A drift boat resting on the Bow River near Calgary with the far bank and a bridge in the distance

Fishing Reportgood

Bow River Fishing Report

Week of July 10, 2026

By Dan King · Lead Guide, King Trout Outfitters

Bow River flowing green-grey with improving clarity through downtown Calgary on July 10, 2026, under sunny skies, with the Centre Street Bridge and downtown skyline behind it — The Bow through downtown Calgary on July 10, 2026 — a big change from two weeks ago. The flood brown is gone and the river's back to a green-grey with visibility improving every day. (Timestamp shown is from the camera.) Source: Calgary Live Camera (DELTATECH) on YouTube →

Bow River fishing conditions for the week of July 10, 2026 are good. Flow is 211 cubic meters per second and falling. Water temperature is 14°C. No angling restrictions are in effect. Active hatches include Caddis, Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Yellow Sally, Golden Stonefly, Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants), Trico.

211

Flow (m³/s) ↓

14°C

Water Temp ↑

good

Overall Conditions

None

Restrictions

iFlow context: The Bow's at 211 cms this morning and still sliding. It leveled off around 230 for a few days after last week's drop, then stepped down again overnight. That's twelve days of falling water since the June 30 peak near 558. Still a little over twice the 90 cms summer baseline, but every day it looks more like July. Source: Environment Canada

A red FLYPOD drift boat with two anglers on the Bow River near Calgary, ready to launch for a guided fly fishing trip

On the Water

Do You Need a Boat to Fish the Bow River?

You can wade the Bow in spots, but most of the best water sits along banks and seams you can only reach by drift boat. That is why guided trips here run from a boat. It covers miles of productive water in a day and keeps you safer when flows are up, like the 211 cms running this week.

What Are Conditions Like on the Bow River This Week?

“

Dan King

Lead guide at King Trout Outfitters · 15+ years on the Bow River

The river keeps doing exactly what we want. We're at 211 cms this morning, down from 231 last week, and it's been falling or flat for twelve straight days since that June 30 spike topped out near 558. The water's cleaned up enough that I'm calling it good. Not gin clear, but proper fishable, and the fish are back in their normal July water. The dry fly game is open. Evening caddis is the best bite on the river right now, thick in the last two hours of light, and the PMDs have fish looking up midday. I'm running dry-dropper most of the day and only going back to the deep nymph rig in the heavier runs below town. Water temp's sitting around 14 and no heat closure, but that's the thing to watch as we get into late July, so check My Wild Alberta before you head out. If the flow keeps sliding toward 180, the next few weeks set up as prime summer fishing. July dates are getting thin. August is wide open. Grab one.

Close-up of a wild brown trout held gently in hand showing distinctive spotted markings

What They're Eating

What Flies Are Working on the Bow River Right Now?

Right now the trout are keyed on Caddis, Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Yellow Sally, Golden Stonefly, Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants), Trico. That is why our guides are fishing patterns like Elk Hair Caddis, Chubby Chernobyl, Pheasant Tail this week. Match what is hatching, get a clean drag-free drift, and you will move fish. The full fly chart for this week is right below.

What Hatches Are Active on the Bow River?

Insect	Hook Size	Activity
Caddis	#14-18	heavy
Pale Morning Dun (PMD)	#16-18	moderate
Yellow Sally	#14-16	moderate
Golden Stonefly	#6-10	light
Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants)	#8-16	light
Trico	#20-24	light

See the full month-by-month Bow River Hatch Chart →

What Flies Are Working This Week?

Close-up of a hand selecting a fly from a well-stocked fly box

Elk Hair Caddis

#14-16dry

Chubby Chernobyl

#8-10dry

Pheasant Tail

#14-16nymph

San Juan Worm

#8-12nymph

Pat's Rubber Legs

#6-8nymph

Olive Woolly Bugger

#4-6streamer

Pro Tip

No restrictions this week. Fish from dawn to dusk. The best window is mid-morning through late afternoon when the hatches are active and the water has warmed a few degrees.

Where Should You Fish the Bow River This Week?

Upper Bow

Above Bearspaw Dam

Above Bearspaw is in the best shape it's been since mid-June. The Ghost settles the sediment out, so this reach cleared first and it's got real visibility now. Wading is comfortable if you're sensible about it. It's a dry-dropper game up here. A Chubby Chernobyl with a Pheasant Tail or a small Yellow Sally nymph off the back, worked along the seams and the inside edges. PMDs are coming off midday and fish are looking up for them. And keep an eye out for the first Tricos on calm mornings. They're small, but when fish get on them you'll know.

City Section

Bearspaw to Carseland

The city stretch is fishing well at 211. The color keeps improving, and the fish have moved off the banks and back into the seams and buckets where you'd expect them in July. Dry-dropper through the day, a caddis or a Chubby up top with a Pheasant Tail underneath. But the evening is the show right now. The caddis are thick in the last two hours of light and the soft water from Carburn down through Policeman's Flats has fish actively feeding on the surface. If you've only got a few hours, make them the evening ones.

Lower Bow

South of Calgary

Below town toward McKinnon Flats and Carseland is finally coming around. The Highwood held this reach dirty the longest, same as always, but there's usable visibility now and it improves by the day. Fish it a touch heavier than the upper river. Rubber-legs and a worm deep through the runs, or a Woolly Bugger tight to the banks early. The evening caddis are starting to bring fish up down here too. This is the reach I'm watching. Once it fully clears, the big browns that rode out the high water start eating again, and this is where they live.