Date: July 14, 2026

The Bottom Line: The second coming of runoff has arrived, bringing another round of high, dirty water across the system. Flows are up, visibility is down, and trout are doing everything they can to stay out of the heavy current. While these conditions can make fishing more challenging, they also concentrate fish into predictable holding water. If you're willing to adjust your approach and fish the softer edges, there's still plenty of opportunity to connect with quality trout. Keep an eye on water clarity, focus on protected water, and don't overlook the slower pockets that many anglers walk right past.

The Move: Target slower-paced water with structure where trout can conserve energy while staying close to food. Think inside bends, back eddies, soft seams behind rocks, submerged trees/logs, and slower bank water out of the main current. Stoneflies remain a strong option, especially fished deep where fish are holding tight to the bottom and waiting for an easy meal to drift by. If you're looking to move bigger fish, don't be afraid to throw large, dark-colored or flashy streamers that push plenty of water and grab attention in the stained conditions. Sometimes a bold profile and a little extra movement are exactly what it takes to trigger an aggressive eat.

Water Level and Clarity: Fluctuating levels daily, refer to https://rivers.alberta.ca/ for accurate levels. Clarity remains off. Anglers will see 1-2 feet of clarity depending on the stretch of the Bow River you choose to fish.

Water Temps: Cold.

Wading Difficulty & Safety: High water creates faster, more powerful currents that can make wading unsafe. Exercise extra caution when the bottom is not visible.

Understanding Fishing During Runoff

During runoff on the Bow River, wild trout adjust their behaviour to conserve energy while coping with higher flows and increased sediment. Research on salmonids has consistently shown that elevated turbidity can reduce feeding efficiency by limiting visibility, while rapidly changing water levels and flows disrupt normal habitat use and foraging. As a result, trout often seek out areas where the water is cleaner and more stable, allowing well-oxygenated water to pass efficiently over their gills and improving their ability to detect prey. These "soft edges" commonly include grassy banks where vegetation filters sediment, side channels, creek mouths, eddies, and large boulder gardens that provide refuge from the strongest currents. Holding in slower water minimizes energy expenditure while allowing trout to ambush drifting insects and other food items carried by the current.

Trout also tend to be cautious immediately following significant changes in river levels. Sudden increases or decreases in flow often suppress feeding for a day or two as fish re-establish holding positions and adapt to the new conditions. Once flows stabilize, however, their feeding activity can increase noticeably. After periods of reduced feeding, trout often become more willing to chase larger prey and take greater risks to recover lost energy reserves. This timing frequently coincides with major aquatic insect hatches, particularly stoneflies, which provide a high-calorie food source worth expending energy to capture. During runoff, surface feeding can be inconsistent because of reduced visibility, making subsurface presentations the most reliable approach. Large, dark nymphs and streamers with pronounced profiles create vibration and displacement that trout can detect using their lateral line, allowing them to locate prey even when visibility is poor.

The Strategy: Why These Techniques Work

• Targeting Bank Seams, Soft Water & Structure: During runoff, trout prioritize conserving energy over holding in fast current. They move into softer water along grassy banks, shoreline seams, eddies, side channels, and behind large boulders where cleaner water, reduced current, and drifting food come together. Focus on the transition between fast and slow water—these are prime ambush zones.
• Put Your Fly Where the Fish Are: The biggest factor in catching trout during runoff is presentation. Trout are unlikely to leave comfortable holding water to chase a fly through heavy current. Instead, put your fly where the fish are already holding and let it drift naturally through their feeding lane. The less energy a trout has to expend to eat your fly, the more likely it is to commit.
• The Science of Flow Stability: Runoff is all about changing conditions. When river levels fluctuate, trout often stop feeding until they adjust to the new flows, which can take a couple of days. Once water levels stabilize, even if they're still high, trout become more comfortable and feeding activity increases. During runoff, timing stable conditions is often more important than the weather itself.
• Why Big, High-Profile Flies Work: During poor visibility, trout rely more on their lateral line to detect vibration and movement. Large, dark nymphs and streamers are easier to find and imitate the bigger food items available during runoff, especially stoneflies. After a period of reduced feeding, trout often become more aggressive, making these larger presentations especially effective.

The Summer Runoff Hatch Mix (Big Meals & Opportunistic Feeding)

Runoff doesn't stop the hatch—it simply changes how trout feed. As flows remain high, Golden Stones, PMDs, Caddis, Sulphur Mayflies, and the season's first grasshoppers become the primary food sources. While surface activity can be sporadic in stained water, these larger insects provide a significant calorie payoff, making them worth the effort whenever trout can find them.

• The Play: If trout are rising, fish a Golden Stone, PMD, Caddis, or hopper pattern tight to the banks and softer seams. When surface activity slows or visibility is poor, switch to a dry-dropper or, more reliably, a nymph rig with stonefly nymphs, caddis pupae, or PMD nymphs fished close to the bottom where trout are holding.
• Nymphing: Still an incredibly consistent producer, especially when drifting stonefly profiles or multi-fly rigs that match the diverse bugs currently moving in the drift.
• Streamers & Swinging: Dirty water is an ideal time to fish large, dark streamers with plenty of movement. Focus on slower banks, boulder gardens, and current seams where trout can ambush prey. A slow, controlled swing or strip that pushes water is often more effective than a fast retrieve, allowing fish to locate the fly with their lateral line.