There are only a handful of trails to the Gunnison River in Black Canyon National Park near Montrose, Colorado. Every route is steep and potentially treacherous, but the experience is well worth it for the strong and adventurous hiker.

The river that carved Black Canyon is now controlled by a dam just upstream of the national park. The tailwater river below the dam is rich in nutrients and supports large trout. The fact that these fish don’t see many flies and lures makes the fishery even more appealing.

At the rim, distant mountains loom over the shiny dark rock, providing one of the most classic vistas in the West. Once you reach the river bottom, the rock walls provide a projection screen for the constantly shifting shadows. The glowing amber light and pitch black shadows are punctuated by the bright blue sky. I spent three days in Black Canyon and I didn’t see another person the entire time.

The river was flowing high and the riparian grasses were submerged. The rolling water limited my angling to bankside lies, but it is good for the health of the fishery.

The consistent flow of water out of the dam does not mimic natural seasonal variations. Without a major spring runoff, sediment builds up in the system, reducing the quality of the habitat for young trout, forage fish, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Furthermore, the excess sediment supports high densities of tubifex worms, an organism that hosts whirling disease.

And whirling disease has hit this stretch of the Gunnison River hard. Black Canyon once supported a trophy rainbow trout fishery. On my trip, I landed upwards of fifty browns without seeing a single rainbow.

In 2001, the Department of Interior (DOI) was poised to assert a federal reserve water right to restore a more natural hydrograph in the Gunnison River. This action would have reduced whirling disease and generally benefit the health of the trout fishery in the canyon.

The higher spring flows also would have improved habitat quality for rare warmwater fish species downstream. The lower Gunnison is inhabited by four native fishes protected by the Endangered Species Act.

Unfortunately, when the Bush Administration took over, these plans were thrown to the wayside. Not only that, but the new administration’s DOI relinquished the federal water right all together.

Without a federal claim to this water, the flow is subject to diversion from the west slope to the big cities on the Front Range. Removing the water from the basin would totally eliminate all possible environmental benefits to the trout fishery and the endangered species downstream.

In 2003, Trout Unlimited, with the support of numerous other conservation organizations, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the DOI. According to Drew Peternell, the Director of TU's Colorado Water Project, TU contends it is illegal for DOI to simply give away the seventy year old water right.

A Federal Judge is currently contemplating the argument and Drew is expecting a ruling before the snow begins falling again.

Inside the fortress of the sheer canyon walls, it was hard for me to imagine the political and legal circus that controls the fate of this place. I enjoyed the solitude and the river’s dandy brown trout. I caught numerous fish in the 18-20” range, but no real hogs. I’m sure there are 24”+ specimens down there.

Black Canyon provides the trout angler with a hidden sanctuary. I hope we can do what it takes to help this tremendous resource.

PLEASE take a look at my photos, I have some good ones. CLICK HERE to see the photo gallery.

Click HERE to read more about TU’s fight for Black Canyon

Additional advice before you go:
You will need a free backcountry permit to hike into the national park. Permits are available at the park’s visitor center. Pack light! Your knees will thank you. This trip is only for those in prime physical condition. It is strenuous (2600 vertical feet straight down) and I don’t even want to think about how horrible it would be to injure oneself halfway down. Big, heavy woolly buggers, grasshoppers, and bushy stonefly nymphs were the most productive flies when I was there. I moved fish in every likely spot. If I didn’t roll a fish on the first couple casts, I would add a split shot and that usually did the trick.

The canyon water both downstream and upstream of the national park is more accessible. There are easier access trails, boat launches, and even a few road accessible fishing spots. I hear these sections of river offer quality angling, but of course, they lack the solitude of the national park.