
30	Aunt Sara's Riverdance RV Resort Private · on the river below Gypsum	Campsite	39.64762, -107.00136	Riverside RV park on the lower river.

Guides on the Eagle River

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About the Eagle River

The Eagle is one of the few significant rivers in central Colorado that is not controlled by a dam, and everything about how it fishes follows from that. It begins high near Tennessee Pass, runs past Red Cliff where this gauge sits, gathers Gore Creek at Minturn and then flows west down the length of the Vail valley through Avon, Edwards, Eagle and Gypsum before joining the Colorado at Dotsero. Because it is a true freestone it has a hard runoff season, a low clear autumn and a genuine seasonal rhythm rather than a managed one.

Brown trout dominate, and they dominate in numbers rather than just in size. The middle river below Edwards holds a dense population that supports both wading and a well-established drift boat fishery, with rainbows mixed in throughout and increasing after years of recovery work following historic mine drainage problems near Gilman. Higher up around Red Cliff and Minturn the river is smaller, steeper and pocket-water in character, with brook trout and cutthroat in the tributaries. Mountain whitefish are common and are a useful indicator of a healthy system rather than a nuisance.

Timing is the whole game on the Eagle. From late May into early July, snowmelt makes most of the river unfishable and unfloatable for anglers, though it makes the commercial rafting season. As runoff drops through July the river comes into shape and stays excellent into October, with a strong caddis emergence in early summer and good terrestrial fishing in late summer. Because this station reports water temperature as well as discharge, it is worth checking both in a hot, dry August when voluntary fishing closures on Colorado freestones have become a regular feature.

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Withdrawing is one email to hello@guidedfloats.com naming the photo. It comes off the site within 7 days.

Read the full license

Version 1.0, dated 6 September 2026. Applies to every photograph submitted to GuidedFloats through the contact form, a species page, or the community board.

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2. What you confirm

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4. Withdrawing the license

5. What we may do

6. Your details

7. Versions

The version of this license you accepted is stored with your submission and printed with the photo. A later version does not apply to a photo you have already sent unless you agree to it.

Access

Red Cliff access near the gauge on US 24 - upper river pocket water with roadside parking.
Minturn town access below the Gore Creek confluence - upper river wading.
Edwards Boat Ramp on US 6 - the standard upper float launch for the middle river.
Wolcott river access - popular mid-river put-in and take-out for full and half-day floats.
Eagle town whitewater park access - convenient developed access with parking and ramps.
Gypsum ponds state wildlife area - lower river public frontage near town.
Horn Ranch and Duck Pond public access sites on US 6 - Colorado Parks and Wildlife walk-in water.

Seasons

Spring: pre-runoff fishing is excellent in April and early May before snowmelt shuts the river down.
Summer: runoff clears in July and the river fishes hard through August on caddis, stoneflies and terrestrials.
Fall: the best float weeks of the year, low clear water, aggressive browns and thin crowds through October.
Winter: cold and low, with midge and small nymph fishing in the deeper middle-river runs on mild days.

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Questions

What is the current flow on the Eagle River?

As of Sep 17, 6:45 am, the USGS gauge EAGLE RIVER AT RED CLIFF, CO. reads 8 cfs, with water temperature 53.1 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.

What species can you catch on the Eagle River?

Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout on the Eagle River in Colorado.

Where can you access the Eagle River?

Red Cliff access near the gauge on US 24 - upper river pocket water with roadside parking. Minturn town access below the Gore Creek confluence - upper river wading. Edwards Boat Ramp on US 6 - the standard upper float launch for the middle river. Wolcott river access - popular mid-river put-in and take-out for full and half-day floats. Eagle town whitewater park access - convenient developed access with parking and ramps. Gypsum ponds state wildlife area - lower river public frontage near town. Horn Ranch and Duck Pond public access sites on US 6 - Colorado Parks and Wildlife walk-in water.

When is the best time to fish the Eagle River?

Spring: pre-runoff fishing is excellent in April and early May before snowmelt shuts the river down. Summer: runoff clears in July and the river fishes hard through August on caddis, stoneflies and terrestrials. Fall: the best float weeks of the year, low clear water, aggressive browns and thin crowds through October. Winter: cold and low, with midge and small nymph fishing in the deeper middle-river runs on mild days.

Where are the fishing regulations for the Eagle River?

Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Colorado agency site: https://cpw.state.co.us/rules-and-regulations

At a glance

State: Colorado
Licence: Colorado fishing licence
Type: River
Gauge: USGS 09063000
Guides: 0

Species

Water is 53°F right now. Each species is marked against the range it prefers.

Brook Trout 54° low
Brown Trout 54° low
Cutthroat Trout in range
Mountain Whitefish in range
Rainbow Trout 55° low

Preferred ranges are from each species page and are a guide, not a rule.

Regulations

Rules change by season and section. Read the current regulations from the Colorado agency. We never restate regulations.

Nearby waters

Flow, gauge height, and water temperature: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, provisional data subject to revision. Percentile computed from USGS daily statistics for this calendar day. All data sources.