September 29, 2026

Gunnison River Fishing Report, Week of September 28, 2026

I would drive the Gunnison near Grand Junction. Valley gage 09152500 is 964 cfs and 16.4 C at 10:30 a.m., provisional, not Black Canyon (USGS 09152500).

Gunnison River near Grand Junction, week of September 28

Update, Oct. 1: the valley reach came up a little, to about 1,340 cfs. CPW lifted its two upstream afternoon closures on Sept. 30. The Black Canyon is still running thin.

Conditions

  • Flow: USGS 09152500, Gunnison River near Grand Junction, read 1,340 cfs at 5:30 p.m. MDT on Oct. 1, up from 1,190 cfs on Sept. 29. It ranged from about 1,300 to 1,400 cfs today. Provisional.
  • Water temp: 17.8 C (64 F) at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 1. Today it ran from about 59 to 64 F.
  • Closures: CPW lifted both voluntary afternoon closures upstream on Sept. 30: the North Fork confluence at Pleasure Park down to Highway 65, and the U.S. 50 bridge to Blue Mesa. Neither covered the reach at Grand Junction. See CPW's Sept. 30 release.
  • Weather: NWS Grand Junction has sunny, dry days through Saturday, with highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 50s.
  • CPW reports: No new CPW conditions report for the lower Gunnison this week.

How to fish it

At about 1,300 cfs the lower river is a bank and edge day. Fish soft inside bends, seams below riffles, and shaded banks. Cooler water helps, but it still warms on sunny afternoons, so mornings are the better window. Endangered natives like Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker live in the lower Gunnison. If you hook one, get it back in the water right away.

Access

Private land lines this river. Fish from posted public banks and parks only. The Gunnison Gorge and Black Canyon are a separate, remote trip and this gage says nothing about them. Check NPS and BLM before you head upriver.

Safety

A thousand-plus cfs is heavy water to wade. Stay on the edges and skip the crossings. See our Colorado safety page and the cold-water checklist.

Regs

Check CPW fishing regulations and Colorado eRegulations for the exact water you plan to fish. We do not print bag limits.

Plan it

Last week: Gunnison report, week of Sept. 24. Background: Gunnison River prep. Build the day in Trip Builder.

Updated Oct. 1, 2026 (first posted Sept. 29). Sources: USGS 09152500 and the CPW Sept. 30 closure release.